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| Great Classic of the 1800s + SAT Vocabulary Preparation I initially decided to read this book for three reasons: 1) I thought it seemed like an interesting story, 2) it appeared on my school's required-reading list, and 3) I was able to find this SAT-prep version of it! 629 essential SAT words appear in bold throughout the main text and are defined along with synonyms on the lefthand opposite page. Other useful vocabulary words that aren't part of the SAT-vocab are underlined as they appear and are included in a glossary at the back of the book. For me, reading vocabulary in context is much more helpful than studying hundreds of words separately through flash cards.
Other reviewers have mentioned that this version is different from other editions of "Frankenstein" that they have seen before. This could be because the 1831 edition of the book is one of the most widely read versions; this SAT-prep version appears to be derived from the original 1818 edition. There are a some key plot differences between the two, but I don't think that Kaplan's use of a lesser-read (and earlier) version of "Frankenstein" detracts from the main purposes of the book: to entertain and to educate.
(Miniture Plot Synopsis): The story opens with a series of letters from a ship's captain, Walton, to his sister Margaret. He is sailing north of the Arctic Circle and his ship becomes surrounded by ice. He notices a man travelling across the ice pursuing a bizarre creature. The man, Victor Frankenstein, ends up coming onboard the ship and relating the strange tale of his life. Walton records Frankenstein's dialogue, which then becomes the narrative of the story.
Frankenstein was a bright and intelligent youth and deeply interested in alchemy. He left his family in Switzerland to study modern science in other countries of Europe. Through much research and effort, he discovered the method of constructing a human being. As to what he created the human out of, Frankenstein keeps these details vague (only mentioning various bones and parts). He specifically intends his creature to be handsome, but once his work is complete and the "creature" wakes up, he is horrified by its disfigured appearance and Frankenstein flees his laboratory. After this, the monster wanders off and later teaches himself how to speak and understand human conversation through observing a group of villagers.
When Frankenstein is hiking in the mountains, he is confronted by the monster. The monster tells him of all of his suffering and confusion and begs him to create a female counterpart that would be just as disfigured as he his, so they could live happily together in seclusion and not bother with humanity any longer. Frankenstein refuses this request, and then the monster plagues his life and the lives of his dear friends and family.
Shelley's style is incredibly descriptive, making it an obvious candidate for Kaplan's series of SAT-prep books. In fact, it's a good thing that I read this version, because I would've been fumbling around with a dictionary the whole time if I read an edition without a vocabulary guide!
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Wuthering Heights (Penguin Popular Classics)
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| Generic and UninformativeI had read some positive reviews about Sparknotes novels, so I thought that this novel would both help my vocabulary and entertain me. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the cliched and predictable plot and characters. Not only did it feel like the writer had just taken a standard chick lit formula, changed some names, added a dash of SAT vocabulary, and forgot to add the vital cup of creativity. What disappointed me the most about the book was that it missed the common element in good chick lit- a protagonist the reader really cares about. The heroine, Francesca Castarelli,had little charcater development except the same tired teenage angst involving boys without the wit that usually accompanies it.
You may be asking why I'm so critical of an SAT novel. After all, it's just supposed to enhance vocabulary, right? It's not going to be a bestseller. Yet, the paltry definitions of the SAT words listed at the bottom attest to its uselessness. In some cases, the defintions are even wrong. For example, the word eclectic is defined in the book as meaning selective, when it means to selective or draw from a wide range of sources. The word suggest well- roundedness, not being picky, as the Head Over Heels defintion suggests. Many other defintions are misleading because the author has decided to cut defintions down to one to three words. The novel was also disappointed because, unlike the Marino Mission, another vocabulary enrichment novel, it had no exercises in the back to test your knowledge of the words so you could know whether you were actually absorbing any of the vocabulary.
So if you're desparate to learn vocabulary in less than two weeks and aren't picky when it comes to what you read, then I'd suggest buying it. It does have some moments of humor, but they are few and overshadowed by its thin and unoriginal plot.
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The Marino Mission: One Girl, One Mission, One Thousand Words; 1,000 Need-to-Know *SAT Vocabulary Words
Tooth and Nail: A Novel Approach to the New SAT
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Idea:
if you have already successfully passed your test, you can sell used SAT prep books at eBay!
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