Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was just nineteen years old, as part of a competition with her husband, the writer Percy Shelley, and other writer friends. The eccentric Dr. Victor Frankenstein creates life from assembled body parts, only to realise his creature is an abomination. He casts the monster out, deeply regretting his work. When the monster, despondent at his creator's disgust, attempts to befriend humans, he is rejected -- a rejection that leads to violence and great loss for Frankenstein. A thematic indictment of blind ambition and man's fear of the unknown, Frankenstein endures as a classic piece of English literature and the inspiration for countless film and television adaptations.