New York - The auctioneers at Christie’s were expecting an 1818 first edition of Mary Shelley’s classically scary three-book novel, Frankenstein, would fetch about $300,000 but frantic bidding boosted the winning bid to  $1.17 million, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens.

Fine Books Magazine says it’s a new world record for a book authored by a woman. When the book was first published, just 500 copies were printed.