Sarah answers “I am confused with so many editions that...”

Srikumar Krishna Iyer asked this question about Frankenstein:

I am confused with so many editions that are available (paperback as well as in ebook etc) ... Can you please guide me to the correct edition which is unabridged? Also Noticed that some editions are really short (140 pages) & some are longer (250+ pages)? Kindly clarify.

Sarah I believe all adult editions of Frankenstein are unabridged. It's already a very short book, so any abridgment would be unforgivable!

The reason for th…moreI believe all adult editions of Frankenstein are unabridged. It's already a very short book, so any abridgment would be unforgivable!

The reason for the discrepency of pages among the different editions are as follows:
1) Introduction, endnotes, footnotes.
Publishers are all vying for your money and they're all selling the exact same story. Publisher A wants you to pick its Frankenstein over Publisher B's edition. One way to distinguish editions and set one above the rest is to add an introduction. An introduction may vary from five pages to thirty. Publisher A may even add in a little extra something at the end, like reviews from famous critics or even a list of adaptations made from the book. Padding the book, if you will.

Maybe Publisher B will one up Publisher A by adding footnotes and endnotes. Endnotes take up more space. An editor will read the book and add explanations to references or words that modern day readers may not understand. Endnotes usually add 5-10 pages, depending on the size of the book. Barnes and Nobles is especially good at this.

2) Book size, font size, margins.
A book that is 12x6 will have fewer pages for Frankenstein than a 7x6 edition. An edition with size 10 font will have fewer pages than an edition with size 16 font. Margins will add or subtract a couple of pages, but not much.

All of these elements within a book will add pages to the story itself. If you walk into any bookstore and ask for a copy of Frankenstein, you will get an unabridged version. There's not much to abridge anyway. If you buy an adult copy, you can rest assured that with a book as short as Frankenstein is, you're getting the full thing.

Penguin classics usually don't abridge. I myself have the Barnes and Noble edition. It's pretty nifty to get an intro, footnotes, and endnotes. And gutenberg.org rarely ever abridges, so if you're looking for a free e-book, that would be your best bet.

All the best~(less)

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Srikumar Krishna Iyer Thank you so much for your detailed explanation, I have read the book and you are absolutely right, they have actually added lots of other stuff other ...more
Jan 11, 2015 09:26AM · flag

Sarah You're very welcome! Hope you enjoyed the book! ...more
Jan 11, 2015 01:05PM · flag

Nicola I found it nearly impossible to located an audio version of this which wasn't abridged. In the end I got it from the Lit2Go site; not professional but ...more
Oct 12, 2015 04:00AM · flag

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