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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
An altogether pretty satisfying prequel to the Frankenstein story, with the Boy-Who-Would Become-Dr.-F. appropriately rash and hot-tempered, with streaks of darkness and a female love interest who is very nearly a heroine in her own right. Although ultimately, we know how things turn out, Oppel does a good job fleshing things out enough where there are still twists afoot. Victor's passion wavers between compelling and unsettling, which is probably just about right. This has all the heroic adventure of the Airborn books, but with much more grown up turbulence and shading. My only objection is that I feel like the atmosphere sometimes falters a little...though it begins on a lovely Gothic note, with hints of Dracula-esque moodiness at points, it doesn't sustain itself consistently throughout---particularly at the height of some of the action sequences. I'm hoping this evens out a bit more in the follow-up.
http://librarianaut.com/2013/04/14/book-review-this-dark-endeavour/
After he pretended to be his twin so you could kiss is cousin… I had to check out.
See, the deal with this book is I started out with an extreme aversion to Frankenstein. The scientist, not the monster (who was incredibly awesome, aside from his unfortunate propensity for killing people). And the book was right out. (I've never sought after horror stories, and if I must read horror, I don't like it interspersed with long and purple descriptions of the countryside, Ingolstadtan or Genevan.) But this dislike of Mary Shelley's monstrous work of fiction was mainly sprung from my dislike of its monstrous protagonist and title character, Victor Frankenstein. The arrogant fool is more monster than man, and doesn't deserve Elizabeth Lavenza by a long shot.
I understand the need for an arrogant main character in this plotline. It requires arrogance, creating life. But Frankenstein is still insufferable.
This review, however, is not about Frankenstein by Mary Shelley but about its more palatable prequel, This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel.
Given that I started out with a strong bias against Frankenstein (well . . . given how many Frankensteins there are in this book, I should start calling him Victor) this book did fairly well. This alchemy horror sort of writing is not up my alley, either (don't ask me about the historical fictions sticker my library so ignorantly plastered on this book's spine). On the whole, despite the initial counts against this book, I was left with a slightly more favorable view of Victor than the impression I had garnered by Frankenstein's death in the original version. He had a motive for a) pursuing alchemy and b) creating the monster. (Yes, I'm looking forwards in Victor's life. The ending of This Dark Endeavor nearly convinced me that Konrad's body would house the monster later on.) I think it more probable for Frankenstein to obsess over a hope of restoring his brother than to obsess over various scientific (and not) preoccupations. It's a question of "I shall save my brother!" versus "Oooh, this alchemy stuff is cool!" or "Hey, I can make dead people bits walk around!"
I particularly enjoyed a few juicy pieces of contrast/foreshadowing. The first (not necessarily in chronological order) was the time when Victor got his hand stuck in the Biblioteka Obscura's bizarre hand-shaking lock. Among other panicked exclamations, he screamed something along the lines of "You'll have to cut my hand off!" Particularly prophetic, as he later had to cut part of his hand off for the Elixir. This link also helps emphasize his growth as a person. The first time, he would sacrifice his hand for himself. The second, he sacrificed two fingers for another (both Konrad and Elizabeth, in a way--Elizabeth would have given her fingers had Victor not volunteered).
The other bit of foreshadowing was the initial play. It echoes the Elizabeth conflict. Elizabeth is part of the treasure Konrad has and Victor has only a part of (as to brotherly love and whatnot). Victor wants everything. Play-Victor fights play-Konrad and kills him. Victor can't do this in real life, of course, because he loves his brother, so he tries just taking the treasure and leaving (by trying to win Elizabeth from his brother). Konrad dies in the play, foreshadowing his death later on. Victor and Konrad are constantly in conflict over other things as well.
The ending, with a hint of cryogenics and a solemn vow, was enough for me to wish to see a sequel (for I think there will be a sequel . . . you cannot call a book "Book 1" without at least a "Book 2," because that's just not how things should be done).
It was not strictly accurate to call this the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. He was no one's apprentice. Not even Polidori's.
I understand the need for an arrogant main character in this plotline. It requires arrogance, creating life. But Frankenstein is still insufferable.
This review, however, is not about Frankenstein by Mary Shelley but about its more palatable prequel, This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel.
Given that I started out with a strong bias against Frankenstein (well . . . given how many Frankensteins there are in this book, I should start calling him Victor) this book did fairly well. This alchemy horror sort of writing is not up my alley, either (don't ask me about the historical fictions sticker my library so ignorantly plastered on this book's spine). On the whole, despite the initial counts against this book, I was left with a slightly more favorable view of Victor than the impression I had garnered by Frankenstein's death in the original version. He had a motive for a) pursuing alchemy and b) creating the monster. (Yes, I'm looking forwards in Victor's life. The ending of This Dark Endeavor nearly convinced me that Konrad's body would house the monster later on.) I think it more probable for Frankenstein to obsess over a hope of restoring his brother than to obsess over various scientific (and not) preoccupations. It's a question of "I shall save my brother!" versus "Oooh, this alchemy stuff is cool!" or "Hey, I can make dead people bits walk around!"
I particularly enjoyed a few juicy pieces of contrast/foreshadowing. The first (not necessarily in chronological order) was the time when Victor got his hand stuck in the Biblioteka Obscura's bizarre hand-shaking lock. Among other panicked exclamations, he screamed something along the lines of "You'll have to cut my hand off!" Particularly prophetic, as he later had to cut part of his hand off for the Elixir. This link also helps emphasize his growth as a person. The first time, he would sacrifice his hand for himself. The second, he sacrificed two fingers for another (both Konrad and Elizabeth, in a way--Elizabeth would have given her fingers had Victor not volunteered).
The other bit of foreshadowing was the initial play. It echoes the Elizabeth conflict. Elizabeth is part of the treasure Konrad has and Victor has only a part of (as to brotherly love and whatnot). Victor wants everything. Play-Victor fights play-Konrad and kills him. Victor can't do this in real life, of course, because he loves his brother, so he tries just taking the treasure and leaving (by trying to win Elizabeth from his brother). Konrad dies in the play, foreshadowing his death later on. Victor and Konrad are constantly in conflict over other things as well.
The ending, with a hint of cryogenics and a solemn vow, was enough for me to wish to see a sequel (for I think there will be a sequel . . . you cannot call a book "Book 1" without at least a "Book 2," because that's just not how things should be done).
It was not strictly accurate to call this the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. He was no one's apprentice. Not even Polidori's.
This was a fabulous book! I really took my time reading it, but it picked up near the end and had some definite twists. The writing was wonderful, and I loved reading a book with such a flawed main character. I will absolutely be reading the second!
I enjoyed this one immensely. No big surprises for me at the end but I sure liked all the adventure and suspense it took to get there.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Excellent-a teen-friendly prequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I think I can get some good readers to try this and perhaps lead them to the classic. Kept me reading straight through to the end.
The idea was definitely interesting, and the cover is gorgeous. The execution just feels pretty juvenile, and I'm not sure who the intended audience is here. Fans of Mary Shelley's original work would probably be more mature than this book is aimed at, but maybe this book is meant to operate just off a general knowledge of the idea. Either way, this book itself is an overwhelming meh.
Review also published on my blog StudentSpyglass
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Plot: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★
Readability: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
This Dark Endeavour is the first of Kenneth Oppel’s prequel to Frankenstein series. Victor Frankenstein, a young ambitious man, is driven to alchemy and science when his twin, Konrad, falls critically ill.
There are some clear differences between Kenneth Oppel’s prequel series and the original Frankenstein. Perhaps the most obvious is the invention of a twin, Konrad. Whilst this might seem like a severe diversion from the original text, it works remarkably well. Konrad, the more charming, less ambitious, generally more likeable twin, manages to both complement and contrast with Victor. Victor loves his twin, obviously, and it is his desperate concern for Konrad that allows alchemy to entice him. Despite their close bond, the two are very different, and these differences make it easy to see how Victor could grow into the man we ultimately know he will become.
Elizabeth Lavenza also adopts a somewhat different role in This Dark Endeavour compared to Frankenstein. I found her much more likeable in This Dark Endeavour, with an intelligent, feisty nature that never showed in Frankenstein. As Elizabeth is the object of affection for both Konrad and Victor, This Dark Endeavour does have a love-triangle. However, while many love triangles feel like nothing more than ticking the boxes for a standard YA, this love triangle is used to drive the plot and characters. Victor’s jealousy of Konrad is exacerbated by their rivalry for Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s charm and limitless patience make Konrad seem the obvious choice but her feisty nature and somewhat impulsive decisions also sometimes make Victor appear a good match. Despite my general dislike of love-triangles, this one is well done, and I actually care about the outcome without having decided instantly on my personal preference.
As well as great characters and plot, This Dark Endeavour is beautifully written, with a dark, gothic feel that reflects the inspiration brilliantly. Kenneth Oppel manages to bring to life characters who were only briefly mentioned in Frankenstein, with references to the original text interwoven masterfully throughout the novel.
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Plot: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★
Readability: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
This Dark Endeavour is the first of Kenneth Oppel’s prequel to Frankenstein series. Victor Frankenstein, a young ambitious man, is driven to alchemy and science when his twin, Konrad, falls critically ill.
There are some clear differences between Kenneth Oppel’s prequel series and the original Frankenstein. Perhaps the most obvious is the invention of a twin, Konrad. Whilst this might seem like a severe diversion from the original text, it works remarkably well. Konrad, the more charming, less ambitious, generally more likeable twin, manages to both complement and contrast with Victor. Victor loves his twin, obviously, and it is his desperate concern for Konrad that allows alchemy to entice him. Despite their close bond, the two are very different, and these differences make it easy to see how Victor could grow into the man we ultimately know he will become.
Elizabeth Lavenza also adopts a somewhat different role in This Dark Endeavour compared to Frankenstein. I found her much more likeable in This Dark Endeavour, with an intelligent, feisty nature that never showed in Frankenstein. As Elizabeth is the object of affection for both Konrad and Victor, This Dark Endeavour does have a love-triangle. However, while many love triangles feel like nothing more than ticking the boxes for a standard YA, this love triangle is used to drive the plot and characters. Victor’s jealousy of Konrad is exacerbated by their rivalry for Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s charm and limitless patience make Konrad seem the obvious choice but her feisty nature and somewhat impulsive decisions also sometimes make Victor appear a good match. Despite my general dislike of love-triangles, this one is well done, and I actually care about the outcome without having decided instantly on my personal preference.
As well as great characters and plot, This Dark Endeavour is beautifully written, with a dark, gothic feel that reflects the inspiration brilliantly. Kenneth Oppel manages to bring to life characters who were only briefly mentioned in Frankenstein, with references to the original text interwoven masterfully throughout the novel.