From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists…

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley,

Charlotte Gordon (Introduction)

Start date: September 1, 2018

Finish date: September 30, 2018

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: September 2018 Reading List Completests Group Selection
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What Members Thought

Apr 06, 2023 Tony rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: action-and-adventure, oh-the-horror, a-classic-example, 2023-read-shelf

I don't think I can write a fair review and give this book its due. I went into this story with a preconceived idea of what to expect, at least what I thought was the story. Nope, nope, nope! This is NOT the Frankenstein's monster that we all grew up with: the scary movies, the comic books, the decorations hanging in your house at Halloween. I was totally thrown off as I read Shelley's story, wondering when the Hollywood version would show up. Answer: Never. And that's MY fault, so take this rev I don't think I can write a fair review and give this book its due. I went into this story with a preconceived idea of what to expect, at least what I thought was the story. Nope, nope, nope! This is NOT the Frankenstein's monster that we all grew up with: the scary movies, the comic books, the decorations hanging in your house at Halloween. I was totally thrown off as I read Shelley's story, wondering when the Hollywood version would show up. Answer: Never. And that's MY fault, so take this review with a grain of salt.

The book started out as a series of letters written by a very minor character who is recapping Victor Frankenstein's story, told to him by V.F. on a ship up at the Artic Circle. I was a bit disappointed with the creation of the monster, as it was only a few paragraphs long and not much detail. I was hoping for the big, dungeon-like laboratory filled with smoking beakers and those big electric Tesla ball gadgets that shoot lightening and make your hair stand on end. None of that. Shelley spent chapters upon chapters on Victor Frankenstein's education and dealings with college professors. Zzzzzzzzzz! Snooze-fest. I was waiting for Frankenstein's great exclamation: "IT'S ALIVE, ALIVE!!" Nope, it was more like a very anti-climatic: "There, I did it. Wow, is it ever ugly. Hmm, guess I'll go to bed." Again, my fault!

Let me say that Mary Shelley writes beautifully. It's the typical 19th century literature, filled with loads of scene description and frilly dialogue. But for a "horror/thriller"? Eh. Imagine Bram Stoker's "Dracula" being written by Emily Bronte. There would be pages upon pages of 'feelings', 'whiney, sickly characters', 'depression and bi-polar emotions', 'overly descriptive scenes', and very 'formal dialogue'. THAT is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's difficult to imagine the folks of the 1800's getting chills while reading this.

It's not a bad story, frankly, it's rather quite interesting. You just need to wade thru depths of verbage to find the story, parts of which are quite good. But then other parts....well...not so much. The monster was not what I was expecting (again, my fault). Based on Shelley's description, I kept picturing a mix of Quasimodo and Wreck-it Ralph: a big oafy guy with a deformed face/body. Ok, so the monster looked a bit different than the greenish-skinned Herman Munster we all know and love. No problem. But for the monster to quote Milton and speak so eloquently? Come on! I think the part of the story that started to lose me was when Victor meets the monster and the monster tells his story: where he's been the last couple years, how he learned to speak (and speak eloquently, mind you), and learned geography. It felt like a bad Doctor Phil episode.

Obviously, the monster is supposed to create some mayhem and kill a few folks; thus, a scary story. But for every chapter that told of his maniacal exploits, there would be five other chapters discussing how the monster, or Dr. Frankenstein, or some other mid-level character felt and why they were so sad...boo hoo. Yes, Emily Bronte. Talk about a bunch of spineless cry babies. Everyone is so emotionally fragile, to the point that they get ill from their moments of depression. Instead of having an emotional intervention with the monster, just grab yourself by the short-hairs, rally the villagers with the pitchforks and have at it, man! Once again, my fault for the expectations.

Overall, not a horrible story. It's just not the Frankenstein story that's been told and retold in popular culture. And that's OK. Just go into this story with a CLEAR open mind and disregard what you THINK is the story of Dr. Frankenstein. I give this book 3 stars and check it off of my Classics bucket list. Just my two cents. :) ...more

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Sep 25, 2022 Balloonhands rated it it was ok

So I didn’t enjoy this, I found it super annoying and not well written especially moment to moment. Victor is annoying and dumb. For being a scientist that can CREATE LIFE he really just doesn’t have contextual awareness. There’s also 100 places in this book where something more interesting could’ve happened, BUT this book does have an interesting theme/philosophy that goes against the whole “follow your passions no matter what don’t let others hold you back” which I do think is really interesti ...more

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