Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

120 reviews

the_books_music_life's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This is my very first time actually reading Frankenstein. I can say I’m happy to have read such an occult classic.

In Frankenstein you explore the question of what makes a monster. Is it nature or nurture? Are you born a monster? Or do the actions of others and trauma that happens to you cause the monster in you to come forth?

I can understand why Frankenstein has stood the test of time, it is a powerful, and telling novel now in 2024, I can’t imagine what it was like when it was first published. Frankenstein gave the science fiction genre its name.

I listened to the audiobook and while it was good, I found myself zoning out. I don’t know why because I did enjoy the story. It did at times feel like it was dragging, but most older books like these tend to feel like that to me. 

Mary Shelley was a writer beyond her time. To have come up with the idea of Frankenstein at only 18 years old, and from an odd prompt to write a horror story, it’s incredible. Especially being a woman in 1816 writing this.

At times you can’t help but feel for Frankenstein’s monster, he is an ugly abomination in a time where appearance was what people first noticed about you. He was also abandoned by his maker before he could even open his eyes. But, you can also see Victor’s struggle as well and his deep remorse and guilt over creating such a creature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Murder, and Body horror

lunarblazes's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Body horror, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

masona's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Body horror, and Death

evgeorge's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Stalking

zsnails99's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, Grief, and Body horror

Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Stalking, and Incest

felofhe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Classism, Medical content, Gaslighting, Sexism, Abortion, Drug abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Ableism, Animal death, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Toxic relationship

carodunn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Medical content, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Body horror

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

simmich429's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gun violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Body horror, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Death, Religious bigotry, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

mpbookreviews's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Abandonment, Body horror, Death of parent, Death, Violence, and Medical content

mobymaize's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Yeah, I mean it's fucking Frankenstein, like you got to read it. It is the first sci-fi novel, of course you have to read it. ALSO READ THE 1818 VERSION, IT'S A LOT BETTER.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Incest, Medical content, Murder, and Racism