Customer Reviews

Frankenstein: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classic

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I ordered this book to use with my AP Literature class. I was already teaching Frankenstein, and thought that my students would really benefit from the extra SAT study as well. However, as we are going through the book, I find that the story in this book is very different from the old copies I had always taught from. Key parts of the story are changed, and many of the parts are rearranged. If you are looking for an accurate version of Mary Shelley's story, this may not be the one for you.

We purchased this book to use in our accelerated curriculum since we have a substantial vocabulary unit connected to Frankenstein. However, a few days into the book, we are noticing major departures from Mary Shelley's novel. Kaplan has irresponsibly marketed this book as if it is the original version.

I initially decided to read this book for three reasons: 1) I thought it seemed like an interesting story, 2) it appeared on my school's required-reading list, and 3) I was able to find this SAT-prep version of it! 629 essential SAT words appear in bold throughout the main text and are defined along with synonyms on the lefthand opposite page. Other useful vocabulary words that aren't part of the SAT-vocab are underlined as they appear and are included in a glossary at the back of the book. For me, reading vocabulary in context is much more helpful than studying hundreds of words separately through flash cards.

Other reviewers have mentioned that this version is different from other editions of "Frankenstein" that they have seen before. This could be because the 1831 edition of the book is one of the most widely read versions; this SAT-prep version appears to be derived from the original 1818 edition. There are a some key plot differences between the two, but I don't think that Kaplan's use of a lesser-read (and earlier) version of "Frankenstein" detracts from the main purposes of the book: to entertain and to educate.

(Miniture Plot Synopsis): The story opens with a series of letters from a ship's captain, Walton, to his sister Margaret. He is sailing north of the Arctic Circle and his ship becomes surrounded by ice. He notices a man travelling across the ice pursuing a bizarre creature. The man, Victor Frankenstein, ends up coming onboard the ship and relating the strange tale of his life. Walton records Frankenstein's dialogue, which then becomes the narrative of the story.

Frankenstein was a bright and intelligent youth and deeply interested in alchemy. He left his family in Switzerland to study modern science in other countries of Europe. Through much research and effort, he discovered the method of constructing a human being. As to what he created the human out of, Frankenstein keeps these details vague (only mentioning various bones and parts). He specifically intends his creature to be handsome, but once his work is complete and the "creature" wakes up, he is horrified by its disfigured appearance and Frankenstein flees his laboratory. After this, the monster wanders off and later teaches himself how to speak and understand human conversation through observing a group of villagers.

When Frankenstein is hiking in the mountains, he is confronted by the monster. The monster tells him of all of his suffering and confusion and begs him to create a female counterpart that would be just as disfigured as he his, so they could live happily together in seclusion and not bother with humanity any longer. Frankenstein refuses this request, and then the monster plagues his life and the lives of his dear friends and family.

Shelley's style is incredibly descriptive, making it an obvious candidate for Kaplan's series of SAT-prep books. In fact, it's a good thing that I read this version, because I would've been fumbling around with a dictionary the whole time if I read an edition without a vocabulary guide!

I loved this book. Not only does it repeatedly list definitions of valuable words on the opposide side of each page, but it also fully engages you in reading it. The story is very good. I used to love fiction when I was a kid, but I couldn't get myself to read fiction for about 10 years. Now that I am preparing for the GRE, I ended up picking up this book. The only regret I have is that the book is over.

Btw, I LOVE not having to use a dictionary every two seconds to look up words. The book defines the same word several times, so by the end of the book a lot of them really stick.

This book is great -- no more having to carry a dictionary around or look up all those SAT words online. The definitions of the hard words are printed on the left page while the text continues on the right. This also keeps my train of thought going too, and I spend less time reading each chapter.

I totally recommend this to everyone studying for the SAT or who was assigned this book in English. I wish every book was written this way!

I thought I was helping my son. He was assigned to read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for his English class. I found this copy on-line and it contained a glossary of words as you read. That seemed like a fantastic way to keep him reading and not stop to look up the words. What we found and rather late in the assignment was that the story was changed slightly in various places to accommodate the SAT words. If you are buying the copy for your child to read along with a class you may not want to purchase this copy of the story. If you want to improve your vocabulary, it would be a good purchase.

This is one of the best ways of learning SAT vocab, or simply vocab for your own personal gain. Read the classic work on the right, SAT words are in bold and defined on the left. The real kicker is that words are repeated throughout the book. After seeing words over and over you learn them extremely well. Great Concept, Great Study Aid, Great Book!

These Books are better than other SAT Score raising books. Most of these books are written for the sole purpose of raising your score. Their stories tend to be boring, the writing style is usually adequate. Instead Kaplan, defines SAT words inside great literary works. They are perfect for any student. You can now read a classic book, and Study for the SAT at the same time!

This book is great for those that need to review vocabulary for the SAT's. On the left side is the vocabulary and the definition, on the right is the story using the vocabulary in bold.

this book kept on being delayed.....it took a month to ship and about 45 days to arrive....no one get it its the worst product ever

Before I actually read Frankenstein, I held couple misconceptions. I thought that the monster's name was Frankenstein and that he was green and had metal screws studded into his head. However, after reading the book, I realized why it is considered a classic. The tales of both the scientist and his creation are equally disheartening and pitiful. The ambitious scientist pushed the limits and acted recklessly for his own interest. On the other hand, I ended up feeling sorry for the monster as well. He tried to be gentle but his isolation and rejection from other people ended up making him evil.
This is definitely a story worth reading. It will help to buy this edition as well because the vocabulary words defined actually do help the story. This sounds nerdy but its much easier to get through with the story by glancing at words you do not know than just trying to guess the definitions.