Frankenstein in Pop Sugar's Annual Ultimate Reading Challenge

Apr 07, 2009 Ms. Jared rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

***SPOILERS***

I LOVED this one! I can’t believe a twenty-something wrote it and I’m incredibly envious of her natural talent and insightfulness. I was busy killing brain cells at the bar when I was 21 while women like Mary Shelley were busy writing masterpieces.

I felt like it was just gothic enough to give it a spooky edge, but the story itself is timeless and incredibly sad. The “monster’s” story was told in such a sweet and sensitive way that I was really drawn into it and found him a far more ***SPOILERS***

I LOVED this one! I can’t believe a twenty-something wrote it and I’m incredibly envious of her natural talent and insightfulness. I was busy killing brain cells at the bar when I was 21 while women like Mary Shelley were busy writing masterpieces.

I felt like it was just gothic enough to give it a spooky edge, but the story itself is timeless and incredibly sad. The “monster’s” story was told in such a sweet and sensitive way that I was really drawn into it and found him a far more sympathetic character than Dr. Frankenstien. The scene that particularly touched me was when the monster went to the blind man to try and win his respect and affection so he'd protect and advocate for him when the son and daughter returned. I really understood his sense of isolation and desperation and so hoped it would turn out in the monster's favor. I think Shelley also did a great job with creating mood and atmosphere for the story with her discriptions of the weather and the ice and the world around them. I could totally visualize it all and really picture it clearly in my mind.

One thing that perplexed me was how Walton (and everyone else, actually) found Dr. Frankenstein to be such a warm, wonderful, lovely human being when I thought he was a self-centered, irresponsible dickhead. He created “the monster” as a tribute to his own ego and then was so repulsed he just abandoned him to wreak havoc on the world. And of course, while havoc was being wrought, all Dr. F could do was whine and “poor me” the whole time with no consideration to what “the monster” was going through. Dr. F seemed most concerned and upset due to his own personal loss of family and friends, even more than he cared about the lives of his family and friends. It seemed to me that he was centered on how HE would be lonely without them, how HE felt guilty about what had happened to them, and how their loss impacted HIM, much more than he actually cared about the loss of the people themselves, if that makes sense.

I didn't see Dr. F as entirely heartless or cruel, but I didn't find him sympathetic and I was frustrated that he went around whining and beating his chest when the monster and the results of the monster's actions were pretty much entirely Dr. F's responsibility. He acted as if he was an innocent victim of the terrible monster but I felt the monster was really the victim and even when he was killing people, I still felt sympathy and sorrow for him. With Dr. F I just found myself thinking, "STFU already! You created this mess, now do something about it instead of feeling sorry for yourself!"

I really think it should be required reading for high schoolers. It says a lot about being responsible for our actions and of the inherent worth of all people, even if they’re different. (And made from the rotten body parts of dismembered cadavers.) I think the underlying message is that love can conquer all and its lack can destroy it but it’s told in a subtle way so the message kind of creeps up and touches you more deeply rather than slapping you upside the head. It's always portrayed as a horror story, but I think it's much more than that. I see the monster a symbol for what can happen when our ego and pursuit of fame and glory gets out of hand and how the lack of love, companionship, and sister/brotherhood can have a much broader impact than we realize.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. ...more

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Mar 31, 2008 Rae rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics

I was fascinated by the various Frankenstein movie adaptations as a kid/teen and was pleasantly surprised when I tackled the book. It's so much deeper than any movie could be--lots of detail and drama and very timely issues about religion, creation, playing God, genetics, science, society, etc. I absolutely LOVED this book! ...more

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