This year marks the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley‘s classic novel Frankenstein, a current selection in PBS The Great American Read, which shines a spotlight on America’s 100 favorite novels. A campaign has been going on for months, where people have been voting for their favorites from the list, with the winner to be revealed on the digital series’ grand finale on October 23, 2018.

For the occasion, PBS Digital Studios has released a short, educational video called “Rethinking Frankenstein’s Monster,” hosted by Dr. Emily Zarka for the digital show Monstrum. The video explores the famous monster, who, fans of the novel already know, is a much more complex being than people realize, as well as gives a short history of Mary Shelley and her inspiration for the novel.

Check out the PBS video channel to watch all the episodes of The Great American Read, and the upcoming grand finale (at 8/7c on October 23, 2018) hosted by Meredith Vieira, along with other videos featuring celebrities talking about their favorite books. Voting is now closed, but click here for the list of America’s 100 most-loved books. (You can also print out a checklist of the books.)

Video

Rethinking Frankenstein’s Monster | Monstrum | PBS Digital Studios

Now celebrating its 200th anniversary, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was a revolutionary text that pioneered the sci-fi genre. On the surface, it’s a novel about a scary monster, but the sympathetic description of a soulful creature makes us rethink the label.

[Source: PBS FB]

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