Father of Frankenstein in Queereaders

Mar 01, 2017 Jesse rated it really liked it

Shelves: american-lit, queer-lit, read-in-2017, 1990-s

Bram’s fictionalized account of the last weeks of iconic horror director James Whale—most famous for creating the original Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein—can be enjoyed on any number of levels, but what I found so exquisite is how Bram handles his story like a prism or a crystal, constantly discovering unexpected facets to refract his narrative through: a representation of midcentury sexual mores, a glimpse behind the curtains of the early days of the Hollywood studio system, a defense o Bram’s fictionalized account of the last weeks of iconic horror director James Whale—most famous for creating the original Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein—can be enjoyed on any number of levels, but what I found so exquisite is how Bram handles his story like a prism or a crystal, constantly discovering unexpected facets to refract his narrative through: a representation of midcentury sexual mores, a glimpse behind the curtains of the early days of the Hollywood studio system, a defense of the important role art plays in making life meaningful, a dramatization of the long-lingering traumas of the World Wars, a depiction of the experience of aging in a society that values youth and “now”-ness above all else. It is the last dynamic, I admit, that most captivated me, its poignancy smoothing over the occasional clunkiness of the flashbacks. But overall it’s a very beautiful evocation of what can happen when a long and rich lifetime of experiences falls prey to an aging, infirmed body.

The tentative, unexpected pas de deux between Whale and his yard man Clayton Boone—all disaffected, rage-y midcentury blue collar white man who feels vaguely gypped by the world—is gracefully rendered, often foregoing expected narrative pathways to explore more unpredictable territories of desire and eroticism and human connection. Bram is also a careful scholar, and there are some delightful cameo appearances and other wonderful references and bits of trivia for the cinephilically inclined reader to savor, even though such foreknowledge is by no means necessary (indeed, I imagine it would just align one more with the character of Boone).

Gay literature and culture, like so much else, has a tendency to fetishize the presence and perspectives of youth, and so it was wonderful to find in Bram’s characterization of Whale a great gay character of a certain age—complicated and not without sadness but certainly not tragic, elegantly balancing the deep, sometimes harsh wisdom of maturity with a disarming rapier wit. I have not yet seen the 1998 film adaptation, which in some ways is even more widely acclaimed, but will be rectifying the situation soon.

'Before I retired, you might say I had a brief time in the sun. Fame, as it were. I used to make talking pictures…'

It takes Clay a moment to realize he means movies. 'You were an actor?'

'Oh, no. Nothing that grand. Only a director.'

[The actual James Whale and his infamous cinematic progeny.] ...more

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Dec 13, 2008 Randal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, lgbtq

This book, the basis for the film "Gods and Monsters," was a delightful read. I found it engaging with good character development that was complex but not overly so. I saw the movie before I read the book and was impressed at how true the former was to the latter. ...more

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