From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

Frankenstein

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Start date: February 1, 2016

Finish date: February 15, 2016

Discussion: Classics Corner

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What Members Thought

Dec 15, 2012 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: gutenberg, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, read-2013, book-and-movie, british-literature, fiction-19th-century, e-books, mtbr-challenge-2013

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

Opening lines:
TO Mrs. Saville, England
You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.

Quotations:

So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein— more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.

I was like the Arabian wh ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

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

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

Jun 09, 2009 Pang rated it it was amazing

Shelves: readactor

Boy, talk about a lot of introductions and prefaces!

I really enjoyed the book. It was suspenseful with a sadness tone. I found myself cheering for the monster even though he committed heinous crimes. He only wanted to belong and to be loved. Frankenstein's reasons not to create a mate for the monster were the right ones, but in the misery and bitterness the monster and its creator were bound to each other. In a way having Frankenstein chased him was giving him some sort of companionship, I thoug ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 31, 2010 Kathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x-feb-10-thru-jan-11, read-non-mystery-fiction

Although I remembered how different Shelley's book was from the various permutations numerous moviemakers, even Branagh, put it through, I had forgotten how really fine the novel is. Here is the true pitiable creature, the true narrow-focused scientist, and the true monster that lived in both of them.

I suppose to appreciate it, one has to be willing to sail back into the late seventeenth century style, which I am quite happy to do. There's an elegance, a craft here that we have too often lost an ...more

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