Frankenstein

Here, in a handsome and lavishly illustrated new edition, is Mary Shelley's masterpiece of gothic horror. Featuring literature's most memorable and poignant fiend, Frankenstein still possesses, in the words of literary critic Ellen Moers, "the power to curdle the blood and quicken the beatings of the heart." This classic tale about science's dangerous ambition to unlock the mysteries of life speaks profoundly to the question of what it means to be human. This special edition is enhanced with portraits of the author and members of her circle, evocative contemporary illustrations of Frankenstein's monster, and letters and manuscript pages in Mary Shelley's own hand. Rare illustrations from books mentioned in Frankenstein paint the Romantic literary scene as Mary Shelley saw it.

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The New York Public Library Collector's Editions

Favorite masterpieces of world literature illustrated by rare and beautiful materials from the Library's collections and featuring an elegant, distinctive design, with foil-trimmed covers with matching endpapers; compact, easy-to-hold size; and modern, readable type. Each book includes a biography of the author, a short essay about the images and artifacts from the Library used to illustrate the text, and suggestions for further reading.