Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Frankenstein

I enjoyed reading this classic immensely! I'm so glad that I decided to start it in the heart of winter just after the holidays since I discovered so much of the mood is wrapped up in desolate, frigid landscapes & frozen tundra.

If you've only ever watched the 1930s movie like me, then the original 1818 version will feel like a completely new story to you!

I appreciated how much heart, empathy, passion & flaws we see as both Victor & his creature explore the same feelings (believing that they're completely different from one another) such as hubris, the spectrum of morality, justice, & if wickedness is due to nature or nurture. The book even begins & ends through the lens of a third party, leaving us the reader free to sympathize a bit with both Victor & his creature who are at such odds with each other.

I didn't expect to get as emotionally invested in the characters as I did--it was a pleasant surprise to find myself hoping, grieving & crying on their behalf, especially the monster who so desperately & sincerely loves people & longs to be accepted for who he is on the inside💔

The middle of the novel could drag on at times, especially as Victor traveled and couldn't shake his fears, regrets & melancholy no matter who he was with or what he was doing for long. In the begin & by the end though, events picked up again in anticipation & drama leaving me at the edge of my seat!

There may be a little good & evil in everyone, & this novel explores in depth just how much enemies can be more similar than they'd like to believe. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a little (or a lot) of gray area & want to try a classic where emotions are a strong motivation--both for the characters & us as readers!

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sunflower7skull's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It's really interesting how different the book was from the media based off it! Really cool to analyze.

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pikkumarja's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Ymmärrän kirjan klassikkoaseman! Teoksessa on niin monta tasoa, että metakonteksti välillä unohtuu (Kirjassa on kohtia, joissa kirjailija on kirjoittanut miehen kirjoittamaan kirjeessä toisen miehen kertomaa tarinaa, jossa mies kertoo tarinaa, jossa tapahtuu monia asioita).

Tässä laitoksessa ihastutti myös esipuheet, joiden lukemisen jälkeen kirjaa oli mennyt jo 10 %.

Taidokas tarina hylkäämisestä ja ulkopuolisuudesta. Moraalintaju pyrkii seurailemaan lukijan mukana, mutta hahmot ovat niin moniulotteisia, että hetkessä sympatiat vaihtavat kohdettaan päikseen.

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lunarblazes's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i think this is one of the better books i've been forced to read in school. it's incredibly atmospheric and its moral quandaries are truly compelling. i think about victor frankenstein and the creature a ton, as well as everyone caught in the blast zone of whatever fucked up dynamic they have going on. the framing device is so cool, it preserves tension really well. the main flaw with this book is how goddamn long it is. shelley probably needed an editor or something because by the time we get to three different exhaustive life stories in one letter (thanks to red from osp for that description) it starts to drag a little. i am shocked i don't see more people talk about the ending to this book. i think it was what stuck with me the most. i'd recommend a read if you've never given it a shot! it mostly lives up to the hype if you're willing to wade through dense victorian-era language.

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