End of Week 4: End of the novel

[Kathy]

Having read this book now for the third, or maybe fourth, time, I notice differences in each reading. In fact, this may have been my most critical reading, judging by my annotations. But I'd like to throw the question out to you: Did the novel meet your expectations? What do you think works about it for us as readers today, and what doesn't work? Were there any surprises?

[Jackie]

After a delayed start, I finally finished reading Frankenstein!. I can't say it was my favorite book, but I admire Shelley's style of writing, especially the choice of narrator in Volume 3. That was a surprise for me. I think the Gothic nature of the book would appeal to many of today's readers. I found the first half of Volume 3 to be a bit of a drag. I found myself skimming many of the passages to find out if Frankenstein was going to be successful in slaying his creation.

[Kathy]

Agreed. She sets up suspense, but she doesn't keep the tension going the way contemporary authors have learned to do. We all have much less tolerance for slow, ruminating passages than we used to, I think.
Sorry, by the way, for the late post here. I posted it a couple of weeks ago, but in the wrong thread, so it was hidden. Doh!