Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature

This book serves as an excellent introduction to the traveling exhibit by the same name organized by the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine. It provides the reader with a look at Mary Shelley, the times in which she was raised, and the influences that contributed to her writing the original Frankenstein book. There are both color and black and white illustrations which afford the reader a better understanding of this period of time and the context in which the book was written and published. The second section of the book looks at the Frankenstein myth in popular culture and his transformation from an articulate, self-educated being to a grunting brute capable of cruelty without remorse. The 1931 film version starring Boris Karloff is a typical example of this as well as the toys, games, breakfast cereal, coloring books, etc. which came later. The final section of the book addresses the present day concerns which have evolved from this book such as cloning and xenografting (the use of animal parts for tranplantation). The book is a masterful summary of the Frankenstein story nearly 200 years in the making.

Mary Shelley's creature, fashioned from sundry body parts and zapped back to life by the good ol' Dr. F, has been fascinating and frightening us more than 200 years after Shelley wrote the book. Here, Susan E. Lederer, an associate professor of the history of medicine at Yale University, disinters that Frankenstein legend and legacy. Yes, this is an exploration of the cultural and sociological relevance of myth and monster; what sounds like it could be deadly dull is actually powerful prose, a riveting look at the monster and myth's impact on pop culture, science, advertising and politics. There are also handfuls of incredible color and black-and-white photos of the Monster in films, consumer products, cartoons, books and other myriad media. A book to --- dare we? --- die for.