Frankenstein

The thing about reading classics is that you already know the story going into them, so you are rarely surprised. But the original Frankenstein is not the story played out on stage or screen in modern America- there's no Igor, no lightening, no groaning thoughtless monster, and no chance that you'll mistakenly think the monster's name is Frankenstein. Overall a classic read but the writing of the period make it a leisurely philosophical read rather than a gripping horror.