retold by Elizabeth Gray ve N Express Publishingsia AA Shoe vrellh Mary Shelley retold by Elizabeth Gray 4s Express Publishingby Express Publishing Liberty House, New Greenham Park, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 6HW Tel: (0044) 1635 817 363 - Fax: (0044) 1635 817 463 e-mail: inquiries @expresspublishing.co.uk http: //www.expresspublishing.co.uk © Elizabeth Gray 2000 i‘ First published 2000 Design & Illustration © Express Publishing, 2000 Colour Illustrations: Nathan All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN 1-84216-376-0 Chapter 1: Chapter 2: eee chapter 4 Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Chapter 7: Chapter 8: Chapter 9: Contents From Captain Walton’s Log Book ... Frankenstein Begins his Story ........ Professor Waldmann ...........0005 i The Monster is BON. ....... 0.0. e eves PeGTING IN PLISOM shi 28s eis a's» ts 9 ee Frankenstein Meets the Creature....... The Creature's Story... ss. ke The Monster's Wife.) ...s 00.00.08Chapter 1 From Captain Walton’s Log Book 24th April 1825, 14.00 hours, on the edge of the frozen north, 9 degrees latitude, 81 longitude. A very strange thing has just happened. I was on deck looking out across the endless field of ice, when an enormous being, the shape of a man, but almost 8 feet tall, suddenly appeared out of the mist. For a moment I thought I had made a mistake. “How could any creature be alive in this place?” I said to myself. Then, about 500 yards behind him, a man of average size appeared and, by the way he was angrily beating the dogs which pulled his sledge, he seemed determined to catch the giant. Then they both disappeared into the mist as suddenly as they had appeared out of it. 25th April 1825, 10.00 hours During the night a storm came from the south and broke the ice up into pieces. I was certain that the two beings I had seen must have died in the cold. However, when the storm finally ended, I went out on deck, hoping that I might see them again. All around the ship great pieces of ice were moving up and down on the angry waves. Then I saw him, the smaller: of the two men. He was lying on the broken sledge in the centre ofa large piece of ice, about 20 yards from the side of the ship. His dogs were lying dead around him. 5$$ I called some of my men and told them to get a small boat and bring the dead man on board. I felt I had to try to find out who he was and bury him properly. My men finally managed to climb onto the ice. Then, one of them began waving his arms and shouting. “He’s still alive! Prepare hot water and a bed By some miracle the man is not dead, but it is impossible to communicate with him. He is so weak that he is hardly breathing at all. 28th April 1825, 12.00 hours. Three days have gone by since we rescued the unknown man. We still do not know who he is. We have not seen the giant since e then, although I think he must be dead. The man n. He hasn't eaten for days. Will he live? At times, we are sure he is dead. At others, he seems to have unbelievable strength. He often sits up and cries out in his sleep. One night he stood up with his eyes full of fear and anger and started screaming, “You won't escape me! I've got you now!” Iam very curious to know what brought him to the frozen north. Was it because of great madness or great hate, or both? 29th April 1825, 10.00 hours. The man with no name spoke for the first time today. He could only say short sentences. His name is Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein. He was chasing someone, most probably the giant I saw on the 24th. He calls him ‘the murderer’. But why was he chasing him? And why did he risk his life to catch this criminal? Many ques still remain unanswered. I hope Re}a} to hear the whole story in the next few days. I am afraid, though, that it will be weeks before he can even get out of bed. He is lucky to be alive. Most men would not have survived the cold. Only a deep and mysterious passion keeps him alive. ee, ——_- Frankenstein Begins his Story (This story was told over a period of five days. During that time Frankenstein was hardly able to speak for more than a minute without a rest. At times he could say no more than a few words, but slowly the terrible story was told. This is a warning to those who think that they, like God, have the right to give life and take it away.) I spent my childhood in Geneva, Switzerland. I had everything that a child could want; a mother who adored me, two younger brothers, Ernest and William, who admired me, and a perfect friend, Henry Clerval, who was possibly the most loving and faithful friend that anyone could hope to have. I also had a sister, Elizabeth, who was not my real sister but a girl my parents adopted when she was very young, because her family was too poor to look after her. Elizabeth was four years younger than me, and although we were like brother and sister, a love grew between us that was much greater than the love a brother and a sister usually feel for each other. Finally, there was Justine, a loyal and caring servant, who was more like a sister to me than a maid. As I was growing up, two things happened which changed me forever. The first happened one day as I was walking in the mountains around Geneva. Although it had been a beautiful sunny day, it suddenly became very dark and I saw lightning in the sky. I looked for a tree to shelter under because I knew it would soon start raining. Eventually, I saw a large tree with strong branches covered in leaves. I was only a few yards away Nlfrom it when the tree was struck by lightning. It burst into flames and burnt down in a few seconds. This experience made me realise the incredible power of nature. I began to think that if this power could destroy life, it could also create life. At this point in my life I decided that I wanted to understand that power and find a way of using it. Somehow, I was sure that the mystery of life itself was in that power. The second thing that changed my life was my mother’s death. I loved her very much. She was the kindest and purest person I'd ever known. She saw life as a gift from God. It was her love that kept our family very close. During the last few weeks of her life, I stayed with her the whole time. One day, as I was reading to her, she took my hand and gently pulled me towards her. As she looked at me her eyes were, as always, full of love and gentleness. She stopped for a moment to find the right words. She was very weak and could only speak in a whisper. “Victor, you must take my place now. You should keep our family together and look after your brothers. You love Elizabeth and you know that I have always wanted you to marry. As soon as you finish your studies, I want you to promise to come back and make her happy, as I know she will make you happy.” After speaking these few words she fell back on her pillow, exhausted. Three days later she died with a smile on her lips, sure that I would keep my promise. Thank God she never lived to see what happened to her loved ones. I was too young, and too selfish perhaps, to understand the importance of what my mother had asked of me. All I wanted was to get away from that place of sadness and concentrate on my studies. 14That summer I sat my university entrance exams and did brilliantly. I got the highest marks in the country and won a scholarship to study natural sciences at the University of Ingolstadt, one of the best universities in Switzerland. I had heard about the famous Professor Waldmann and the research he’d been doing there. Some said he was about to discover the secret of life. I knew it was difficult for my father, who had still not got over my mother’s death, but I could see that Elizabeth could help him more than I could and so I decided to leave for Ingolstadt as soon as possible. | packed my bags and said goodbye to my family, promising to write often. When I went to kiss Elizabeth, she held me away from her and looked at me. “You will write, Victor, won't you?” “Of course I will, my dearest. Believe me.” “I feel there is a fire inside you that will not let you rest. I am afraid it will burn you up unless you are careful. Promise you will be careful, Victor. We have lost our darling mother, and nothing can replace her, but we are still here and need you just as much as she did. Don’t forget that.” She smiled and hugged me tightly. “God be with you, Victor. May He keep you safe and bring you quickly back to us.” I arrived in Ingolstadt 24 hours later. a0) Professor Waldmann Iam ashamed to admit it, but I soon forgot my promise to my mother. At first, I wrote every day. Then, as I spent more time on my studies, I wrote fewer and fewer letters. I knew that my family would be worrying about me, but my desire for knowledge made me selfish and insensitive. Professor Waldmann was an old man, yet his mind was as sharp as a razor. What he said excited me because I could see that he was about to make a discovery that would change the way we see the world forever. After the first lecture, I decided to speak to the professor and ask him to let me help him in his research. In order to really help him, though, I first had to study every paper he had written. For the next two months I worked night and day reading his research writings. With every word I read, I felt I was closer to knowing the secret of life. When I had finished reading the last paper, I went to see the professor. The professor lived and worked on the top floor of one of the university buildings in Ingolstadt. I was very nervous as I climbed the old wooden stairs. The door was open, so I walked in. I called his name, but there was no answer. I went straight into his laboratory. No one was there. Although I knew it was wrong, I wanted to see how far he had gone with his research. His work was like a 7ak puzzle with some of the pieces still missing. n “Frankenstein.” His clear deep voice echoed around the room. I jumped with fright and turned towards him. He looked angry, and I saw at once that he was very ill. “Frankenstein, have you come to spy on your professor? Or are you here simply to pay a sick old man a visit?” “J had no idea you were ill, Professor. If 1 had known, I ...” “You came to learn my secrets. Don’t you realise the danger of what you're doing? Do you think you can take my place?” “No, Professor. I simply want to offer my help.” “Offer your help! You think you are very clever.” “Professor, you know I’m your best student, possibly the best student you've ever had. Why won't you ...” “That is the trouble. You know too much.” “I ... don’t understand.” “I know you have learned everything that has taken me all my life to discover. I also know that you can see where the last piece of the puzzle should go, and I can’t, Frankenstein. I can't!” _ “Why, Professor? I can help you. Together we can work more quickly.” “No, Frankenstein, my life is over. For weeks now I have hardly been able to get out of bed. In less than a month I will be dead. I need at least two more years to complete my research.” I said nothing. It was easy to see that he wouldn't live long. “Take me back to my room.” When he was back in bed, he spoke to me again. “Frankenstein, I am going to destroy my work.” I was so shocked I could not speak for some time. Finally, I said, “But, but, Professor, a whole lifetime’s work! You can’t ...” 20 a “It’s my work and I will do what I like with it.” “But why?” “Because it is dangerous.” “Is it dangerous to find out the meaning of life?” “No. What is dangerous is to be able to create life.” “But think of what this will mean to medical research. It’s a revolution!” “Yes, but if the wrong people get hold of it ... No. I must destroy everything before I die. You understand, don’t you?” My mind began to work very fast. I had to stop him from destroying his work. Then, I thought of a way. I have an amazing memory, greater than even the professor suspected. I would try to remember everything as we destroyed it and write it down later. “You are right, Professor. I was wrong but now I understand. I will help you destroy your work.” I could see that he did not believe me. “But how do I know you will do it?” “We will do it together, Professor.” “I have misjudged you, Frankenstein. Leave me now and come back tomorrow. I am tired.” I worked with the professor for the next two weeks. In this time I not only learnt everything that he had discovered, but I also saw how close he was to breaking the code of life. The day he died he called me to his bedside. “We have destroyed my work. Now you must forget everything that you have seen. Swear it.” I muttered something to myself and he seemed satisfied. Then he lay back and never spoke again. 21ee The Monster is Born I wanted to create a perfect being, the son every father dreams of; intelligent, handsome, loving and kind. I should have known that something would go wrong, but I was so sure of myself that I would not turn back. Professor Waldmann had discovered how to create a man. What he had not discovered, and that was the missing piece from his puzzle, was how to give it life. For me this was the easiest part. I had known how to give life even before I had known the basics of physics. I had seen it that day on the mountain when lightning burned a giant tree. Electricity was the secret. I knew what the answer was, but I did not know how to find it. I worked without a break for six months. I managed to persuade the university to let me use Professor Waldmann’s laboratory after his death. It took me only a week to put everything back as it had been before. What I had to do was find a way of controlling the electricity without burning the body. For my experiments I had to use real bodies which I could only get by stealing them from hospitals. I tried many times but it was a while before I succeeded in my experiments. ‘Then, my only task was to find the perfect body. I thought that all the bodies I found from the hospitals were ugly, so 1 decided to use different parts from many bodies in order to create the perfect man. I used Professor Waldmann’s brain in my creature, as he was one of the cleverest men I had ever known. 22 $e When everything was ready, I was exhausted. I could barely walk. To keep myself from going mad, I spoke to myself all the time. All I had to do was wait for lightning. It was the stormy season, so I knew I would not have to wait long. Then, on the same day that I finished my preparations, the storm came. I sat in my laboratory, filled with a new strength, trembling with excitement. I looked down at my creature, lying there lifeless. He was not as handsome as I'd. hoped. His legs and arms were too long and scars on his head showed where I had put in the Professor's brain. As I looked at him, I spoke to him as if he were already alive. “With your mind we will work together and explore the secrets of life. I will be like a father to you and ...” At that moment I heard thunder outside. I ran upstairs onto the roof. I could see flashes of lightning in the sky. I used a kite to attract the electricity that I needed. I saw a flash and electricity travelled down the string of the kite. I was too nervous to go back into the laboratory, so I waited on the stairs for a while. I don’t quite know what I expected to find as I entered the laboratory. I had not thought that far. I went to look inside the room, but saw nothing. The body had gone. Had the experiment worked? Where was my creature? It was only then that I realised what I had done. I had created a monster and now it was somewhere out there. I sat for an hour not moving, until it got dark. Then, I saw it, half walking, half dragging itself along. It was making strange noises like a wild beast. It was coming towards me with its long arms stretched out in front of it. When it was about two yards 23away, I saw the face, the face that was meant to be the most beautiful face in the world. The electric current had burnt the skin and it was yellow and wrinkled, so that it was like the face ofa skeleton, not of a young man. I was frightened. I screamed and ran away as I was sure he was coming to kill me. I ran downstairs and into the street and wandered for hours in the rain without being able to think. All I knew was that I had done something terrible and that I hated my creature and wanted to destroy it before it destroyed me. I didn’t want to go home, so I went to stay with my dear friend, Henry Clerval. Soon after that, | fell ill and it took me a month to recover. When I was better, Henry told me that Elizabeth and my father were very worried about me and asked me to go home at once. The thought of them made me happy and I quickly recovered. I planned to close the laboratory and then go to Geneva. Then, on the day before I was going to leave, I received this letter from my father. Dear Victor, We have missed you terribly and really want to see you. However, T have some terrible news which I felt I had to tell you before you arrive. William, your brother, is dead. He was murdered. Please come quickly. Your loving father. 26 aE Justine in Prison On the journey home to Geneva, I thought about my life, and I realised, too late perhaps, that the people I loved were more important to me than all the science in the world. All those months of passionate research and study seemed without any meaning now that William was dead. My father and Elizabeth were waiting to meet me at the station. Elizabeth looked more beautiful than ever, despite the sadness in her eyes. My father looked much older than when I had last seen him. He was very thin and seemed depressed. I could see by the look on their faces that they were shocked at how I, too, had changed, but they said nothing. My father kissed me on the forehead, and I felt his tears on my face. After that, my darling Elizabeth held me close to her and whispered that father was not well, before saying in a loud voice, “You look tired, Victor. You've been studying too hard.” I picked up my bags and we went towards the carriage. “Tell me about poor William. Did he suffer?” “No, thank God. He died in a few seconds, so the doctor says. The killer was a very strong man. They believed at first that it was the crime of a madman, until we discovered that the silver locket was missing from around William’s neck.” “A madman?” “The doctor who examined the body said that it looked as if he had been killed in a fit of wild anger.” We got into the carriage and then Elizabeth told me what 27‘Justine and William had gone walking in the mountains. sat down on a rock to rest, while William wandered off on his own. When he didn’t come back she went to look for him and found his body in the mouth of a cave.” “What did the police do?” “They questioned all the obvious suspects and they came and examined Justine’s room. In the pocket of the coat she __was wearing that day they found William’s locket. So, they put her in prison.” “But what does Justine say? She denies it, doesn’t she?” i “Of course.” ee “It can’t be true. Justine would never do a thing like that and we will prove it in court.” “T sincerely hope so, Victor.” At that my father spoke for the first time. “A curse has fallen on our family, Victor. First, your mother. Then, William. And now, Justine. Where will it end?” Rie “It will end, Father. I will make sure that it does.” He put his hand on my knee. “You're a good boy, Victor. I hope you're right.” That afternoon we went to see Justine in prison. Her trial ____ was set for the following day. She sat quietly on a wooden chair waiting for us. I tried to comfort her. of, “We will save you, Justine. We know you are not guilty of this horrible crime.” _ “Tam happy, Master Victor, that you at least believe that innocent. I know you will try to save me, but I’m afraid people will want to punish me.” on’t say that, Justine.” 30 I looked around at Elizabeth and my father. “What has happened to you all? Why have you lost hope?” That afternoon I found the best lawyer in Geneva and we spent the whole night preparing her case. When we had finished, I was certain that they would find her innocent. As | arrived at the courthouse, I was surprised by the crowds of people outside shouting. “Hang the murderess! Hang her and save our children!” Was this possible? Did these people really think that this sweet young girl was a murderess? 31Se Frankenstein Meets the Creature Although the lawyer presented his case very well, Justine was found guilty of murder. The judge ordered that she be hanged. Our family was again in despair. That night we sat around the fire, unable to speak. The only sound we could hear was the crackling of the fire. We sat before it and we cried and cried until there were no more tears left in us. After Justine had been hanged, I decided to spend a few weeks alone in the mountains walking and thinking. I stayed ina small house used by shepherds. I thought about my mother and I remembered my promise to her. I decided to make a new start. I would finish my studies as a doctor, marry Elizabeth and return to Geneva to look after the poor. My life’s aim would be to build a new hospital and call it Saint Justine’s Hospital for the Poor. One wet and misty day, as I was walking near the place where William had been murdered, I saw an enormous man in the distance. At first, I did not think of my creature. I had managed to forget him completely. As he came towards me though, I knew it was him. I recognised his clumsy arms and ‘his ape-like walk and then I saw his skeletal face. Suddenly, I realised who William’s murderer was and I hated him more than ever before. He had found my family and was planning to kill us all, one by one. Although I was frightened when I saw him, I knew I had 32 to face him. I picked up a stone just in case he tried to attack me. He stopped a few yards from me and spoke in a deep voice. “Frankenstein, for that is your name, isn’t it? Or should I call you father?” “Call me what you like.” “Why did you bring me into this world of hate, Frankenstein?” I was surprised by how well he spoke. “It is not a world of hate. It is a world of love ...” “Love? What is love? You have shown me no love. The world has shown me nothing but hate. I must talk to you, Frankenstein. You are my only hope of ever finding happiness. Come with me to my cave so we can talk. I have a fire there and some fruit and nuts.” I hesitated for a moment but finally agreed to go with him. I dropped the stone and followed him. We came to a cave high up in the mountains. Inside, it was quite warm and comfortable. He had made a bed of leaves and beside it a fire was burning. He offered me some fruit, which I refused. We sat down by the fire and he immediately began his story. 33The Creature’s Story “The first thing I felt was pain, terrible pain. Then, I opened my eyes and saw light. I understood nothing. I got up and walked around the room not knowing what to do. I felt I had to find people. Then, I saw you and felt something for the first time. It was a feeling of hope. But you ran away from me and I was left alone. I looked around and saw food. It smelled good and I ate some. I was cold and put on some of your clothes. It was dark and I was tired, so I slept in your bed. The next day I went into the streets and the people who saw me threw stones at me. I ran away. I had to find a place to hide. While I was looking for a safe place, I saved a girl from drowning. I was sure that people would thank me for saving her but they threw stones at me. I could not understand why people hated me. One day I found a house in the woods with an old hut against the back wall. The hut was not used, so I stayed there. In the house lived a blind old man and a young man and a woman. Through a hole in the wall between my hut and their house, I could hear and see everything they did. Slowly I began to understand the sounds they made. One day a beautiful girl came to the house. She couldn’t speak their language, so Felix, the young man, had to teach her. In this way, I learnt how to read and write. As time went by, I began to love these people. They seemed 36 a kind. One day, when the young people were out, I decided to talk to the old man. As he was blind, he could not see my ugliness. I went into the house and asked him for some water. He was very friendly, so I told him I was lonely and needed friends. The blind man explained that his family had had hard “times and knew what it was like to be lonely. He said his children were kind and would accept me into their family. These were the first and only kind words I have ever heard. A family! I wanted to hug him with joy and was about to put my arms around his neck when the young people came in. They screamed when they saw me, and Felix, who was carrying a large stick, started beating me cruelly. I ran away as fast as I could. All hope of love and kindness had been destroyed. Then, one day, as I was looking through the bag I had picked up as 1 left your house, I found a book and in it was your name and address and a description of your experiment. I realised that I was the result of that experiment. As you were my only hope, I decided to go and find you. 1 avoided all villages and towns and travelled mostly by night. There were many signs along the road, so it was not hard to find my way to Geneva. When I had recovered from my journey, I went down the mountain to look for your house. I reached a small field with a little river flowing through it. In the field there was a small boy playing in the spring sunshine. It was a beautiful sight. I wished I were that child. I went up to him to ask if I could play too, but when he saw me his happy face became cold and angry and he shouted at me to get away from him. He called me a monster and screamed that if I touched him he would 37tell his father, Mr Frankenstein, and that he would put me in prison. When I heard the name Frankenstein I became angry. The child was screaming and I was afraid people would hear him and come and kill me. I grabbed him by the neck and made him stop screaming, but I broke his neck. It was an accident. I put his body in a nearby cave and the chain from his neck in the pocket of a coat that was lying there. All that happened just twenty days ago.” The creature finished the story and I felt sorry for him but there was nothing I could do. He could not become a member of my family. How would I explain his existence? If people found out what had happened, I would be put in prison for life. He was dangerous. He had killed my brother and might kill the rest of us. I listened to the end of his story and then spoke. “What do you want from me?” “I want you to love me, to give me a family.” “I can’t.” “Then make me a wife, as ugly as me, to love me.” I thought about this. But what if they had children? “It’s impossible.” “But I am desperate. You should feel sorry for me.” “Feel sorry for you, who killed my little brother and ... and ...” “It was a mistake. Surely you can see that?” Suddenly the creature began to threaten me. “Ifyou don’t make a wife for me, I'll kill your family. I know from your book that you have a woman who loves you.” “You evil monster! So it was my diary you found.” 40 — eee “You also have another brother and a father. I will kill...” “All right. I'll do it, but I need time.” “I will wait. For as long as it takes.” The creature began to cry with happiness and thanked me. 1 left feeling sad and desperate. Could I create another? Or should I go and kill the creature I had made? Although he was mine, I felt I had no right to kill him. To save my family, I would have to make him a wife. 4\The Monster’s Wife I could not go back to Ingolstadt to create the wife. There were too many memories there. Besides, I wanted to go to England to see some professors about some interesting research that was being done there. Elizabeth and my father were very sad to see me leave again, but I told them it would only be for three or four months and then I would come back and marry Elizabeth and I would finish my medical studies at the University of Geneva. I spent one week in London and then went to the north of Scotland to find a place as far away from the world as possible to do my work. I finally rented an old house on an island where only a few other people lived. It took me a whole month to set up the laboratory. The instruments were carried over in a large ship. I knew exactly what I had to do, so I worked quickly. One evening as I was near to completing my work, I saw the face of the monster against the window of the laboratory. He had a wide ugly smile on his face. When I saw him there I realised the madness of what I was doing. I grabbed the wires connected to the woman and pulled them out. Then I took an axe and destroyed everything. I heard a scream of misery from outside and then the monster entered crying like a baby. “You've destroyed my only hope. You've broken your promise and destroyed my life. You will regret this, Frankenstein. We shall meet again on your wedding night. You can be sure of that.” 44 $$ With this he left with a fearful scream. It took me three hours to clean up the place. I put everything into a bag and threw it into the sea. I had planned to leave for Geneva that night but by then I was so exhausted that I decided to sleep in the house and leave early the next morning. Besides, I knew that he would not harm Elizabeth or me until our wedding night. That is what he had said and I was beginning to understand how my creature thought. Early the next morning, I put my bags into my boat and set off for the mainland. It was windy and so it took me only two hours to reach the harbour. To my surprise, there were a lot of people standing on the quay as if they were waiting for someone. I tied up my boat and was about to leave when a man in a police uniform came up to me. “Please come with me to the police station, sir.” “What's the matter? I've done nothing wrong.” “We shall see, sir. A man has been killed and someone with a boat like yours is believed to be the killer.” The policeman took me to the judge, who asked me questions about where I had been earlier that morning. I told him I had just arrived from the island. Luckily, one of the people who lived on the island arrived about half an hour after me and told the judge that he had seen me leave. So, I was no longer a suspect. However, the judge still needed me. “J would like you to look at the body, if you don’t mind. He’s a foreign gentleman and may be a friend of yours.” I went with the judge to see the body. Terrible thoughts crossed my mind. Who was this foreign gentleman? Surely not my father? 4You cannot imagine the pain I felt when I saw the body of my dear friend Henry Clerval lying dead. The black marks of the monster’s hands were around his neck. When I saw this I went mad. I had terrible nightmares in which I saw the creature killing Elizabeth and Ernest. It appears that I was in a terrible state for such a long time that finally they had to get my father to come and take me home. When Isaw him I got better but was still very frightened. “Father, we must leave at once. We must get back to Elizabeth.” “Don’t worry, my son. We will be back in a week. Here is a letter from her that will make you feel better.” “She’s still alive, then?” “Of course she’s still alive.” He laughed as if what I had said sounded strange to him. L asked him to read out Elizabeth’s letter to me. Dear Victor, How happy I am to know that you will soon be home. Do you still want to marry me? I fear that poor Henry’s death is not the only reason for your sadness. Are you in love with another woman? If you are, I will understand. I love you but don’t want you to feel you have to marry me. With all my love, Elizabeth. 46 a The Wedding I was unbelievably happy to see Elizabeth alive and well. I knew that the creature was waiting for our wedding night. I was so afraid that I did not sleep much and was always looking over my shoulder. I carried a gun all the time. One day Elizabeth found it and asked me about it. “T have enemies who want to kill me, Elizabeth. I need this gun to protect myself.” “Victor, you are still not well. You have no enemies. Everybody loves you. These deaths have just been accidents.” She thought I was mad. How could I explain things to her? “When we get married, I want to leave Geneva and go somewhere far away, where no one can ever find us.” Deep down I knew that the creature would always find me. I would have to kill him. The problem was how to protect my family while I looked for him. Although I was afraid, we decided to get married. It was a perfect wedding, just as mother would have wanted. After the wedding we left for our honeymoon. We were staying in a hotel near one of the lakes in Geneva. Everything was calm and peaceful and Elizabeth was very happy. I had asked for rooms with good locks on them, as high up in the hotel as possible. The manager found me rooms on the second floor. I had seen no sign of the creature, so I thought that he was not going to come after all. Perhaps he had found an ugly creature like himself to love him. We went to our room at around 11 o'clock and when Elizabeth was in bed, I decided to check outside one more time before 47rier rs wrres a 7 + o a os « b - —_ [eRaprer 5] 1 locked the doors. The wind was blowing and I could hear noises everywhere. I imagined him behind every door. I was at the end of the corridor which led to our room when I heard a terrible scream. I knew it was Elizabeth. I ran with my gun ready to kill the monster, but it was too late. Elizabeth was dead on the bed. I saw the monster climb through the window. I shot twice but he had already jumped into the branches of a tree and I could not see him in the darkness. I went back to Elizabeth, who was lying lifeless on the bed. I saw the marks of the monster’s hands on her neck. He had learnt to kill and he would go on until I stopped him. I could feel no more sadness. All I felt was emptiness. The creature had killed the person I loved most in the world. The only thing that I wanted now was to kill him. People in the hotel had heard the screams and the shots from my gun. A search began and some people said they had seen an ape-like man but when they went after him he escaped. I quickly went back home, afraid for my father and Ernest. The news of Elizabeth’s death shocked my father so much that he, too, died. Father and Elizabeth were buried beside the rest of my family. Only Ernest and I were left now. The creature had done his work well. I looked at the graves of all the people that I had loved, but I could find no tears. I was cold and empty inside. Along with all my loved ones, the creature had also killed my heart. I sat there alone in the graveyard, thinking. I had told Ernest to take all the money he had and go far away, but I knew that the creature would probably not go after him. It was between him and me now. I heard manic laughter in the trees about thirty yards away from me. 49—___—_—_ 3 “You fool, Frankenstein. All you had to do was make a wife for me, but you wouldn’t even give me that. Well, now that I have killed almost all of your family, I want to make you suffer. I want you to know what it’s like to have no one, to feel pain and hunger. If you want to kill me, come and get me.” It was then that I decided to chase him. I followed him day and night. Sometimes I was very close to him. But then he was gone and the chase continued. This went on for months. This is how I got to the frozen north. Every day, I got closer and closer to him. I used dogs and a sledge to move faster. How could he go faster than a sledge pulled by five dogs? For many days I followed him through the snow. I hardly slept. At one point I was only one hundred yards behind him, but during the night a storm came from the south and the ice broke up and I lost him. It was after that that you found me. There is no more to say. I know that I am dying. My only hope is that he died in the storm. ; Captain Walton, thank you for your kindness. I am glad I am dying. There is nothing left for me to live for. I only want to be with my loved ones. Please tell my brother what happened to me and that he is now safe. 50 {ea} — More from Captain Waltsns Log Book 10th May 1825, 10.00 hours. Victor Frankenstein died this morning and we placed his body in an empty cabin. This is the end of his strange and frightening story. I hope this will be a lesson to every man, so that all those innocent people did not die for nothing. 10th May 1825, 22.00 hours. An extraordinary thing happened this evening. I went to the empty cabin to arrange Frankenstein’s burial, but when I went in I saw the creature standing over the body. He was crying like a child who had lost his only parent. J think it is worth writing down his exact words. “T have killed you too, Frankenstein. I’ve killed my maker, my father. Oh, how I wish things had not ended like this. I've learnt to admire you so much, your patience, your courage. You are not as strong as I am and yet you survived the cold and the hunger. I wish we could haye been brothers, Frankenstein, or, at least, friends. We had a lot in common, you and I. I may be ugly, but I know I am stronger and cleverer than most men. I'm sorry for killing your family. If I could bring them back, I would. I know that what you did was not their fault, but they were the only way I could hurt you. I was nota monster when I was made. I was as innocent as a baby. The world could have made me into a lion or a lamb, and it made me into a monster. i——— I hate myself for what I am. I am useless to the world and to myself. I did not want to kill, but giving you pain was the only ay I could make you suffer. If only you had loved me, Frankenstein. I was your child and I could have loved you. Well, it’s too late now. | will go somewhere where I can find dried grass and sticks and build a great fire and I will throw myself on that fire and kill Frankenstein’s monster.” The creature wiped his tears and then ran out of the cabin and jumped over the side of the ship. I watched him jump from one block ofice to the next until he disappeared into the distance. This is a true story and the whole world should hear it. It isa story that carries a message to all those who think that the search for knowledge is more important than people. When we sail back to Europe | will send these notes to Victor Frankenstein’s brother, Ernest. He can then decide what to do with them. The End 53Word List _ Chapter 1 fear (n) storm (n) field of ice (phr) strength (n) alive (adj) frozen (adj) survive (v) anger (n) giant (n) unanswered (adj) angry waves (phr) | go by (went-gone) _| unbelievable (adj) at others (phr) (phr v) unknown (adj) at times (phr) hardly (adv) wave (v) average (adj) hate (n) weak (adj) beat (beat-beaten) (v) | impossible (adj) yard (n) being (n) latitude (n) break up (broke- lie (lay-lain) (v) broken) (phr v) _ | log book (n) Chapter 2 breathe (v) longitude (n) bury (v) madness (n) a love grew (phr) by some miracle (phr) } mist (n) admire (v) by the way (phr) murderer (n) adopt (v) chase (v) on board (phr) adore (v) communicate (v) passion (n) branch (n) creature (n) prepare (v) brilliantly (adv) criminal (n) probably (adv) burn down (burnt- curious (adj) properly (adv) burnt) (phr v) deck (n) remain (v) burn up (phr v) degree (n) rescue (v) burst into flames determined (adj) save (v) (phr) edge (n) scream (v) caring (adj) endless (adj) sentence (n) childhood (n) enormous (adj) shape (n) concentrate on sth (v) escape (v) sit up (sat-sat) (phr v) | create (v) sledge (n) darling (adj) oo)Word List destroy (v) eventually (adv) exhausted (adj) experience (n) faithful (adj) forever (ady) gentleness (n) gently (adv) get away (got-got) (phr v) get over (phr v) gift (n) God be with you (exp) grow up (grew- grown) (phr v) her loved ones (phr) hold sb away (phr) hug (v) importance (n) incredible (adj) it became dark (phr) keep my promise (phr) keep our family close (phr) keep together (phr) kind (adj) leaf (n, pl: leaves) lightning (n) lip (n) look after (phr v) look for (phr v) loving (adj) loyal (adj) maid (n) marry (v) May He keep you safe (exp) natural sciences (n, pl) perhaps (adv) pillow (n) power (n) promise (v) pull sb towards (phr) pure (adj) real (adj) realise (v) replace (v) research (n) rest (n) right (adj) right (n) sadness (n) scholarship (n) secret (n) selfish (adj) servant (n) shelter under sth (phr) sit exams (phr) smile (n) speak in a whisper (phr) spend (spent-spent) (v) strike (struck- struck) (v) studies (n, pl) suddenly (adv) 56 Switzerland (n) take away (took- taken) (phr v) thank God (exp) tightly (adv) university entrance exams (phr) unless (conj) warning (n) Chapter 3 a whole lifetime’s work (phr) admit (v) amazing (adj) be about to (phr) be ashamed (phr) be closer to doing sth (phr) be over (was/were- been) (phr v) be right (phr) be wrong (phr) bedside (n) climb the stairs (phr) code (n) complete (v) dangerous (adj) desire (n) discover (v) discovery (n) echo (v) excite (v) fewer and fewer (phr) fright (n) get hold of sth (phr) insensitive (adj) knowledge (n) laboratory (n) lecture (n) look (v) meaning (n) medical (adj) memory (n) mind (n) misjudge (v) miss (v) mutter (v) nervous (adj) offer (v) paper (n) pay sb a visit (phr) professor (n) puzzle (n) razor (n) revolution (n) satisfied (adj) seem (v) sharp (adj) simply (adv) spy on sb (v) straight (adv) suspect (Vv) swear (swore-sworn) ) the top floor (phr) though (adv) trouble (n) write down (wrote- written) (phr v) writings (n, pl) yet (conj) Chapter 4 attract (v) barely (adv) be born (phr) be frightened (phr) be meant to (phr) beast (n) body (n) brain (n) break (n) current (n) drag oneself along (phr) electric (adj) electricity (n) enter (v) excitement (n) experiment (n) explore (v) fall ill (phr) flashes of lightning (phr) for a while (phr) go mad (phr) 57 Word List handsome (adj) intelligent (adj) it got dark (phr) it was a while (phr) keep from (kept- kept) (v) kite (n) lifeless (adj) miss sb terribly (phr) monster (n) murder (v) persuade (v) preparation (n) quite (adv) recover (v) scar (n) skeleton (n) skin (n) steal (stole-stolen) (v) sth goes wrong (phr) stormy season (phr) stretch out (phr v) string (n) succeed in sth (v) task (n) thought (n) thunder (n) tremble (v) ugly (adj). wander (v) wild (adj) wrinkled (adj)Word List Chapter 5 at least (phr) carriage (n) case (n) comfort (v) court (n) courthouse (n) crowd (n) curse (n) deny (v) depressed (adj) despite (prep) fit (n) forehead (n) guilty of (adj) hang (hanged- hanged) (v) important (adj) innocent (adj) killer (n) knee (n) lawyer (n) locket (n) look (n) madman (n) murderess (n) obvious (adj) passionate (adj) pick up (phr v) prison (n) prove (v) punish (v) question (v) science (n) set (set-set) (v) silver (adj) sincerely (adv) suffer (v) suspect (n) tear (n) the mouth of a cave (phr) trial (n) wander off (phr) whisper (v) wild anger (phr) Chapter 6 aim (n) alone (adj) ape-like (adj) attack (v) be in despair (phr) before (prep) call (v) clumsy (adj) comfortable (adj) completely (adv) crackling (n) drop (v) face (v) for (conj) happiness (n) hesitate (v) immediately (adv) 58 in the distance (phr) inside (adv) judge (n) make a new start (phr) misty (adj) nuts (n, pl) order (v) present (v) recognise (v) refuse (v) shepherd (n) skeletal (adj) unable to (adj) warm (adj) wet (adj) Chapter 7 accept (v) accident (n) address (n) against (prep) ask sb for sth (v) avoid (v) be about to (phr) be afraid (phr) blind (adj) chain (n) cruelly (adv) decide (v) description (n) desperate (adj) diary (n) drown (v) evil (adj) existence (n) explain (v) feel sorry for sb (phr) feeling (n) field (n) find out (found- found) (phr y) flow (v) for life (phr) friendly (adj) get away from sb (phr v) go up to sb (phr y) grab (v) have hard times (phr) hide (hid-hidden) (v) hole (n) hope (n) hut (n) in this way (phr) joy (n) kill (v) language (n) light (n) lonely (adj) mistake (n) mostly (adv) nearby (adj) neck (n) put on (put-put) (phr v) reach (v) result (n) run away from sb (phr v) safe (adj) shout at sb (v) sight (n) sign (n) sound (n) spring sunshine (phr) stick (n) teach (taught- taught) (v) terrible (adj) the rest (phr) threaten (v) through (prep) throw at (threw- | thrown) (v) > time goes by (phr) touch (v) ugliness (n) wish (v) woods (n, pl) word (n) Chapter 8 axe (n) be in love with sb (phr) be near to doing sth (phr) besides (adv) 59 Word List break my promise (phr) carry over (phr v) connect (v) fear (v) fearful (adj) foreign (adj) gentleman (n) get back (phr v) get better (phr) go mad (phr) harbour (n) harm (vy) I've done nothing wrong (exp) if you don't mind (exp) instrument (n) it was windy (phr) mainland (n) mark (n) misery (n) nightmare (n) no longer (phr) quay (n) regret sth (v) rent (v) set off (phr v) set up (phr v) sound (v) state (n) sth crosses my mind (exp) tie up (v)Word List to my surprise (phr) uniform (n) wedding night (phr) wide (adj) wire (n) world (n) Chapter 9 along with (phr-prep) at one point (phr) blow (blew-blown) (v) calm (adj) chase (n) check (v) climb (v) corridor (n) darkness (n) deep down (exp) emptiness (n) empty (adj) enemy (n) fool (n) get married (phr) glad (adj) go after (phr v) go on (phr v) grave (n) graveyard (n) heart (n) honeymoon (n) hunger (n) kindness (n) lake (n) laughter (n) lead to (led-led) (v) lock (n) look over my shoulder (exp) manic (adj) move (v) noise (n) peaceful (adj) person (n, pl: people) protect (v) search (n) shoot (shot-shot) (v) shot (n) twice (adv) unbelievably (adv) wind (n) Chapter 10 arrange (v) block of ice (phr) build a fire (phr) 60 burial (n) cabin (n) carry a message (phr) courage (n) disappear into the distance (phr) dried (adj) exact (adj) extraordinary (adj) fault (n) frightening (adj) hurt (v) if only (phr-conj) it is worth doing sth (phr) lamb (n) make sb into sth (phr) maker (n) note (n) parent (n) patience (n) place (v) sail back (phr) stick (n) useless (adj) we have a lot in common (exp) wipe (v)