Reviews with content warning for Stalking - Frankenstein

Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

148 reviews

sashajwolf's review against another edition

2.5

dark emotional 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

It's difficult for me to review this fairly, since Gothic horror is generally not to my taste. I read this for a challenge and would have dnf'd it otherwise. I recognise the role it played in the development of the horror and SF genres. However, I found the story unconvincing. It's a teenage work, and it shows. Characters make impulsive and implausible decisions, and the general atmosphere is overwrought. There are odd time jumps, and I had trouble suspending my disbelief at the creature's ability to educate himself. There are three narrators, but their voices are indistinguishable. Frankenstein's travels seem to be motivated by an authorial desire to cram in as many picturesque landscapes as possible rather than any real contribution to the plot. The parallels between parenthood and creation are to me the most interesting aspect of the story, but are not adequately explored.

Content Warnings

i_hate_grrr's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

attie777's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

lawphenix's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

vi_violetrose's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A classic that was far ahead of its time. It’s honestly incredible how true to life the ideas presented here are, despite being incredibly subversive for the time it was written.

One of the more interesting stories that use an unreliable narrator, given the multiple layers of narration within each other.

I loved that we didn’t hear from the creature directly (since his story was told from Victor’s recollection, who is obviously biased) until the very end (and even then not directly because Walton, who has been influenced by Victor, is telling it).

Though sometimes I felt like Victor would reiterate the same points a bit too much in his narration, and some parts were a bit slow, I don’t have any major issues with the novel. Even then, I felt like there was a point to Victor constantly rehashing how miserable he was.

The prose is beautiful, and the dialogue, especially from the Creature, is striking. This is a book that 100% deserves its status as a classic.

Content Warnings

asparagusfern's review against another edition

4.25

dark reflective sad tense fast-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

This book was a powerful and poignant fable about the dangers of creation. Surprisingly small at a mere 200 or so pages and with stripped-down, archetypal characters, I think Frankenstein succeeds not in spite of but because of this simplicity. The focus of the book is on the philosophical terror of creating life and then having no control over it, of realizing your mistakes too late and having no easy way to fix them. I was able to both hate and sympathize with Frankenstein and his monster.

In our modern world, with DNA editing, artificial intelligence and all sorts of biological and technological developments, I think the book’s message is as relevant today as it was in 1818.

Content Warnings