Storytime for Grownups: “Frankenstein: Introduction”

Host: Faith Moore
Release Date: September 4, 2025

Episode Overview

Faith Moore, host of Storytime for Grownups, kicks off Season 4 with an introduction to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This episode sets the historical, literary, and personal context for the novel, explains the podcast’s unique format, reassures listeners about the book’s "horror" reputation, and invites audience engagement throughout the season. Faith’s intention is to make classic literature accessible, entertaining, and interactive—much like "an audiobook with built-in notes."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

[00:00] — Welcome & Podcast Mission

• Faith enthusiastically greets newcomers and returning listeners, emphasizing the growth and supportive community of the podcast.
• Outlines the podcast’s aim: to make classics approachable—"books that might otherwise feel sort of hard to access from our vantage point here in the modern world."
• Explains her "no spoilers" policy and reassures listeners that she wants them to experience the books genuinely.

Quote: “I will never do spoilers. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever. And I won't even come close to spoilers… I want you to experience these books in the wild and have your own thoughts and feelings about them.” — Faith Moore [02:47]

[05:10] — Show Structure

• Each episode features several chapters read aloud with occasional brief clarifications on confusing words or dense passages.
• Commentary, analysis, and audience participation mostly take place at the start of episodes, drawing from listener letters.

Quote: “If things come up that are confusing... I pause very briefly just to tell you what that means. I don't analyze during the read alouds... Mostly we’re just reading the book.” — Faith Moore [05:49]

• Past books include Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol, The Woman in White, all accessible in the podcast feed and via curated playlists (with credit to listener a.m. burke).

[09:35] — The Value of Enjoyment over Analysis

• Faith pushes back against "death analysis," emphasizing enjoyment as the main purpose.

Quote: “They are not dusty old tomes that you’re supposed to, like, analyze to death. Analyzing these books to death is, I think, one of the main reasons why people give up on the classics.” — Faith Moore [11:45]

[12:30] — Community & Listener Interaction

• Details how to submit questions and join the show’s ongoing discussion via her website or the show notes link.
• Introduces the online community “The Drawing Room,” a space for deeper discussion and monthly "tea time" chats.

[16:05] — Supporting the Podcast

• Mentions merch store, membership tiers, and donation options, reinforcing that the show is (and will remain) free and that all forms of support, including word-of-mouth, are valued.

[18:38] — Setting the Scene for Frankenstein

• Shares the dramatic backstory: Frankenstein was conceived at a ghost story contest among Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, and John Polidori in Switzerland, during the infamous "Year Without a Summer" (1816).
• Dispels the notion that Frankenstein is "modern horror."

Quote: “If you’ve seen a movie of Frankenstein, maybe it was scary… But it is in no way horror in the way we think of horror now in a modern context… If you’ve never read this book before, I guarantee you that it is not at all what you think it is. This book is poignant, it’s sad, it’s deep, it’s thoughtful, it’s exciting.” — Faith Moore [20:21]

• Cautions listeners not to judge the book by its cinematic adaptations or spooky associations.

[24:05] — Historical Context

• Explains the timeline: written in 1816, published 1818, amidst the Regency period (concurrent with Jane Austen), but also the height of the Romantic literary movement.
• Contrasts the "rigid social rules and etiquette" of Austen's world with the Romantics’ emphasis on nature, strong emotion, individuality, and the supernatural.

Quote: “The Romantic era was defined by a kind of spiritual connection to the natural world… a focus on emotions and sensations. The idea that your emotional experience… was more important than reason or your intellectual.” — Faith Moore [27:25]

• Relates these influences directly to Shelley’s work and life.

[32:50] — About Mary Shelley

• Places Mary Shelley amid radical thinkers: daughter of feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin.
• Discusses themes of "free love" and political anarchy in her upbringing, but clarifies that Frankenstein does not overtly promote these views.
• Draws comparisons with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, noting how female authors of the same era produced radically different worldviews.

Quote: “Now we have these two women authors writing in basically the exact same time period… But one of them is putting forward this world of rigid social etiquette… and the other is steeped in this ideology of freedom and nature and rejection of rules…” — Faith Moore [36:18]

• Shares brief but telling anecdotes about Mary’s life with Percy Shelley, her grief over the loss of multiple children, and her intent focus on the issues that permeate her novel.

[41:17] — Gothic & Genre Influences

• Explains "Gothic" literature: isolated settings, romantic peril, the supernatural, psychological tension, and a sense of unease—"many vibes here."
• Situates Frankenstein as both a Gothic and, arguably, a very early science fiction novel.

[46:00] — The Ghost Story Challenge

• Retells the famous "dare" that jumpstarted Frankenstein: Byron, Percy Shelley, Polidori, and Mary Godwin writing stories during a stormy Swiss summer.
• Provides the atmospheric context of the "Year Without a Summer," caused by the Mount Tambora volcanic eruption, which sets a Gothic mood befitting the novel’s origins.

[51:25] — Creation of Frankenstein

• Describes Mary’s struggle to conceive an idea, her breakthrough "vision," and the transition from intended short story to celebrated novel.
• Introduces the "Prometheus" myth, crucial to the book’s subtitle and themes: striving for knowledge, overreaching, and the consequences of challenging natural limits.

Quote: “Prometheus... tried to help early human beings by stealing fire from the gods and giving it to them… has come to represent the idea of striving for more. More knowledge, more technology... and potentially also overreaching, going too far in that quest and doing something that kind of upends the natural order of things.” — Faith Moore [54:20]

• Notes how Frankenstein was published anonymously, initially assumed to be Percy Shelley’s work, immortalizing the complexity of authorship and gender expectations at the time.

[58:30] — What to Expect

• Repeats assurances that the novel is “not actually a ghost story” but rather a story “filled with this kind of unsettling atmosphere.”
• Points out that most adaptations have diverged substantially from the actual text and invites listeners to approach it with fresh eyes.

[01:00:55] — Looking Ahead

• Outlines the reading plan—chapters will begin next episode, with listener reactions leading off before the text is started.
• Calls for listener engagement: to write in with thoughts, questions, and responses both about the introductory material and upcoming readings.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Experience vs. Analysis:
  “The most important thing that a novel can do for you is entertain you...” — Faith Moore [11:36]

• On the Gothic Vibe:
  “With Gothic novels, you’re going to get a lot of atmosphere, many vibes—many vibes here—a lot of psychological tension, a lot of exploration of human emotions and fears, and that’s all there in Frankenstein in all its delicious glory.” — Faith Moore [44:34]

• On Preconceptions:
  “Even though you may have a sense of what this story is about... my guess is that a lot of what you’ve heard or seen in movies or whatever is completely wrong.” — Faith Moore [49:18]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–05:03: Welcome & podcast philosophy, no-spoilers promise
• 05:04–09:34: How episodes work: read-alouds, notes, and analysis structure
• 09:35–12:30: Podcast community, reading past books, listener engagement
• 12:31–16:05: How to participate, The Drawing Room, monthly tea times
• 16:06–18:37: Support options: merch, memberships, donations
• 18:38–24:05: Frankenstein’s origins; addressing horror misconceptions
• 24:06–32:49: Historical context: Regency England, Romantic movement
• 32:50–41:16: Mary Shelley’s life, influences, and personal context
• 41:17–46:00: Defining the Gothic, connections to past books
• 46:01–51:24: The Geneva ghost story contest, “Year Without a Summer”
• 51:25–58:29: Mary’s vision, writing process, and Prometheus myth
• 58:30–01:00:54: Dispelling film myths; inviting fresh reading
• 01:00:55–End: Next steps, engagement request, closing remarks

Final Thoughts

Faith Moore’s introduction to Frankenstein is warm, informative, and welcoming—perfectly tuning listeners to both the era and unique vibe of the novel. She provides just enough history and genre context to whet the appetite, consciously avoids spoilers, and showcases her love for classic fiction as something to be felt and enjoyed, not dissected clinically. Listeners are left eager to dive in, confident they’ll have helpful notes and a community to support their journey through this “poignant, deep, and beautifully over-the-top” Gothic classic.