1818 · Lackington, Hughes · three volumes, anonymous
Read Frankenstein online as it appeared in 1818, before Shelley rewrote it.
Most copies you find free online are the 1831 revision. This is the 1818 first edition text, the one Shelley wrote at twenty, proofed line by line. It is free to read. Group and classroom packs are quoted on request.
- Words
- ~75,000
- At 238 wpm
- 5 h 15 min
- Letters · chapters
- 4 · 23
- Price
- Free online
1818 against 1831
Why we chose the earlier text
The 1831 edition is Shelley’s own revision, and it is a good book. It is also a different one. Here is where they split.
| Point | 1818 (our text) | 1831 revision |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth | Victor’s cousin, raised in the family | An orphan adopted from a poor Italian household |
| Author’s introduction | None. Percy Shelley’s short preface only | Mary Shelley’s account of the ghost-story contest at Geneva |
| Victor’s fate | Choices he makes, and could have refused | Leans harder on destiny and a ruling fate |
| Volumes | Three, as first printed | One volume, chapters renumbered |
Volume I · Letter 1
Read the opening letter online
You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. I arrived here yesterday; and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare, and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking.
I am already far north of London; and as I walk in the streets of Petersburgh, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves, and fills me with delight.
Letter 1, “To Mrs. Saville, England. St. Petersburgh, Dec. 11th, 17—.” Walton’s letters run about 5,000 words before Victor speaks.
Editor’s note on the first edition
We proofed from a scan of the 1818 three-volume first edition and resolved doubtful letters against the 1823 second edition, which reset the type but changed little. “Petersburgh” keeps its h. “Shew” stays “shew”.
The most common fault in free Frankenstein files is not a spelling error. It is a silent blend: an 1831 chapter pasted into an 1818 file, usually chapter one, because the 1831 opening is the one people know. We checked every chapter boundary against the 1818 volumes. None of ours are blended.
Volume breaks are marked where they fell in print. Volume I ends just after Justine’s execution, with Victor at his lowest. The pause was part of how the book was first read, so we keep it visible, though the text flows straight on.
Students writing on the 1831 introduction should use a different edition, or read our margin notes, which quote it in full where it matters.
Content notes
- The murder of a child, and the wrongful execution of a young woman.
- Grave-robbing and the handling of bodies, described briefly.
- Suicidal despair voiced by more than one narrator.
Correction ledger
Changes since the book went live
Live since 31 October 2022. Newest first. Report anything you find through the text accuracy guarantee; we check within 7 days.
- 2024-10-08Vol. II, ch. 8: margin note added on the 1831 wording of the cottage scene.note 14
- 2024-03-19Vol. III, ch. 3: paragraph break restored between Victor and the creature. Two speakers had merged.vol. III, p. 47
- 2023-06-27Letter 4:
PetersburgPetersburgh. Restored to the 1818 spelling.vol. I, p. 23 - 2023-01-12Vol. I, ch. 6: Elizabeth’s letter set as a letter, indented, not as narration.vol. I, p. 121
- 2022-11-15Vol. I, ch. 4:
it’sits. Our typo.vol. I, p. 88
For classes and clubs
How a Frankenstein pack is quoted and made
This is the book teachers ask us about most in October. At about 75,000 words it fits a four-week unit. The quote depends on copies, format and whether you want the 1831 introduction bound in as an appendix.
Send the numbers
Students or readers, how many in large print, and the week you start.
Quote by email within two working days
From our correspondent, who will also answer every follow-up. No automated replies.
Confirm when you are ready
Nothing is taken on this site. If the quote doesn’t suit, you owe nothing.
Printed from this 1818 text
Volume breaks shown, margin notes on the 1831 changes included, page numbers matching across regular and large print.
Asked before ordering
My syllabus names the 1831 edition. Can I use this?
Not as a straight swap. Quotes from chapter one and the introduction won’t match. We’d rather tell you that now than after the pack arrives.
Is it too frightening for younger readers?
It is more sad than frightening. Read the content notes above; the child’s death in Volume I is the part most teachers check first.
Do you have the 1831 text as well?
No. One text per book, done properly. The margin notes carry the 1831 differences that matter.
Group packs · quoted on request
Ask about a Frankenstein pack
Tell us how many readers and when you meet. Lead times and formats are on the reading groups page.