Frankenstein for English learners: level, words and how to read it
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, often called the first science fiction story. It is also one of the most demanding books on this list. Here is how difficult it really is and how to tackle it in the original.
- Author
- Mary Shelley
- Published
- 1818
- Level
- B2–C1
- Words
- 75,162
- Chapters
- 24
- Reading time
- ≈ 8 h
Read Frankenstein in Booklex
In the app’s free library. Tap a word to see what it means.
What the book is about
The novel opens with letters from Robert Walton, an explorer sailing towards the North Pole. His crew rescues a half-frozen stranger from the ice: Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist from Geneva, who tells his story.
Obsessed with the secret of life, Victor builds a man from dead body parts and brings him to life, then runs away in horror from what he has made. The creature, rejected by everyone, learns to speak and read by secretly watching a poor family and finally confronts his maker. In the middle of the book we hear the creature’s own side of the story.
Themes
- The responsibility of a creator. Victor gives life and then abandons it. Who is the real monster?
- Ambition and science. The dream of knowledge without limits and the price of ignoring the consequences.
- Loneliness. The creature’s longing for one person who will not run from him is the emotional heart of the book.
- Nature and nurture. The creature is not born evil; he becomes violent after endless rejection.
How hard is Frankenstein to read in English?
Most of this book is made of everyday English. The 2,000 most common words cover 80.7% of it, so a learner who knows only those meets about 19 new words in every hundred. At 5,000 known words that drops to around 12, and at 10,000 to about 7.
Reading without help feels easy at about 98% familiar words (see our guide), which puts this book at C1–C2 by vocabulary. You do not need to know every word in advance, though: with tap-to-translate it works from B2–C1. It is slightly harder than Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and slightly easier than White Fang.
Why it is one of the hardest books here: Romantic-era vocabulary for emotions and states (wretch, fiend, wretchedness, despondency), old forms such as beheld and quitted, long sentences (22 words on average) and a story told inside a story inside letters. What helps: the plot is gripping, key words repeat many times, and the creature’s chapters are among the most moving pages in English literature.
Our take: a B2–C1 (C1–C2 by vocabulary) book. Do not make it your first novel in English; read it after two or three easier ones. With tap-to-translate and patience it is possible from a strong B2.
Words to know before you start
Below are words that come up again and again in Frankenstein but are rare in modern English. Knowing them before you start saves a lot of tapping in the first chapters.
| Word | Meaning | Times in the book |
|---|---|---|
| countenance | a person’s face or expression | 39 |
| fiend | a devil; a cruel, evil being | 33 |
| beheld | saw (old-fashioned) | 31 |
| endeavoured | tried hard | 28 |
| wretch | a very unhappy or unfortunate person | 25 |
| cottagers | people living in a small country house | 23 |
| quitted | left (old-fashioned) | 22 |
| labours | hard work, efforts | 17 |
| wretchedness | deep unhappiness | 14 |
| hovel | a small, poor shelter | 14 |
How to read it in the original
- Know the structure. Walton’s letters open and close the book, Victor narrates most of it, and chapters 11–16 are the creature’s story.
- Learn the emotion words early. Wretch, misery, despair, anguish and fiend carry the whole tone of the novel.
- Read in small portions. A chapter is about 3,000 words; one a day is a good pace for such dense prose.
- Do not skip the creature’s chapters. Even if the style feels heavy, this is the part most readers remember.
The first line
You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.
Mary Shelley, Frankensteinrejoiceto be very happyverb
Tap a highlighted word
The novel does not begin with Victor or the monster but with an explorer’s letter to his sister. Like Victor, Walton is chasing a dream of discovery, and the two stories mirror each other.
Frequently asked questions
Is Frankenstein hard to read in English?
Yes, it is the most demanding book on our list. The Romantic-era vocabulary, long sentences and nested narration need at least C1 for comfortable reading. From B2 it is possible with tap-to-translate and patience.
What English level do I need for Frankenstein?
From B2–C1, if you translate unknown words with a tap. Reading without any help needs about C1–C2. If it feels too hard, start with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is a little easier.
