Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus, to give it its full title, must be one of the worst great books ever written, although there are wonderful, spine tingling moments in it, such as the first sight of Victor Frankenstein, whipping his carriage across the Arctic wastes in search of his fugitive monster. The book resulted from that remarkable, famous holiday which the author, still in her teens, spent one stormy June on Lake Leman, near Geneva, with her lover, the poet Shelley, and their infant son; others of the group included Byron, and Polidori, author of The Vampire. A literary compdition was held, which Shelley and Byron soon tired of, but Mary and Polidori threw themselves into the game with enthusiasm, and more (Frankenstein) or less (The Vampire) success. This is a Norton Critical Edition, and comes with a broad critical apparatus, and is wonderful value at the price.