From the Bookshelf of 50 books to read before you die…

Frankenstein

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Start date: May 1, 2020

Finish date: May 31, 2020

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Feb 20, 2015 Rawan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 100-book-project, gothic-fiction

Although I did go into Frankenstein with some preconceived notions of what the book was going to entail, I'm going to count myself lucky as a reader because even though it's such a widely known, popular classic, I really didn't have any idea what was going to happen so I wasn't spoiled before I read it (which, sadly I think, is the case with so many classics nowadays). I mean the only things I knew before I went into it was that Frankenstein is the scientist, not the monster and that the book ca Although I did go into Frankenstein with some preconceived notions of what the book was going to entail, I'm going to count myself lucky as a reader because even though it's such a widely known, popular classic, I really didn't have any idea what was going to happen so I wasn't spoiled before I read it (which, sadly I think, is the case with so many classics nowadays). I mean the only things I knew before I went into it was that Frankenstein is the scientist, not the monster and that the book came about as a result of Mary Shelley and her husband and Byron taking a trip to Switzerland (oh, and that Frankenstein's monster was supposedly some grotesque green creature who went on a killing spree).

I'd always wanted to read Frankenstein, mostly because it's a 19th-century era classic (my favorite) and because it's kind of the novel that started the whole supernatural/horror genre. It's interesting because as I read it I didn't really get that horror vibe from it- perhaps at the time, Frankenstein's monster was considered very scary but I didn't find it that horrific (although maybe that's largely because we've been numbed to delicate tidbits of horror by all the gore and psychological tricks of modern day horror books and movies). It was a lot more sci-fi for me and more of an exploration into human nature and playing God. I think once I let go of the fact that I was supposed to be getting scared and anxious about horrible things happening and started reading it as more of a sci-fi novel, I started understanding and enjoying it a lot more (and I did enjoy it, immensely so, given my five stars!!).

Writing style, it reminded me a lot of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde and a little bit too of Wuthering Heights- that sense of a story within a story within a story. I think I liked that a lot. It's interesting to have so many perspectives and it does make you wonder about the reliability and accuracy of the narration. I think it's interesting that I found myself trusting the monster's account of things so totally when I shrank from Frankenstein's account of things and found myself rolling my eyes at most of his thoughts and feelings. Frankenstein was such an annoying character and I wasn't able to find myself sympathizing with him at all. He was so pathetic and I was so sick of him fainting and whining about things the entire time when the only reason he found himself with such a mess on his hands is because he didn't have the decency to follow through with his promise (and I couldn't take the hypocrisy at the end of the novel when he was lecturing the sailors on the boat...like, really????? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. However, as an aside, I did find myself relating to Victor Frankenstein a lot- you know, how he kept talking about how his life sucked and how everything was ruined and everything he loved was taken from him even though he was the own cause of his sorry state of affairs- in that the only reason I keep failing my chemistry classes and bemoaning my fate as a premed and as the holder of such a horrible GPA is because I don't actually do anything for my orgo classes...hmph). Also, I just couldn't understand or buy the whole romance they kept pushing down on Frankenstein and Elizabeth. I just saw their relationship as purely filial and I didn't understand why Frankenstein's parents were so determined that they should get together, when Frankenstein seemed wholly occupied by everything but Elizabeth (although maybe his parents were just avid shippers like yours truly...).

I loved the monster and I felt so sad that he spent the entirety of his short life misunderstood and hated by everyone around him. I hated Frankenstein for creating something and then casting it off without a second look just because his first impression of it was that it was ugly. And I'm sure I'm saying something that's been said thousands of times when people have reviewed this book, but it's so sad that this is the reality of life and that how you look determines so much of your fate. I can't find fault with the monster for the things he did because he tried so hard to do good and he had so many talents and so much love and admiration for the world at first but any time he tried to become part of it and to seek out friendship and kindness he was shunned, He reminded me so much of Shylock from the Merchant of Venice and how most of his behavior could just be attributed to the treatment he felt at the hand of the unkind Venetians around him.

Wonderful book though, and I'm so glad I finally found an excuse to read it!

[as a person incapable of finding an excuse to ship in each and every book I read, I was really rooting for Frankenstein's monster and Elizabeth to get together. Frankenstein just kept going on and on about what a wonderful, lovely human being she was and the monster was all 'I WILL BE WITH YOU ON YOUR WEDDING NIGHT' and I was like wait are you finally going to crush Victor's sorry soul and win the heart of the lovely Elizabeth and finally find the friendship and love you so craved and desired? However, everyone equally disappointed my little shipper heart] ...more

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Jan 31, 2016 Lauren rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, horror

We all know Frankenstein, obviously. A scary castle! A crazy old scientist! Igor! And of course, an inarticulate beast of a monster.

Only…. that’s the pop culture version, the very, very different pop culture version. In fact, none of those things actually appear in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, and one wonders how the original story went so completely astray in the 200 years since its publication.

Frankenstein, titled after young academic protagonist Victor Frankenstein, is considered one of the fir We all know Frankenstein, obviously. A scary castle! A crazy old scientist! Igor! And of course, an inarticulate beast of a monster.

Only…. that’s the pop culture version, the very, very different pop culture version. In fact, none of those things actually appear in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, and one wonders how the original story went so completely astray in the 200 years since its publication.

Frankenstein, titled after young academic protagonist Victor Frankenstein, is considered one of the first works of science fiction. It is a story about a man who manipulates science to satisfy his own curiosity, a man who then casts off his creation and spends the rest of his life suffering the consequences of both his initial experiment and his averse reaction to it.

That probably sounds at least vaguely like the Frankenstein of Hollywood lore- man creates life, life goes on rampage. Yet the novel has more to say than that. Without spoiling it all for you, it is a sprawling tale in true 19th century fashion- a story, within a story, within another story. It encompasses romance, philosophy, and psychology while narrating the reader through a journey across Europe. The monster is not mindless, for one; he is educated, articulate, and deeply tragic as he struggles to connect with a world (and creator) that immediately rejects him. Victor Frankenstein, that very creator, is character fleshed far further than just mad scientist. He has a family, friends, a love interest, a conscience, and life-impacting decisions to make.

Frankenstein is an interesting read for the pop-culture comparisons alone, and is a classic based on its essential contributing role to the horror and science fiction genres. It is not a perfect work though- it suffers from an uneven pace and a large helping of melodrama. Shelley was still a teenager when she penned it, and though I am deeply impressed at her ability to create such an impactful publication at such a young age, you can tell that the author was herself young through many of the characterizations and narrative choices. The logic is inconsistent, the protagonist makes some amazingly questionable choices, and the coincidences are a little too numerous to be believed (which says a lot, since a large suspension of disbelief is required for reading most novels of this genre).

I did enjoy Frankenstein, though perhaps not as much as I had hoped. It reminded me of my recent experience with H.P. Lovecraft in a way- I liked it, and I appreciate its context and its contribution to literature and to pop-culture, but the novel itself will not be landing at the top of my favorites list any time soon.

If you are a horror or science fiction fan, and want to get a glimpse at the roots of the genre, and are accustomed to the pacing and prose of an early 19th century work- read Frankenstein. However, if you are looking for a fast paced, edge of your seat horror/thrill ride? You should probably pass. Then again, it is pretty short. Why not give it a try either way? ...more

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