Reviews tagging 'Death'

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

501 reviews

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark reflective 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

Este clásico de la literatura gótica nos presenta un dilema que ha existido desde tiempos inmemoriales y que nos cuestionamos constantemente: ¿Acaso la humanidad cuenta con una inocencia innata o está en nuestro código genético ser destructivos?

En este caso, el libro, al estar dividido en dos narradores, nos presenta dos visiones diferentes: una, la del monstruo marginado, y la otra, la de Víctor como el creador. Por un lado, la respuesta de Víctor sobre el dilema acerca de la naturaleza humana es que la criatura fue malvada desde su misma concepción. Por otro lado, la del monstruo es una mirada más triste y solitaria; la de un ser tan grande y tan pequeño a la vez que, al ser abandonado en un mundo lleno de prejuicios y maldad, sucumbe a sus oscuros deseos de venganza

Dudo que la causa de la desgraciada vida de Víctor y su mayor error haya sido crear al monstruo en busca de conocimiento y avance, sino abandonarlo a su suerte en un arranque de egoísmo, ya que, como el mismo monstruo lo dice, él estaba destinado al amor y la comprensión. 

"Mi corazón estaba hecho para el amor y la comprensión; y, cuando las desgracias me empujaron hacia la maldad y el odio, no soporté la violencia del cambio sin un sufrimiento tal que usted sería incapaz de imaginar."

Alejándonos de una mirada fantasiosa o de ciencia ficción, podríamos ver a este monstruo no como un individuo, sino como una extensión de Victor Frankenstein, la sombra que refleja sus más grandes y primitivos pensamientos, como él se percibe a sí mismo. Es aquella sombra del yo, la cuál Carl Jung nos presenta en el mapa del alma. Un ser que lo atormenta no solo al momento de completar y abandonar su creación, sino también durante toda su travesía, al huir de una maldición a la que él mismo se condenó.

El odio de un hombre siempre se concentra en aquello que le hace consciente de sus malas cualidades.
- Carl G. Jung

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-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: Complicated

I found it challenging to read as a beginner Classics reader but i quite enjoyed the storyline and Mary Shelley portrayed Dr Frankenstein’s turmoil wonderfully.

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dark reflective 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

and the worst father of the year award goes to…!

yeah so i think i would have rated this 5 stars if not for the incest. unfortunately it did get extremely distracting, especially during the last bit of the book (he legit would talk about elizabeth being his cousin/sister in every other fucking sentence). frankenstein’s monster had the best chapters, his account & ending monologue were great. i loved the themes and unreliable narration. 

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Modern Prometheus is a title worthy of this book and is an intriguing and quick read. Did an English study on the play and I'm glad that I enjoyed the book as well. 

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dark reflective sad fast-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

I think the best part of this is it’s historic, the world’s first science fiction horror novel. And to imagine that Mary Shelley wrote this at the age of 18 is impressive. She’s a genius. 

I also find it kind of intriguing the monster is never described, not really, except for how hideous and uncanny he is. I wish I could envision anything except the Universal Frankenstein’s monster. 

How depressing that from the moment of creation there could be nothing but despair and waiting for death. A novel for sad sacks of depression and tragic company.

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved how much this book departed from what I perceived of Frankenstein and his monster from pop culture. In fact, this material far outshines what any movies have captured. There was mystery and horror, as expected, but the moral questions it raised were the best part of the book. The writing also had a timeless quality with the reflections of Frankenstein’s monster and the reflections between him and Frankenstein being the strongest writing in the book. Not a perfect book for me – a few sections dragged and the characters were sometimes a little two-dimensional in their actions – but I will continually think back to this book and am very glad I finally read this classic.

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I get why this is a classic, especially as it was unique at the time, but I didn't love it. Victor is entirely insufferable, it felt like we didn't see enough of the creation of the creature or of his actions afterwards that led to the creature being able to flee and start living his own life. Also I really didn't understand the need or the point of the story of the "Arabian" with the family who lived in the cottage. It seemed very random, was very hard to follow and understand in the audiobook, and added nothing to the story except a bit of racism maybe?

I also wasn't fully on board with the way the story was told, the captain writing letters to his sister where he's like "I'm telling you that Victor told me that the creature told him that xyz..." It seemed very convoluted! I'm glad I read it because it's interesting to see the classic of the genre that let to so many horror and sci-fi books and tropes, but honestly it was mid.

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