Frankenstein cover

Frankenstein

by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Julie

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

3.92 ABR Score (1.9M ratings)
★ 3.91 Goodreads (1.9M) ★ 4.83 Audible (6)
8h 9m Released 2025 Sci-Fi

Why Listen to This Audiobook?

The creature speaks — and Edoardo Ballerini makes sure you feel guilty for ever calling him a monster.

  • Great if you want: gothic horror with genuine philosophical weight, not just scares
  • Listening experience: brooding and layered — nested narratives reward patient listeners
  • Narration: Ballerini's measured, elegant delivery suits the epistolary format perfectly
  • Skip if: you want propulsive plot over dense moral reckoning

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About This Audiobook

Young Victor Frankenstein's obsession with unlocking the secrets of life leads him down a dangerous path in the Swiss Alps and beyond. When his ambitious scientific experiments succeed beyond his wildest imagination, he creates a living being from death itself. However, his triumph quickly transforms into horror as he abandons his creation, setting in motion a tragic cycle of revenge and destruction that threatens everyone he holds dear. Shelley's groundbreaking tale explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the fundamental questions of what makes us human.

Edoardo Ballerini delivers a masterful narration that captures both the Gothic atmosphere and emotional depth of Shelley's classic. His voice seamlessly shifts between Victor's fevered desperation, the creature's eloquent anguish, and the various supporting characters, giving each a distinct personality. Ballerini's pacing builds tension effectively during the story's most suspenseful moments while allowing quieter philosophical passages to resonate. The audio format particularly enhances the novel's epistolary structure, making the nested narratives feel like intimate conversations. His performance transforms this 19th-century masterpiece into a compelling listening experience that highlights why the story remains powerfully relevant today.