Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Frankenstein

Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

190 reviews

kierank's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Transgender awakening

Content Warnings

arewenotben's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I started reading this mid-last year then just put it down for ages, not entirely sure why as it's an engaging and interesting read; despite the over-florid Victorian prose. Going in reasonably cold beyond the general cultural knowledge of the story, the book wasn't quite what I had anticipated (in a 'positive' way), although tricky to read without picturing the iconic Hollywood depictions of both Victor and the monster.

Content Warnings

euphemiajo's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

Content Warnings

kaetheluise_nckl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

bookshelfmystic's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Reading a formative work of a genre can sometimes be disappointing. We're so used to the ideas and tropes by now that the original thoughts in early works can feel trite. I didn't really like Neuromancer, for example, because the cyberpunk ideas it introduced to the world felt like old hat by the time I read it in the 2010s. (Among other reasons.)

However, Frankenstein is so much more than one of the first science fiction novels. Even if it weren't, seeing how the genre has evolved over 200 years is interesting enough: so much time has passed that sci-fi is really different now. But beyond that, Frankenstein grapples with lofty questions in the tradition of the best speculative fiction. Ideas of parenthood, ambition, what we owe to our creation, and what our Creator owes to us are explored through the story of Frankenstein and his creature. Amidst all this, we have chase scenes, murder mysteries, and lengthy, lengthy monologues of the sort of 19th-century writing that I quite enjoy (but I recognize it's not for everyone).

A few things surprised me, especially since we tend to have a collective notion of Frankenstein('s monster) that differs substantially from the original material. This is one of my favorite parts about reading classics: discovering the source of cultural ideas and seeing how they have evolved. Anyway, some surprises:
- Frankenstein built his creation in his college dorm, not a lightning-struck castle.
- Frankenstein is incredibly emo.
- The creature is super well-spoken and intelligent, not a groaning, shuffling monster.
- Neither Frankenstein nor his creature have much moral high ground. You can understand where the creature is coming from and feel pity for him, but he gives off major incel vibes when he keeps killing Frankenstein's family because he doesn't have a wife.

Frankenstein is a classic that's well worth the time, and in fact is quite readable compared to some other classic novels. I continue my streak of really enjoying 19th-century writing, and I'm happy to add another female author to that list.

Content Warnings

peppypenguin's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I find this story to be more horrific than Dracula. Everyone around you falling to terrible fates one by one because of your actions is terrifying. There is horror in the overzealous pride and obsession of humans circling around to haunt them and subject them to a miserable state where only death is the only rest they can receive. While fantastic it really is a universal story. The complex relationship between Frankenstein and his monster, and the pity you are made to feel for them both, is plenty to stimulate profound discussion.

I first read this novel in 2016. My re-read was this edition illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. These illustrations were so powerful in adding to the atmosphere, that I strongly recommend looking them up or obtaining a copy to enjoy for yourself.

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jomarie's review against another edition

2.5

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a book that I’ve had for quite a while and was interested in reading as a lover of sci-fi stories. Having read it, I’m not sure I gained any more respect for it.

Caveat: I don’t have a great track record of liking classics, so definitely take my opinion with a grain of salt!

I only knew the bare bones of the story through pop culture references. I was expecting a gothic, atmospheric story of man’s hubris. The actual story didn’t quite hit that mark. Mostly, I was bored. The monster featured so little, most of the characters were flat, and framing it as a story being told to a man on a mission to the North Pole felt unnecessary. The most interesting part was what the monster did after running away from Victor, but that was told as a dry conversation rather than actually spending time in that space. It frankly made Felix out to be a more enticing character than anyone else in the book.

Luckily, I read through the info in the front of my copy that explained some of the historical context that Mary Shelley wrote it under. If I hadn’t, I’d feel even more disconnected from the point of it all than I already am. If you’re only looking at it as an example of historic literature, it’s a fascinating study. However, that’s not what I was doing.

Knowing the kind of reader I am, I should have done the audiobook to better comprehend and connect with the story, or just picked my favorite movie adaption and called it good.

Content Warnings