Travel Reads: “Vault of Frankenstein” by Paul Ruditis

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s classic tale of science gone wrong, Vault of Frankenstein traces the history of how the monster became an icon of pop culture. A loving tribute to the novel and the many iterations of its creature, this book shares the history of this tale through time with text, imagery and removable replica memorabilia.

Vault of Frankenstein by Paul Ruditis

Stats

Title: Vault of Frankenstein: 200 Years of the World’s Most Famous Monster
By Author: Paul Ruditis
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: becker&mayer! Books
ISBN-10: 076036317X
ISBN-13: 978-0760363171
Available on Amazon in hardcover. You can find it at other online and offline booksellers, as well.

Summary of Vault of Frankenstein

Vault of Frankenstein by Paul Ruditis“It’s alive!” Were more famous words ever spoken?

Although I don’t believe they ever appeared in the original novel, they’ve become tightly interwoven with the pop culture experience of Frankenstein’s monster.

Vault of Frankenstein covers the history of Mary Shelley’s famous creature from the inspiration of the novel through it’s hold upon the popular imagination today—and many, if not all, points between.

What Worked for Me

Vault of Frankenstein is a beautiful book to peruse. From the detail of aged pages to the black and white and colors images of Frankenstein’s monster through time, you could spend hours remembering your favorite moments from The Bride of Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein and more. The book is well crafted and can make an excellent addition to your coffee table collection.

What Didn’t Work for Me

That said, I wish it wasn’t so big! The text is fascinating and I would love to be able to take this on the road with me and read it thoroughly, but it is too ungainly. Also, I think that images take precedence over content. 200 years is a lot of history to cover in less than 176 pages (there are several two-page image-spreads with no text at all).

Vault of Frankenstein by Paul Ruditis
Vault of Frankenstein by Paul Ruditis

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

Perhaps will give us a sequel that gives us more meat and less visual treat. The history of Shelley’s character is rich and varied and deserving of a deeper dive.

Conclusion

This book is an excellent overview of the history of Frankenstein’s monster, but won’t satisfy the cultural history buff.

Score for Vault of Frankenstein: 4 Palm Trees out of 5 Possible

colored palm tree
colored palm tree
colored palm tree
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Grab your copy on Amazon today.

NOTE: Although I received this book free to review, that did not affect my opinion of the book. Read past reviews of books I’ve received for free and you’ll know I don’t hold my punches.

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About the author

As The Genre Traveler, Carma Spence loves to view the world through Genre-Coloured glasses. In other words, she sees the world through a lens of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, where trash cans can be Daleks in disguise and neighborhood forests can harbor faeries and sprites. Magic realism is real! Or at least you can choose to see the world that way to add to the fun and awe of life.