A textual comparison
Frankenstein
Two Editions Compared
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein exists in two major versions: the original 1818 text, and an extensively revised 1831 edition. This project lets you read both of them and explore how the novel changed over time, from small wording changes to substantial rewrites.
The two editions
1818
First Edition
The novel as it first appeared in 1818. Published anonymously in three volumes, with a preface written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This text presents the story in its earliest form.
1831
Revised Edition
Mary Shelley substantially revised the novel for this edition, rewriting many passages and adding a new introduction describing the book’s origin. It became the version most widely read.