Chapters 5–8: Victor brings the creature to life and flees in horror, then returns home to face William’s murder and Justine’s trial—scenes where the 1818 and 1831 editions differ in how deliberate the creature’s actions appear.

In Chapters 5–8, Victor finally succeeds in animating his creature—and instantly recoils in horror at what he has made. He abandons the being he created, falls into illness and shock, and only slowly recovers with the help of Henry Clerval. Back in Geneva, tragedy strikes: Victor’s young brother William is murdered, and the family servant Justine Moritz is accused and put on trial. Victor realizes that the creature is almost certainly responsible, but he keeps silent, allowing Justine to face execution.

This section contains some of the clearest differences between the 1818 and 1831 editions in how the creature is portrayed. In the 1818 text, the creature’s encounter with William and the framing of Justine feel more accidental and confused, which can make him seem more tragically inexperienced. In the 1831 version, the creature is more openly deliberate and vengeful in these scenes, making William’s death and Justine’s framing look like conscious choices and pushing the character closer to a villain in the eyes of many readers. We point out these differences while still keeping the main focus on Victor’s responsibility, his silence at the trial, and the growing theme of guilt.

Chapters covered: Chapters 5–8 (1818 & 1831 editions).

Narration for this episode is performed with an AI voice for clear, consistent delivery.

Text and illustrations: Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1818 text (original 1818 edition, illustrated): Project Gutenberg eBook #41445 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/41445/41445-images.html 1831 text (revised 1831 edition, illustrated, with Mary Shelley’s new introduction): Project Gutenberg eBook #42324 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/42324/pg42324-images.html Both editions are in the public domain in the USA.

Chapters 1–4: Victor recalls his childhood in Geneva, his bond with Elizabeth and Henry, and the books and ideas that transform his curiosity about science into a dangerous obsession—with Elizabeth’s backstory differing between the 1818 and 1831 editions.

In Chapters 1–4, Victor looks back on his happy childhood in Geneva, his loving parents, and his close relationships with Elizabeth Lavenza and Henry Clerval. We see how his early reading in strange, outdated scientific writers shapes his imagination and how his fascination with “natural philosophy” leads him to Ingolstadt, where modern science and new discoveries push his curiosity in a more dangerous direction.

This episode also briefly highlights one of the biggest differences between the 1818 and 1831 editions: Elizabeth’s origin and status. In the 1818 text, Elizabeth is Victor’s biological cousin—the daughter of his father’s sister—raised with the expectation that they will someday marry. In the 1831 edition, she becomes an orphaned Italian girl adopted into the family, sometimes described as “more than sister,” which changes the family background and slightly shifts the tone of Victor and Elizabeth’s relationship. We also note how the 1831 edition leans a little more on words like destiny and fate when describing Victor’s path into science, while the 1818 text leaves more room for choice and responsibility.

Chapters covered: Chapters 1–4 (1818 & 1831 editions).

Narration for this episode is performed with an AI voice for clear, consistent delivery.

Text and illustrations: Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1818 text (original 1818 edition, illustrated): Project Gutenberg eBook #41445 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/41445/41445-images.html 1831 text (revised 1831 edition, illustrated, with Mary Shelley’s new introduction): Project Gutenberg eBook #42324 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/42324/pg42324-images.html Both editions are in the public domain in the USA.

Letters 1–4: Walton’s Arctic voyage, his letters home, and the rescue of Victor Frankenstein—an exam-friendly summary and analysis of the opening frame of Frankenstein.

In Letters 1–4 of Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus, explorer Robert Walton writes to his sister from an Arctic voyage that mixes ambition, loneliness, and risky dreams of glory. When his ship first spots a gigantic figure crossing the ice and then rescues a half-frozen stranger—Victor Frankenstein—the frame story for the whole novel comes into focus.

This episode gives a short summary and analysis of Letters 1–4, explaining why Mary Shelley begins with Walton’s letters instead of Victor, how Walton’s ambitions mirror Victor’s later confessions, and how the Arctic setting sets the tone for isolation and obsession. We also point out a few small tonal differences between the 1818 original edition and the 1831 revision (for example, slightly more reflective or moralizing comments in some 1831 passages), while keeping the basic events clear for any edition you’re reading.

Use this as a quick study guide or exam revision episode for the opening letters—perfect for AP Lit, GCSE, IB, or college classes that want you to understand the frame narrative before you dive into Chapter 1.

Chapters covered: Letters 1–4 (1818 & 1831 editions).

Narration for this episode is performed with an AI voice for clear, consistent delivery.

Text and illustrations: Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1818 text (original 1818 edition, illustrated): Project Gutenberg eBook #41445 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/41445/41445-images.html 1831 text (revised 1831 edition, illustrated, with Mary Shelley’s new introduction): Project Gutenberg eBook #42324 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/42324/pg42324-images.html Both editions are in the public domain in the USA.

Overview: a spoiler-light introduction to Frankenstein—its story, themes, and why this season compares the original 1818 text with Mary Shelley’s revised 1831 edition.

This overview episode introduces Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus and explains how Season 1 of Chapter by Chapter Classics will use both the original 1818 text and the revised 1831 edition. You’ll get a short, spoiler-light summary of the story’s frame (Walton’s Arctic voyage), Victor Frankenstein’s experiment and its consequences, and the creature’s search for connection. We outline the major themes—ambition, responsibility, isolation, prejudice, and the ethics of creation—and explain how the 1818 edition presents a more ambiguous, sympathetic creature and a more responsible Victor, while the 1831 edition adds a new author’s introduction, leans more on fate and destiny, and sometimes makes the creature’s actions feel more deliberate and villainous.

This episode is designed as an easy starting point: you’ll learn who the main characters are, how the letters and chapters fit together, and why teachers and scholars still care about the differences between the 1818 and 1831 versions today. After this, you’ll be ready to follow our short chapter-group episodes as a study guide for either edition.

Chapters covered: Whole story (both editions), but spoiler-light (no detailed ending breakdown).

Narration for this episode is performed with an AI voice for clear, consistent delivery.

Text and illustrations: Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1818 text (original 1818 edition, illustrated): Project Gutenberg eBook #41445 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/41445/41445-images.html 1831 text (revised 1831 edition, illustrated, with Mary Shelley’s new introduction): Project Gutenberg eBook #42324 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/42324/pg42324-images.html Both editions are in the public domain in the USA.

Chapters 9–12: Victor flees into the mountains in despair and meets the creature, who begins his own story of confusion, loneliness, and secret observation of the cottage family.

In Chapters 9–12, Victor is crushed by guilt over Justine’s execution and retreats to the mountains, where the dramatic landscape reflects his despair. There, he encounters the creature, who begs to be heard and begins to tell his own story. The narrative shifts into the creature’s voice as he describes his first moments of confusion, his attempts to find shelter, and his secret observation of a poor family in a cottage nearby.

These chapters are crucial for building sympathy for the creature: we see him as lonely, sensitive, and eager to learn, not just a horror figure. While the 1818 and 1831 editions tell the same basic events here, the 1831 text sometimes adds more reflective comments and slightly changes tone, contributing to its more fate-driven feel. This episode walks through what happens in order and explains why the switch to the creature’s perspective changes how we judge both him and Victor.

Chapters covered: Chapters 9–12 (1818 & 1831 editions).

Narration for this episode is performed with an AI voice for clear, consistent delivery.

Text and illustrations: Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1818 text (original 1818 edition, illustrated): Project Gutenberg eBook #41445 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/41445/41445-images.html 1831 text (revised 1831 edition, illustrated, with Mary Shelley’s new introduction): Project Gutenberg eBook #42324 – https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/42324/pg42324-images.html Both editions are in the public domain in the USA.

This is the podcast trailer for Chapter by Chapter Classics – short guides to classic literature.

In this show, each episode is a 10–20 minute, teacher-style study guide for a classic book. We break the novel into small chapter groups, give you clear summaries, explain the key characters and themes, and point out what’s most useful for essays, tests, and discussions.

We’ll be exploring authors like Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lewis Carroll, William Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, and more.

Season 1 covers Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, using both the 1818 original and the 1831 revised editions.

I created Chapter by Chapter Classics because I wanted to truly understand these classic books myself. Instead of long, overwhelming lectures, I wanted short explanations that walk through each chapter step by step. This show is the guide I always wished I had.

New episodes release every Tuesday at 7 a.m. Central, so you can listen on your way to school, work, or while you’re getting ready for the day.

Narration for this podcast is performed with an AI voice for clear, consistent delivery.

The books we cover are in the public domain. If you’re in the United States or in a region where these titles are public domain, you can usually read them for free through Project Gutenberg at www.gutenberg.org. If you’re listening from another country, be sure to check your local copyright laws before downloading.

If you want short, clear support for your reading – without replacing the book – follow Chapter by Chapter Classics on your favorite podcast app and start your next classic with a guide in your ears