Since its publication, Frankenstein has asserted an uninterrupted claim on cultural relevance,

but Mary Shelley's story of the Monster, a creation of society which society itself rejects, has perhaps never been more relevant than now. In an age of public "takedowns", where stars are made in fifteen minutes, and rejected even quicker, where monsters are created and reviled for ratings, the story of Frankenstein's Monster has something to teach us all.

A groundbreaking author . . .

Mary Shelley (1797 - 1851) lived in reified circles. Her mother was Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the greatest philosophers and feminists of the nineteenth century, and her husband was Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the first great romantic poets. But among her famous family, she has had perhaps the most lasting influence. Her groundbreaking novel, 'Frankenstein', put a mirror up to society, and we haven't stopped looking since.

. . . meets a celebrated artist. 

Irena Martens is a celebrated sculptor, painter, and photographer. Her work has been exhibited across three continents, and by the Smithsonian and the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, among many others. Friends of Thornwillow may also know her as Luke's mom. Her eighteenth century New England farmhouse (called "Thornwillow") was the birthplace of our press.

Each volume includes eight letterpress illustrations. Unlike past editions of Frankenstein which (thoughtlessly, we think) portray the Monster as a simple grotesque, Irena has revived a new dimension of the novel which has been forgotten. She has shown the Monster to be a character worthy of profound empathy. The illustrations tug at our hearts, remind us that with anger there is usually pain and who we are is not cut and dry.