Frankenstein
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Blurb:At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.
Frankly, I found this book seriously boring and found myself sympathising more with the monster than with Frankenstein, who, quite honestly, annoyed me to no end. He was always resolving to do things and then not doing them and he seemed to think he was some hapless victim when he started it all - if not by creating the creature, then by abandoning it, which essential set it on the path to violence. I actually felt really sorry for the creature and I wished someone would show him a scrap of kindness, even just once, and I can almost understand why he lashed out.The nature versus nurture theme intrigued me, as did the warnings about the advances in science and knowledge. Also, I was deeply impressed to learn that Mary Shelley was only 18/19 when she wrote this book - it is a very sophisticated piece of work for someone who was still a teenager. However, I just couldn't get past my intense dislike of the main character to really enjoy it.All in all, I found it all very long winded and not at all scary, plus Frankenstein just pissed me off with his whole woe-is-me act.My favourite quotes from 'Frankenstein':" 'I have a pretty present for my Victor - tomorrow he shall have it.' And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally, and looked upon Elizabeth as mine - mine to protect, love, and cherish.""... how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.""... now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.""... all judges had rather that ten innocent should suffer, than that one guilty should escape.""I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.""I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself utterly unworthy of it.""All, save I, were at rest or in enjoyment: I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me; and, finding myself unsympathised with, wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin.""I am malicious because I am miserable.""... if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear""Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless.""Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.""Even where the affections are not strongly moved by any superior excellence, the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.""... the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil.""For while I destroyed his hopes, I did not satisfy my own desires.""Am I to be thought the only criminal when all human kind sinned against me?"
Blurb:At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankly, I found this book seriously boring and found myself sympathising more with the monster than with Frankenstein, who, quite honestly, annoyed me to no end. He was always resolving to do things and then not doing them and he seemed to think he was some hapless victim when he started it all - if not by creating the creature, then by abandoning it, which essential set it on the path to violence. I actually felt really sorry for the creature and I wished someone would show him a scrap of kindness, even just once, and I can almost understand why he lashed out.The nature versus nurture theme intrigued me, as did the warnings about the advances in science and knowledge. Also, I was deeply impressed to learn that Mary Shelley was only 18/19 when she wrote this book - it is a very sophisticated piece of work for someone who was still a teenager. However, I just couldn't get past my intense dislike of the main character to really enjoy it.All in all, I found it all very long winded and not at all scary, plus Frankenstein just pissed me off with his whole woe-is-me act.My favourite quotes from 'Frankenstein':" 'I have a pretty present for my Victor - tomorrow he shall have it.' And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally, and looked upon Elizabeth as mine - mine to protect, love, and cherish.""... how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.""... now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.""... all judges had rather that ten innocent should suffer, than that one guilty should escape.""I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.""I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself utterly unworthy of it.""All, save I, were at rest or in enjoyment: I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me; and, finding myself unsympathised with, wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin.""I am malicious because I am miserable.""... if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear""Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless.""Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.""Even where the affections are not strongly moved by any superior excellence, the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.""... the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil.""For while I destroyed his hopes, I did not satisfy my own desires.""Am I to be thought the only criminal when all human kind sinned against me?"
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