Book excerpt: In the CliffsComplete guides, the novel's complete text and a glossary appear side-by-side with coordinating numbered lines to help you understand unusual words and phrasing. You'll also find all the commentary and resources of a standard CliffsNotes for Literature. CliffsComplete Frankenstein is certainly Mary Shelley’s greatest literary achievement and one of the most complex literary works of all time. Unlike most Romantic writers, Mary Shelley seems interested in the dark, self-destructive side of human reality and the human soul. Discover how Dr. Frankenstein’s creation impacts everyone he meets — and save yourself valuable studying time — all at once. Enhance your reading of Frankenstein with these additional features: A summary and insightful commentary for each chapter Bibliography and historical background on the author, Mary Shelley A look at the historical context and structure of the novel Discussions on the novel’s symbols and themes A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters Review questions, a quiz, discussion topics (essay questions), activity ideas A ResourceCenter full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites Streamline your literature study with all-in-one help from CliffsComplete guides!