Frankenstein

Very good quality, looks lovely on our bookshelf.

I’m not really sure how I feel about Frankenstein. It’s a book I found both interesting and boring, thrilling and cumbersome, thought-provoking and dull. Honestly, I skim-read a lot of it because it felt like such a slog to get through. And yet, despite that, I was completely drawn in by the sheer despair of both Frankenstein and the monster, and the blood they both had on their hands. Victor felt like a noble man, someone driven by ambition but ultimately undone by it - a man who bit off far more than he could chew in his quest to play god. And the monster? At first, he was an innocent soul, a being full of potential, corrupted and driven to violence by the cruel judgment and rejection of mankind. The duality in this story is what really hooked me - how Shelley makes you both fear and pity the monster, and feel sorry for Victor but also frustrated by his actions. This book isn’t an easy read - it’s layered, heavy, and deeply tragic. The weight of its themes (ambition, responsibility, despair, and what it means to be human) lingers long after you close the final page. I both loved and struggled with it, and I think that duality is what makes it so fascinating. I have never felt this way about a book before - to enjoy and dislike it at the same time. So I don’t think it is the kind of book you simply “enjoy”; it is the kind that leaves a lasting impression.

I’d actually read the book in school and loved the movie. Recently I’d given my copy away to my local library on account of I was clearing my book shelves for more space. My brother watched the Netflix movie just several days ago and regretted not giving the book a chance, but by then I’d given my copy of the book away. So I had to order him a new one. Ha-ha! The movie was THAT good.

Frankenstein, or more correctly, Frankentein's Monster, is something known very well in popular culture. Most, when they hear the word Frankenstein conjure up the image of the moaning giant with bolts in his neck popularised throughout 20th century film and television, so I was surprised to discover just how different the original monster in the book is from the one we have come to know. The story is presented in epistolary form, within the frame of correspondence between Captain Robert Walton and his sister, Margaret. Captain Walton tells the tale of how his crew rescued Victor Frankenstein from what would undoubtedly have been a frozen death during their excursion toward the North Pole. From this chance rescue, Victor recounts to Captain Walton the story of how he ended up so far North, explaining to them precisely what was the creature the crew saw pass them a few hours before they rescued Frankenstein. What follows is, in essence, Victor Frankenstein's life story. Beginning with his childhood we come to discover how Victor became acquainted with outdated ideas on Natural Philosophy and what led him to his fascination with life and how life can be created. He recounts the tale of his work in creating the monster that came to be his torturer and come to know of his revulsion of his creation once life was given to it. It is this revulsion of the creature and its subsequent rejection which sets in motion a chain of horrific events perpetrated by the monster which brings Victor to his current state; being rescued by the captain. I won't go into much detail from what I have already said about the story as it is something that is best discovered yourself while reading the story. Many other reviewers have written about how different the book really is from the image of the Frankenstein's Monster we have come to know in popular culture. Most striking is the monster's acquired education and eloquence through his observance of a family over the course of a number of years. The crimes that are committed at the hands of the monster, through his acquired use of language, allow him to explain his motivations and his internal mental torments which thus make him a sympathetic creature. The crimes he has committed are ones of true abhorrence, so perhaps for some it may be difficult to feel that sympathy, but it is the rejection by his creator and his abject loneliness, brought on from being the first and only of his kind, that compels him to act the way he does. The story is truly compelling and sometimes legitimately scary, yet the tale of Frankenstein's monster is perhaps allegorical of the way in which life, happiness and acceptance are viewed, especially in the classical world. Perhaps the monster is even a metaphor for our own pursuit of love, companionship and the struggle to come to terms with our creator (God). In fact, there is reference made to the Biblical 'Adam' in the story, to whom the monster seems to relate, in that Adam's existence was only really complete and satisfied when he had his 'Eve' and the monster's motivation was simply to gain his own 'Eve'. The edition I bought was of the Clothbound Classics series and it has a look and feel to it that makes it a welcome and proud addition to any book shelf, so I would strongly recommend that you pick this up. It really is something to be enjoyed.

I'm sure everyone knows the name of Frankenstein, which is now equated more with the monster than the name of its inventor. The novel was written in the early part of the nineteenth century when the author Mary Shelley was herself still only in late teens. The narrative, as one would expect, has a rather dated feel to it, and so the writing should be viewed as a product of its time. Many have suggested in reviews that the book is rather florridly over-written in places. Actually I felt the author showed a strong command and use of launguage, although some phrasing and spelling are archaic (hiding in places a number of typos). As everyone is familiar with, Victor Frankenstein creates his monster and brings him to life, although not in a melodramatic manner accompanied by thunder and lightning protrayed by Hollywood. He is however repelled by his creation, which he rejects. The 'monster' seeks acceptance by humans but is meets only repulsion. He therefore becomes embittered and sets out to reek revenge on his creator by killing his family and friends. The story has a slightly curious structure, starting with a series of letters written by an English explorer narrating his journey to the artic circle north of Russia where he encounters Victor Frankenstein adrift on an ice floe as he has pursued his out-of-control creation across continents in an effort to kill it. Frankenstein relates his story to the explorer, thus becoming the narrator. Frankenstein's story includes a meeting with his monstrous creation who articulates his need for companionship and orders Frankenstein to create a female version for companionship because he is rejected by man. Frankenstein considers, ultimately refuses (or destroys his half-made creation) and the monster continues on his destructive mission reeking his revenge on Frankenstein. Although the book is of course a horror/fantasy, in parts the storyline is so implausible that it becomes almost laughable. For example, the monster is able to learn language by hiding in a shed adjacent to a house and listening through the walls, and after about a year is able to converse in the manner of an academic. He is also able to follow Frankenstein wherever he goes, across the English Channel, without discovery despite being eight foot tall and hideously ugly, surviving by eating whatever he can find in the wild. It may be a classic, but it should be read out of curiosity for the original story, rather than in the expectation of a great story.

It’s a classic story about misery, badness, love, grief. If you are looking for learn about human feeling, this is a great reading.

Buena calidad, pero el tiempo de entrega fue largo.

“Frankenstein has done more than any other story to define the anxieties of modern life. But it’s what it tells us about compassion that we need now more than ever.”, by Rebecca Lawrence (BBC Culture - June 13, 2018) If you think that because you have watched the movie adaptations you can skip this book, then you don’t know what you are missing. The movie obscured Shelley’s intentions. This is not a horror book. It’s a drama at its finest. The writing is fascinating! And if you add the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens you will be transported to the era and be totally involved in the emotional rollercoaster. The writing is complex and vivid and expresses the anguish of both monster and creator. I thought the story was exceptionally well told and the writing definitely brought it to life. What I enjoyed the most is that we have the monster’s perspective. What an incredible imagination! The author was 18 years old and this book was written in 1818, so take that into consideration. What a great read!

Perfect Mary Shelley. I love Coppola's films. Never a disappointment. DeNiro was brilliant. Much better and true to the story than Boris. Sorry Boris . Coppola's Dracula is equally as brilliant and beautiful.

Recommend it rather than mid-movies