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mediabaron's review against another edition
3.0
This is the original, and I much more enjoy the screenplay versions most of us are familiar with. The bones of the story are here but hey, there isn’t a zapping with electricity ‘It’s alive!’ scene. Still, these are some strong bones written by. 19-year-old author, and she should be applauded for that.
erindoublee's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, like many other reviewers here have stated, Hollywood's interpretation is laughable. This book is much more than flashes, bangs, and maniacal scientist scenes.
I am so glad I decided to pick this book up and give it a go. I listened to the audio version of the book narrated by Dan Stevens (think blue-eyed heir on Downton Abbey), and it was magnificently performed.
The opening of the book is intriguing, a sailor is writing to his sister to explain how he came upon a person on a piece of wood floating in the frozen ocean. Several chapters are dedicated to this narrative. All the while, as the reader I am trying to figure out what in the world that has to do with Frankenstein, who I thought was the monster in this story.
As the story progresses, we become acquainted with Victor Frankenstein, a privileged and educated young man. He has a good family, a close cousin, Elizabeth, and several brothers. He leaves to attend university while there comes to knowledge of how to create life. The author does not go into detail about how life is made, which I think is magnificent. In my opinion, if she went into details, the story would not be so everlasting through the generations.
Victor creates this monster, then immediately leaves his apartment at university because he is so appalled by what he did! It's unbelievable as the reader to understand this. Why would he create this being, then leave!? But he does, and falls into a fever and is bedridden for many months wrought with thoughts of what he's created.
The story then unfolds into a wonderful telling of consequences for scientific actions, this monster Frankenstein created leaves his apartments, ventures to Frankenstein's home town where he finds a poor family and from a secluded place in the woods he watches this family and their daily habits. He comes to see these people as his protectors. He wants to have a sense of belonging with these people, but his previous interactions with villagers makes him worry he cannot have close relations with people. He is a monster, deformed, larger than typical human male size, and abhorrent to look at. But his yearning and sense of need for belonging get the better of him. Not only is he a human in form, but he is a human in emotion.
The monster makes an attempt to connect with the family he's been watching with the elderly man who is blind. The monster sits with the man at his fire while the rest of the family is out and makes small talk, and asks for protection with the man. The man obliges, when the remainder of the family comes in and to their utter horror sees the monster with the blind man and immediately begin to thrash and beat the monster. They are terrified this monster has attempted to hurt the blind man. The family is so shocked they leave their cottage immediately, and the monster is so upset he vows revenge in his heart.
Thus begins the monster's endeavor to seek revenge on his creator, Frankenstein. The monster's first strike is Frankenstein young brother William who happens to come across the beast in the woods. Frankenstein at first decides to make William someone who will love and trust him, but the young boy becomes terrified and indicates that his father is Mr. Frankenstein upon hearing that name, the monster becomes enraged and strangles the boy.
Frankenstein is horrified to hear of his brother's death and immediately returns home. Upon his arrival, he goes to the place where the boy was strangled and in the shadows he sees the monster and immediately knows he is the killer of his brother and is sickened by this event. A young girl confesses to the murder, she is in possession of a locket from the boy's body. She does not know how she came upon this article, but confesses to the murder anyhow. She is hanged. Frankenstein's cousin Elizabeth is distraught and so is the entire Frankenstein family.
The rest of the story is tragic, a broken promise, more deaths, then the monster's promise to see Frankenstein on his wedding night to Elizabeth.
For me this story is commentary on responsibility. Responsibility for our own creations, our emotions, our promises, our thoughts, our feelings.
The story is fantastic and surpasses Dracula for me, I love this story and will probably return to it quite often.
I am so glad I decided to pick this book up and give it a go. I listened to the audio version of the book narrated by Dan Stevens (think blue-eyed heir on Downton Abbey), and it was magnificently performed.
The opening of the book is intriguing, a sailor is writing to his sister to explain how he came upon a person on a piece of wood floating in the frozen ocean. Several chapters are dedicated to this narrative. All the while, as the reader I am trying to figure out what in the world that has to do with Frankenstein, who I thought was the monster in this story.
As the story progresses, we become acquainted with Victor Frankenstein, a privileged and educated young man. He has a good family, a close cousin, Elizabeth, and several brothers. He leaves to attend university while there comes to knowledge of how to create life. The author does not go into detail about how life is made, which I think is magnificent. In my opinion, if she went into details, the story would not be so everlasting through the generations.
Victor creates this monster, then immediately leaves his apartment at university because he is so appalled by what he did! It's unbelievable as the reader to understand this. Why would he create this being, then leave!? But he does, and falls into a fever and is bedridden for many months wrought with thoughts of what he's created.
The story then unfolds into a wonderful telling of consequences for scientific actions, this monster Frankenstein created leaves his apartments, ventures to Frankenstein's home town where he finds a poor family and from a secluded place in the woods he watches this family and their daily habits. He comes to see these people as his protectors. He wants to have a sense of belonging with these people, but his previous interactions with villagers makes him worry he cannot have close relations with people. He is a monster, deformed, larger than typical human male size, and abhorrent to look at. But his yearning and sense of need for belonging get the better of him. Not only is he a human in form, but he is a human in emotion.
The monster makes an attempt to connect with the family he's been watching with the elderly man who is blind. The monster sits with the man at his fire while the rest of the family is out and makes small talk, and asks for protection with the man. The man obliges, when the remainder of the family comes in and to their utter horror sees the monster with the blind man and immediately begin to thrash and beat the monster. They are terrified this monster has attempted to hurt the blind man. The family is so shocked they leave their cottage immediately, and the monster is so upset he vows revenge in his heart.
Thus begins the monster's endeavor to seek revenge on his creator, Frankenstein. The monster's first strike is Frankenstein young brother William who happens to come across the beast in the woods. Frankenstein at first decides to make William someone who will love and trust him, but the young boy becomes terrified and indicates that his father is Mr. Frankenstein upon hearing that name, the monster becomes enraged and strangles the boy.
Frankenstein is horrified to hear of his brother's death and immediately returns home. Upon his arrival, he goes to the place where the boy was strangled and in the shadows he sees the monster and immediately knows he is the killer of his brother and is sickened by this event. A young girl confesses to the murder, she is in possession of a locket from the boy's body. She does not know how she came upon this article, but confesses to the murder anyhow. She is hanged. Frankenstein's cousin Elizabeth is distraught and so is the entire Frankenstein family.
The rest of the story is tragic, a broken promise, more deaths, then the monster's promise to see Frankenstein on his wedding night to Elizabeth.
For me this story is commentary on responsibility. Responsibility for our own creations, our emotions, our promises, our thoughts, our feelings.
The story is fantastic and surpasses Dracula for me, I love this story and will probably return to it quite often.
cryptidstation's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pigeonsarecool's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
5.0
amycat's review against another edition
1.0
I hated this book. I couldn't even finish it. All of Shelley's sentences were TOO complex. I could understand them, but it was just tiring. Moreover, her vocabulary was also very restricted. Every few lines I would see 'ardent' or 'ardous' or 'fervently'. That got tiring too.
Furthermore, Victor Frankenstein's character was a weak mess and the other characters were poorly constructed. I could not give an attribute to any of the characters in the book, apart from Frankenstein and those are: weak and stupid.
From this book being so renown, I thought it would be a great, if not tolerable read. But no, it was so terrible that it angered me.
Furthermore, Victor Frankenstein's character was a weak mess and the other characters were poorly constructed. I could not give an attribute to any of the characters in the book, apart from Frankenstein and those are: weak and stupid.
From this book being so renown, I thought it would be a great, if not tolerable read. But no, it was so terrible that it angered me.
readerforever's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ttodd86's review against another edition
4.0
You can never go wrong with a classic. This story is very different than what many might expect and well worth the read.
tjasar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.25