In honor of the two-hundredth anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Frankenreads will take place the week of October 31, 2018, from Wednesday until Friday. Graduates and undergraduates are welcome to attend.

Why Frankenstein? Because we love Frankenstein!, not just because it is the fifth most read novel in the English language, or because it is often cited as one of the top ten most important texts of our world, (up there with the high philosophers and Robinson Crusoe—and let’s be honest, Shelley weaves a sexier yarn), but because Frankenstein is A-L-I-V-E! More than any other English-written novel, Frankenstein lives in its cultural surroundings and continues to be relevant and the idea of what it represents continues to grow and morph as time moves forward. Talk about complexity! The novel has an essentially modern aesthetic—it captures our society’s interest in breaking boundaries, and our society’s conceptions of moral complexity. We get questions of not just literature, but biology, genetics and medical ethics (medical students in ethics class read this book!). It’s a thrifty novel; it’s a wild ride; it’s an epic story; and we hope to celebrate it with you!

Frankenreads Events

• There is currently an exhibit in the special collection display cases at Thompson Library centering on rare books and women writers, including a real human skull.
• On October 31, 2018, from noon until 5 p.m. in the Thompson Library Mortar Board Room, there will be a Frankenstein-reading-marathon, during which various speakers will read Frankenstein for five hours! Listeners are encouraged to come and go as they please, stop in and grab a snack, and relax to let the spookiness of Frankenstein engulf your mortal soul! The reading will encompass the best passages in Frankenstein. PS: There will be an inflatable Frankenstein!
• The organizers of the Frankenreads read-a-thon are also working to organize screenings of various spooky screenings at the Gateway, as well as a live theatrical taping of Frankenstein and the famous biopic of Mary Shelley, appropriately titled Mary Shelley.
• On Friday, November 2, 2018, there will be a roundtable hosted by the English Undergraduate Organization on “The Power of Frankenstein,” where 10-12 undergraduate, graduate and faculty speakers will give five minute talks. There will be a reception afterwards in Post Hall with a birthday cake for Mary Shelley, followed by a demonstration of her ghostly power as she blows out the candles from beyond the grave!

Learn more at our Frankenweek events page.

Story and event poster by Michaela Corning-Myers