From the Bookshelf of EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club…

Frankenstein

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Start date: October 1, 2021

Finish date: October 31, 2021

Discussion: CLASSICS READS

Why we're reading this: Group Pick for Classics Read - Oct 2016
Group Catch-Up Read - Oct 2021
[close] Group Pick for Classics Read - Oct 2016
Group Catch-Up Read - Oct 2021

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CLASSICS READS

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What Members Thought

Sep 17, 2012 Carrie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: read-my-shelves, own

*Edit: Writing this here as a reminder for myself. Read this book before the year 2014 is over, preferably within the the next few months (July 31/14)

I've read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Novelization but not the real book, which I've had on my shelves for years and keep on meaning to get too. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2013 Stephen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, and-saw-the-movie, z-read-in-2013, literature, 0-available-free-on-line, tally-50-book-list, science-fiction

Though I've been familiar with this story since I was child scared witless by the "monster movie" classic, I'd never actually read the classic novel on which it was based. Now, that I've amended that shortcoming, I can say that I enjoyed the book and can see it's genius as an original Gothic thriller but I think some of the later treatments actually made it a better story.

Victor Frankenstein was a bit of a whiner and from some of his later quotes it appeared that he'd learned nothing from his o ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2015 Sarina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-or-magic, translated, paranormal, my-sci-fi-world, gothic-feel

21 Dec 2015:
Reading a translated version. Heard and read about it in many forms, in many books, but never got the chance to read the work. I do now, finally. :)

UPDATE:
22 Dec 2015:
Finished it. But not satisfied, really. Feel bad for the monster, actually. His creator misunderstood him, and didn't even try to help him. Victor Frankenstein, the scientist was the real monster, in my opinion.
Would have liked to know the key to all this. Would have liked to know more about the monster.
It was an okay ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2016 Josh rated it it was amazing

This book is a classic for a reason, and I can't believe I haven't read it before. I just finished reading it for a multi-disciplinary English/philosophy class. We are studying the question of what it means to be human, and this book has some intense and interesting ideas on the subject. It has such depth and profound insight. It is beautifully written and although it's a tragedy in which absolutely no one gets what they want, it's pleasant to read. ...more

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Oct 10, 2017 Amy Ellis rated it liked it

Update: Reread again in January 2023 with my high schoolers, and I enjoyed it much more the second time through…so bumping it up a star. I forgot how much death is in this book, but I sympathized with the monster this time around and kind of thought Victor was an idiot. Mostly, I appreciated the craft of writing that young Mary Shelley mastered in this book.

Oct 2017:
I was surprised that I didn't really like this book. It is a classic that has descriptions of bleak landscapes, which I am all ab ...more

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Apr 02, 2014 Susannah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to-audiobook, reading-the-classics

I've read at least two novels based on Mary Shelley's creation of the Frankenstein story. Who knew that they would be better than the novel itself? Although the audiobook was very well performed, the book itself was a disappointment. Is the reader actually supposed to be sympathetic to Victor? When he spends all of his time calling his creation a demon and shunning it? The dude made his own bed! With that said, however, kudos to Mary Shelley for making Victor Frankenstein a consistent character. ...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Jen rated it really liked it

Just re-read for my book club. We discussed how odd that the book addresses issues very pertinent to today, much more so than when written. Maniacal ambition, creating life, the human and science.

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