Episode · The Book Review · 2026-02-20
Books mentioned on Guillermo del Toro on Writing and Directing the Oscar-Nominated ‘Frankenstein’
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Frankenstein
Frankenstein by Mary W.
Discussed“People think they know Pinocchio. People think they know Dracula. People think they know Frankenstein. People think they know Monte Cristo. But the mechanics that made the books what they are uh escaped them.”
Where to get it
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The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is a classic adventure novel chronicling a wrongful imprisonment, a meticulous revenge plot, and an elaborate escape and transformation.
Discussed“People think they know Pinocchio. People think they know Dracula. People think they know Frankenstein. People think they know Monte Cristo. But the mechanics that made the books what they are uh escaped them.”
Where to get it
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Nabokov's butterflies
Nabokov's butterflies by Vladimir Nabokov is a collection of writings showcasing the author's lifelong passion for entomology.
Recommended“...I would say there's a really good book that is called Navok's butterflies which is is a collection of miscellaneia and I think Nabokov uh had a fascination with entomology and uh uh you know particularly fascinated by butterflies...”
Where to get it
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Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is an ancient foundational text of Taoism that offers philosophical wisdom on living in harmony with the natural flow of the universe and finding balance in life.
Recommended“I would say the the Dao in the translation of Stephen Mitchell uh is one of is one of the books I I love to I discovered and I love to give...”
Where to get it
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MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville is a classic American novel detailing Captain Ahab's obsessive quest for revenge against the giant white sperm whale.
Discussed“Whenever whenever you hit the whailing passages as a young reader, I said, 'Well, I I would be completely shipwrecked in that.' And now uh like recently, you know, like a few years ago, I finished it and the whailing passages became my favorite.”
Where to get it
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Something Wicked This Way Comes
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a classic dark fantasy novel that explores the complex relationships between fathers and sons against the backdrop of a sinister traveling carnival.
Discussed“...I you know I've read something wicked this way comes me many times and I actually tried to read it again to my child and it was just not the right point...”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I read all of Oscar Wild and I read uh Victor Hugo's uh Notredam and Lemis and Monte Cristo and etc etc etc...”
“I read all of Oscar Wild and I read uh Victor Hugo's uh Notredam and Lemis and Monte Cristo and etc etc etc and I and I realized this was a way to communicate with the world just as comic books were art was.”
“I read all of Oscar Wild and I read uh Victor Hugo's uh Notredam and Lemis and Monte Cristo and etc etc etc...”