First Printing of ‘Frankenstein’ Brings More Than $1 Million

A first edition of the famous historical novel Frankenstein was bought at auction in New York for $1.17 million. According to Fine Books Magazine, which specializes in rare books, this is the highest amount ever paid for a printed work by a female author.

The book by the English writer Mary Shelley is one of five hundred copies of the first edition from 1818. Auction house Christie’s initially expected it to fetch between 200,000 and 300,000 dollars, but that amount turned out much higher.

The work consists of three parts in their original cover. The work contains a foreword by the poet Percy Shelley, the author’s husband, and a dedication to her father, writer and philosopher William Godwin.

The work was published anonymously by the publisher at the time. It tells the story of a scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, who uses the material of various corpses to create a new creature that evades the will of the maker. It is considered one of the most important works in English literature.

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