Revisiting Mary Shelley’s Original 1818 Text

Whenever a novel comes into the spotlight due to the success of its film adaptation, I enjoy creating possible book covers. Although my love for books—especially the timeless classics—makes me imagine several creative approaches, this time it was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It is one of my favorite novels, which I have revisited several times, and on this occasion I wanted to make an illustration for its first 1818 edition. In this version—unlike the revised 1831 one, adapted to fit Victorian morality—the creature is not so much a monster: he is more philosophical, profound, and tormented, while Dr. Victor Frankenstein is driven by scientific curiosity and is more amoral. In the cover I created, I let myself be guided by the allure of the relationship between the creature and Elisabeth, while preserving traits of that original 1818 version that I love so much.