Exploring the Ideas, Artwork and Inspiration in the book: "The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein About the Workings of the Human Body", inspired by Mary Shelley's classic novel: Frankenstein.
The Book, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelly
The themes of miraculous birth, resuscitation, reanimation, empty graves, and transplants have been present in Western tradition since Biblical times. Christianity emphasises spiritual life after physical death. Today, ethical, legal, and medical issues surrounding these themes persist, including euthanasia, life prolongation, and the trade in human organs. Modern media: books and films explores the intersections between life and death, as well as humans and other beings. Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein explores these themes, reflecting scientific curiosity and the ethical boundaries of scientific exploration.
Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus was published as a new novel from an anonymous author on the 1st January 1818 by the London publishers Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones. This book is now embedded in our collective psyche through the 1931 film Frankenstein directed by James Whale.
'It's alive!'
The ideas from Frankenstein have seeped and creeped into films, books and cartoon strips, from The Addams Family, The Munsters, Young Frankenstein and to the 1973 eye-popping Andy Warhol 3D film, The Flesh of Frankenstein and of course the musical The Rocky Horror Show. The image of the creature has become iconic, instantly recognisable even to those who have not read the novel or seen the films. Additionally, phrases like 'It's alive!' and 'Franken -' as a prefix (as in Frankenfood or Frankenstorm) have entered the cultural lexicon.
However, my interest in Frankenstein wasn't only from these films but also rooted in my family background and being born in Dundee, Scotland.
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Dundee, and The Baxters
Before she became the famous author Mary Shelley, the young Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin enjoyed two holidays in Dundee as a guest at The Cottage, a house owned by William Baxter, a second cousin of jute baron Sir David Baxter, the extremely wealthy jute and linen manufacturer. As a guest at The Cottage, Mary Shelley may have glanced down from William Baxter’s mansion to the nearby Roodyards Burial Ground, where William Baxter would eventually be buried. This burial ground had been the site of a 13th-century leper colony, used to inter victims of the 1561 plague, a burial place for those who died from infectious diseases, and then finally, a cemetery. Originally situated on the shores of Dundee's River Tay, this cemetery by the late 19th century was surrounded by mills, docks, houses, and tenements. The jute barons had moved east to escape the filthy pollution from their own mills to build extraordinary mansions in Broughty Ferry, which became known as the 'richest square mile in Europe'.
Baffin Street, Dundee. Site of 'The Cottage'.
The Roodyard's Burial Ground
With its foreboding history, a house next door to the Roodyard's Burial Ground with its views of the domed mausoleum would have been a hard sell for any estate or letting agent, at least it would be quiet. How my dad and grandmother came to live next door to this cemetery when they returned from India in 1935, I really don't know. This burial ground really creeped out my six-year-old dad. Coming home from nearby Glebe St School during the dank, damp, Scottish winter, he would run as fast as he could to pass this cemetery to arrive home. Roodyard's and environs were the polar opposite of life in scorching hot Lahore.
Victor Frankenstein
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelly
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (Mary Shelly), was born on August 30, 1797, in London. She was an author whose impact and ideas have transcended the time in which she lived. Mary was the daughter of two forward-thinking intellectuals who held unconventional views for their time. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a trailblazing champion of women's rights and the writer of "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," while her father, William Godwin, was a journalist, a distinguished philosopher, and a political theorist.
Mary's early years were characterised by both privilege and sorrow. Her mother died shortly after giving birth to her from puerperal (childbed) fever. Mary's emotionally distant father provided her with an outstanding education, a rarity for women of that period. This education was complemented by an extensive personal library, and meeting her father's influential circle of friends, which included poets, philosophers, and political reformers.
The Cottage, Broughty Ferry Rd, Dundee 1812 - 1814
In her teenage years, Mary spent long happy holidays in Dundee, Scotland, with the Baxter family. Sailcloth manufacturer and merchant William Thomas Baxter was a friend of Mary’s father. This time away from London was crucial in shaping her imagination and provided a respite from the intense atmosphere at her home, her father William Godwin had remarried and Mary did not like her stepmother, Mary Jane Godwin and she loathed her stepsister, Jane (known as Claire Clairmont).The Baxter’s House The Cottage was a much grander house than it’s name suggests, it was a mansion built in 1780 for the Dowager Countess of Strathmore, and occupied the site stretching down from the Arbroath Rd, to the Broughty Ferry Road on the East side of Dundee. The mansion was demolished in the 1890's to make way for redevelopment when tenements were built to house the increasing working population. A plaque in South Baffin St, in Dundee identifies where The Cottage was located.
With views from The Cottage down to the small Roodyards Cemetery and beyond to the River Tay as it flowed past the Carolina Port, Mary would have seen sailing ships leaving on long voyages each summer to the Arctic, for whale and bear hunting, perhaps tales of the hardship of these arduous voyages, with stories of ships being frozen in ice for months, and seafarers going mad, just might influenced the creation of the character of Robert Walton, the captain who Victor Frankenstein tells his story to in Frankenstein.
Mary later wrote of her time in Dundee “It was beneath the trees of the grounds belonging to our house, or on the bleak sides of the woodless mountains near, that my true compositions of the airy flights of my imagination, were born and fostered”.
William Thomas Baxter
William Thomas Baxter, the twice-married father of three sons (one son dies at the age of four) and five daughters did not join the successful Baxter family firm Baxter Brothers & Co, although wealthy at the beginning of the nineteenth century, William Thomas Baxter
seems to have gone bankrupt in1828.
The Baxter's Family Mansion The Cottage, Dundee
Plans of Dundee by John Woods in 1812 shows the Baxters mansion The Cottage would have had unobstructed views to the River Tay.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
At the age of fifteen, Mary's life took a dramatic turn when she met the radical poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of her father's friends. Percy was something of a teenage prodigy as a writer, having published his first collection of poems at the age of seventeen.The couple had met illicitly at Mary's mother’s tombstone in the graveyard at St Pancras Old Church. She had fallen for Percy's “wild, intellectual, unearthly looks”. It was in the St Pancras graveyard, too, that they allegedly consummated their relationship.
Despite his existing marriage, the unlikely trio, Mary and Percy eloped to Europe in 1814, with Mary's stepsister, Claire Clairmont in tow. Mary and Percy's four month old baby was also travelling with them. Their journey was fraught with scandal and personal turmoil,the couple faced financial difficulties, personal tragedies, including the death of their first child Clara who was born prematurely February 22, 1815 and died March 6. The couple faced ostracism from society, however, their mutual intellectual and emotional support sustained them through these challenges.
The Holiday from Hell!
The Birth of Frankenstein and The Vampyre in the Swiss Alps - 1816
In the summer of 1816, a seemingly idyllic holiday in the Swiss Alps turned into an unforgettable ordeal that gave rise to two of literature's seminal masterpieces guaranteed to curdle the blood: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and John Polidori's The Vampyre.
The Scene: Villa Diodati, Lake Geneva
Smarting from public humiliation, the extraordinarily handsome, clever and notorious Lord Byron fled England, never to return (alive), stung by gossip, innuendo, scandal, debts, incest, and a touch of sodomy…allegedly, then of course aristocratic privilege can tempre any scandal. Byron’s Napoleonic style coach rattled out of London, chased by an angry mob.
Byron rented the stately Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva. Also present was Byron’s personal physician, twenty year old Dr. John William Polidori. Dr. Polidori was supposedly going to receive £500 (or guineas) from Byron's publisher, John Murray, to keep a diary of his and Byron’s travels and to write a racy best-seller, (although this was stated in Polidori's diaries - edited by his sister - this would surely be a large advance be paid to an unknown author?).
Close by were Percy Bysshe Shelley, who had left his wife and had eloped with Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), and Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont, who was pregnant with Byron's child. Shelley had rented Maison Chappuis, a smaller property with a harbour on the other side of the lake at Montalegre, Percy’s book of poems Alastor, or The Spirit of Solitude, had been a huge success.
The Grim Weather: The Year Without a Summer 1816
The "Year Without a Summer," In 1816 our new Romantics may as well have been in Scotland. The year before in 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted, spewing massive volumes of volcanic ash into the atmosphere and lowering world temperatures. The Swiss summer was exceptionally cold and wet, with constant rain and thunderstorms. The foul weather kept the travellers indoors for most of their trip, creating a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere.
In his poem, Darkness, Lord Byron describes a deadness:
“The bright sun was extinguish’d and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless and pathless and icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air”
The Challenge: Ghost Stories and Nightmares
To pass the time, Byron suggested that each member of the group write a ghost story. This challenge, meant to entertain during the dreary days and stormy nights, set the stage for the creation of Frankenstein and The Vampyre The setting could not have been more conducive to gothic imaginings: lightning flashing over the lake, the constant sound of rain, and the eerie ambiance of the Villa Diodati with lashings of laudanum - liquid opium.
The Inspiration: Mary Shelley's Vision
Mary Shelley, then only 18, struggled at first to come up with a story. One night, after a particularly intense discussion about galvanism and the reanimation of dead tissue, Mary had a vivid and terrifying waking dream. In her vision, she saw a "pale student of unhallowed arts" kneeling beside the "thing he had put together," watching as it stirred to life. This nightmare became the germ of her novel, Frankenstein.
The Writing: From Vision to Manuscript
Mary quickly began to 'flesh' out her story. Encouraged by Percy, who recognised the potential of her idea, she developed the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist driven by hubris to create life, and the tragic consequences that ensue. The bleak and stormy environment of their Swiss holiday seeped into her writing, influencing the novel's dark and foreboding atmosphere. The novel was later written in the elegant city of Bath, Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley were married on 30 December 1816 (after the suicide of Percy Shelley's first wife, Harriet), at St Mildred’s Church, Bread Street in the City of London.
Dr. Polidori's Contribution: The Vampyre
Dr. John William Polidori (1795–1821) was an English physician and writer, best known for his association with the famous poet Lord Byron and for writing The Vampyre, one of the earliest examples of vampire fiction in English literature. Born in London to an Italian father and English mother, Polidori studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, becoming one of the youngest students to receive a medical degree at the age of 19. However, his true passion lay in writing. At the time doctor's could not practice until they were twenty-five. From Polidori's diary he seemed to have spent a great deal of time with Mary Shelly while Byron and Shelley were away on a trip. Could Polidori, a young student be the student Victor Frankenstein? Polidori would have been at Edinburgh at a time when medical students were desperate to find fresh corpses for disection. Dr Knox - later infamous for the Burke and Hare murder trials in Edinburgh would have been a contemporary of Polidori's at the University of Edinburgh.
Despite his literary achievements, Polidori struggled with his identity and professional life. Byron and others in their circle often overshadowed him, leading to a deep sense of frustration and inadequacy. His life ended tragically in 1821 when he died at the age of 25, possibly by suicide, though the exact cause remains unclear. He had had an unfortunate accident which may have been the origins of his medical problems.
The British Medical Journal
Vol. 2, No. 5269 (Dec. 30, 1961), pp. 1773-1775 (3 pages)
" DR. POLIDORI, after an absence of about three weeks from London, returned the 20th of last August, looking very
ill, to his Father's house.
He complained of frequent loss
of sight, and a pain in his side.
On the 24th ensuing.
late in the morning. MR. POLIDORI'S servant, not seeing him come out of his room.
entered it, and found him in the agonies of death.
Medical assistance was procured, but it
was too late: he died soon after.
His Father. who was in the country, arrived a few hours after the melancholy event, to hear the dreadful and unexpected news of the premature
death of a beloved son at the age of five-and-twenty. " A Coroner's Inquest was held on the ensuing evening. in the presence of a respectable Jury, composed of about twenty persons, who returned a verdict of Died by the
Visitation of God.
Aftermath: Legacy of the Holiday
The summer of 1816 might have been a holiday from hell, marked by relentless rain, confinement, and personal tensions, but it proved to be a fertile ground for literary creation. Mary's Frankenstein went on to become a cornerstone of gothic literature and a pioneering work in science fiction, exploring themes of creation, responsibility, and the monstrous. Dr Polidori's The Vampyre in its many editions established the cult of vampirism in England culminating in Bram Stoker’s Dracula published in 1897.
This "holiday from hell" in the Swiss Alps, with its oppressive weather and intense intellectual exchange, became the unlikely cradle for one of the most enduring stories ever told. Mary Shelley's nightmare vision, born out of that tempestuous summer, continues to haunt and inspire readers over two centuries later as does Dr. Polodori’s The Vampyre.
Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist, is driven by the desire to unlock the mysteries of life and death. Published on 1st January 1818, Frankenstein does not mention Victor as a doctor of medicine; his main field of study at university was natural philosophy, focusing on chemistry.Victor's obsession with creating life from death leads him to bring a creature to life through experiments. The Creature's birth in an electrical storm initiates the novel, but horrified by its appearance, Victor abandons it, triggering a tragic chain of events.
Fronispiece from the 1831 edition of Frankenstein
The Creature
The Creature created by Victor Frankenstein is never given a name. Mary Shelley employs various terms and descriptions to refer to 'this being', reflecting the creature's lack of identity and the complex feelings characters have towards him. Some of the terms and phrases used include: the Creature, the Monster, the Wretch, the Fiend, the Demon, the Devil and the Daemon. Victor himself often avoids using a specific name, which serves to dehumanize the creature and maintain a psychological distance between himself and his creation. This lack of a name also underscores the creature’s isolation and lack of a true identity, contributing to the themes of alienation and the quest for identity in the novel.
The Creature, left to fend for itself in a hostile world, grapples with its own existence and seeks understanding and companionship. Through a series of encounters with different kinds of people, the creature learns about the cruelty and prejudice of society, leading to a deepening sense of loneliness and despair.
Central to the narrative is Victor Frankenstein's journal, which serves as a testament to his descent into madness and moral decay. Through his writings, the reader witnesses Victor's initial excitement at his scientific breakthrough, followed by his mounting horror as he realises the consequences of his actions. The journal also sheds light on Victor's troubled past, including his abandonment of his studies at Ingolstadt Medical School, where he became consumed by his obsession with reanimating the dead.
As the novel unfolds, Victor and his creature become locked in a deadly pursuit, each driven by their own desires for revenge and redemption. Ultimately the novel, Frankenstein explores themes of ambition, hubris, and the consequences of playing god, leaving readers to ponder the nature of humanity and the limits of scientific inquiry. Mary Shelley's masterful tale continues to captivate audiences to this day, reminding us of the enduring power of the Gothic imagination.
Notebook
In the chaos after Victor Frankenstein has brought the creature to life and has run off, the creature finds Victor's notebook which reveals his own origins and Victor's role as creator. This discovery sparks the creature's journey of self-discovery and revenge against Victor. The scene raises questions about creators' responsibilities and playing god.
The Idea Of Victor Frankenstein's Notebook
The idea of Victor Frankenstein's notebook intrigued me and I started to think about what a student at medical school would learn and could this be a device to introduce the human body? So the idea of The Secret Journal Of Victor Frankenstein On The Workings Of The Human Body was born...
Like the creature was pieced together from corpses acquired by Victor Frankenstein, my book for The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein on the Workings of the Human Body in 2007 was an assemblage of parts, stitched and grafted and to paraphrase Mary Shelly from her revised edition of Frankenstein published in 1831 “How I, then, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?”
That is indeed a question, my Frankenstein’s Journal, like Victor’s creature, was probably the most self indulgent project I worked on, conceived, created and designed and also contributed illustrations to, it is an odd book of two parts, the story of Frankenstein and an introduction to the Human body, the two parts written on different levels. However, just as Victor faced the challenges of responsibility and the complexities of managing his creation, I too encountered the demands and pressures of running a business. While I cherished and was driven by the creative aspects of my work, the realities of day-to-day managment and the constant problems often overshadowed my real passion as a maker of books. My indulgence in making Frankenstein's journal was clearly a vanity project for me.
Who was this book aimed at?
Who was this book aimed at? The typography to look like a journal from set in the 18th century is difficult to read, the information in the book about Frankenstein is clearly with hindsight would be a reader with a fair and thorough knowledge of the original book.
Victor Frankenstein never graduates - he never becomes a doctor, becoming distracted by the idea of creating life. His journal as a medical student at Ingolstadt Medical School needed to be blood stained, it would have notes and illustrations and of course a catalogue from a surgical instrument supplier from 'Bleeding Heart Yard' in London - so the idea developed.
The journal contained books within books, small 'booklets' were inserted within the journal much in the way a notebook would contain random pieces of information,
Victor Frankenstein's journal had been 'restricted' in 'The Cherished Library' with a release date of April 2005. The title page also included Victor Frankenstein's shopping list of human parts.
Influences
When Penko Gelev worked out the character sketches for how Victor Frankenstein’s creature would look like in pencil sketches for the Graffex series of classic stories as graphic novels I had designed - I had very much admired Penko's drawings and started to think about Victor Frankenstein’s journal and a journal which would bring together the ideas of an introduction to the human body with the story of Frankenstein woven together to look like the notes of a medical student along with a diary format.
The Idea Of The Cherished Library
I had thought that Victor Frankenstein's Journal would have been stored as a 'restricted book' within a library like the Laurentian Library opened in 1571, in Florence with
more than 11,000 manuscripts and 4,500 early printed volumes. The famous Laurentian Library (Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, or BML). Constructed within the cloister of the San Lorenzo di Firenze Medicean Basilica, the library had been established under the patronage of Pope Clement VII, highlighting the Medici's status, not only merchants but also as members of a sophisticated and religious community, the library includes the books and manuscripts from the Medici family's personal library. The library building is well known for its Mannerism-inspired architecture, which was created by Michelangelo. Exactly the kind of library where Victor's journal might have been hidden to be deiscovered in 2005.
The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein On tThe Workings of The Human Body
The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein on the Workings of The Human Body was Shortlisted for the
the English 4-11 Book Awards, presented by The English Association, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH
English 4-11,is the only journal dedicated to English in the primary classroom, and is a joint publication of The English Association and the United Kingdom Literacy Association.
The Chronicles Series
Knight Ready For Battle
I created, designed, and wrote (as David Stewart) a few of The Chronicles Series in the same format and with small booklets inserted inside the books. Split pages and gatefolds were used to make scene-changing pages. The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein on the Workings of the Human Body was my moment of madness, calming down and adapting the format specifically aimed at children.
Frankenstein
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly has inspired countless books, films, and other forms of media since its publication in 1818. Its influence extends across various genres, including horror, science fiction, and even romance.
Film Adaptations: Numerous film adaptations of Frankenstein have been produced over the years, with the most famous being James Whale's 1931 film Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff as the most iconic of the creatures. This film set the standard for many subsequent adaptations and established the visual image of the creature as we know it today.
Literary Adaptations: The story of Frankenstein has been retold and reimagined in countless literary works. These adaptations range from faithful retellings to modern reinterpretations. A Single Summer With L.B. published in1969 by Jonathan Cape, brilliantly charts Byron, Percy and Mary Shelley, Dr. Polidori, and the night they shared ghost stories which gave birth to Frankenstein and Vampires. Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series published by Harper Collins Children's Books presents a contemporary take on the story, while Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi published by Penguin Publishing Group; Translation edition offers a unique perspective set in war-torn Iraq.
Science Fiction: Frankenstein is often credited with laying the groundwork for the science fiction genre. Its exploration of scientific ambition, ethical dilemmas, and the consequences of playing god have influenced many science fiction works, including H.G. Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
Horror: The novel's Gothic atmosphere and themes of terror and the grotesque have left an indelible mark on the horror genre. Authors like Stephen King and Clive Barker have cited Frankenstein as a major influence on their work, and elements of Shelley's novel can be seen in many classic and contemporary horror stories.
Stage Adaptations: Frankenstein has been adapted for the stage numerous times, with various interpretations ranging from faithful adaptations to innovative reimaginings. Danny Boyle's stage adaptation at the National Theatre in London, which featured Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating roles as Victor Frankenstein and the creature, garnered significant attention.
Popular Culture: The characters and themes of Frankenstein have permeated popular culture, appearing in everything from cartoons to commercials. The image of the creature has become iconic, instantly recognisable even to those who have not read the novel.
Frankenstein continues to inspire and captivate audiences across various mediums, demonstrating the novels enduring relevance and impact on storytelling
The Graffex Series
The extremely talented, artist, filmmaker, and publisher Penko Gelev https://penkogelev.wixsite.com/penkogelev/bio had been illustrating a series of graphic novels of classic retellings of well known books for The Salariya Book Company.
I was fortunate that Penko came to my stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair with just exactly the style and expertise that I had been looking for. I named the series ‘Graffex’ and we worked on many titles with Penko.
I had wanted to do classic stories as graphic novels for a long time, the Classics Illustrated, featuring stories by the world's Greatest Authors, this series had been created in 1941 by Albert Kanter, and published until 1969, producing 169 issues, various publishers reprinted its titles over the years.
Graphic novels illustrated
by Penko Gelev
Kidnapped, Stevenson, Salariya Book House 2006
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hugo, Salariya Book House 2006
Oliver Twist, Dickens, Salariya Book House 2006
Moby Dick, Melville, Salariya Book House 2006,
Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Verne, Salariya Book House 2007
Treasure Island, Stevenson, Salariya Book House 2007
Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas, Salariya Book House 2007
Dracula, Stoker, Salariya Book House 2007
Frankenstein, Shelley, Salariya Book House 2007
The Three Musketeers, Dumas, Salariya Book House 2008
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain, Salariya Book House 2008
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson, Salariya Book House 2009
Hamlet, Shakespeare, Salariya Book House, 2009
Jane Eyre, Brontë, Salariya Book House 2009
Gulliver's Travels, Swift, Salariya Book House 2009
Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Salariya Book House, 2010
The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare, Salariya Book House 2010
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare, Salariya Book House 2010
Robinson Crusoe, Defoe, Salariya Book House 2011
Great Expectations, Dickens, Salariya Book House 2011
David Copperfield, Dickens, Salariya Book House 2011
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