Reader Services

This section contains specifics as to special services to readers that the Pioneer Library System provides through the hometown libraries.

Also includes regular articles highlighting the collections as well as book reviews written by staff and patrons.

Not sure what to read? Try Novelist Plus - and find out what's new and similar to your favorites!

Frankenstein Friday

Frequently Asked Questions - Reader Services

Last Updated on Friday, 14 December 2012 12:04

October 26th is Frankenstein Friday! This holiday is meant to be a celebration of Frankenstein's true creator, Mary Shelley. And we can say a special Thank you to Boris Karloff, who played the Monster in the 1931 classic film.

You can celebrate with us by downloading a free copy of the classic here, checking out details of the novel in one of our databases, or dropping by your local Pioneer hometown library checking it out in person.

Frankenstein book cover Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Call Number SHELLEY

Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror. This heavily revised second edition includes the originally published 1818 text of the first edition publication of Mary Shelley's much discussed, analyzed, and critiqued Frankenstein, a new introduction, explanatory annotations, and several illustrations new to this edition. Also included are many new major interpretations, a chronology, and selected bibliography. The section on contexts includes commentary on composition, the significance of place, reception and impact, and sources and influences.

Frankenstein film cover. Frankenstein [1931] ; director, James Whale

Based on the story by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. A scientist creates a terrifying yet strangely sympathetic monster. All-new bonus material and digitally remastered picture. Not rated. Starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, and Mae Clarke.

Oscar Wilde and Arthur Miller

Frequently Asked Questions - Reader Services

Last Updated on Friday, 14 December 2012 12:05

It's a time for celebrating some of the classics this month on October 16th and 17th with the birthdays of popular playwrights and novelists, Oscar Wilde and Arthur Miller, approaching.

Oscar Wilde is most known for his play The Importance of Being Earnest, and Arthur Miller is renowned for his play The Crucible, which he received a Tony for, and drama The Death of a Salesman, which earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1949. If you are interested in these birthday gentlemen, try the following titles:

The im po rtance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde ; critical material selected and introduced by Henry Popkin Call Number 822.8 WI

Wilde's most popular play is considered his wittiest and finest comedy. The play's subtitle, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" hints at its clever wordplay, ingenious epigrams, and sly British humor. Two English gentlemen use the same slant when meeting women, by saying their name is Earnest. Everything is going well until both men fall in love with the same girl, using the same a.k.a. It is a story of multiple mistaken identities--both deliberate and unintentional- and what ultimately becomes a hilarious exercise in keeping everyone's name and pseudonym straight. First performed in 1895, it has enduring appeal as dramatic literature and in live theatrical performance. This edition includes an appendix with Wilde's earlier versions of the play and deleted scenes that illustrate Wilde's creative process.