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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
I'm not even sure why I read this book when I had not even enjoyed the original by Mary Shelley.
The author brought early 19th century London to life in this book but that's probably its only redeeming feature. The male characters were detestable (except for Fred) and the only interesting personality was the 'creature'.
I thought huge chunks of the book were mind-numbingly boring and I came close to not finishing it several times. The ending only managed to confuse me and now I'm wondering how I'm going to get back the time I spent reading it. Maybe Victor Frankenstein can help me with that.
The author brought early 19th century London to life in this book but that's probably its only redeeming feature. The male characters were detestable (except for Fred) and the only interesting personality was the 'creature'.
I thought huge chunks of the book were mind-numbingly boring and I came close to not finishing it several times. The ending only managed to confuse me and now I'm wondering how I'm going to get back the time I spent reading it. Maybe Victor Frankenstein can help me with that.
Have you ever wanted to read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but not as good? Like a Frankenstein light? Well do I have some good news for you!
An OK book. Some parts very good. Other parts seemed to be less interesting. I didn't feel the suspense and was able to sleep with the lights off ( who writes those quoted comments on the back? Ha ha)
Someone else said they wondered why the author bothered to write this. I felt it was to further explore human nature and the idea of what a "monster" is. Lots of talk early on about the treatment of people. The rest you have to read all the way to the end for.
Someone else said they wondered why the author bothered to write this. I felt it was to further explore human nature and the idea of what a "monster" is. Lots of talk early on about the treatment of people. The rest you have to read all the way to the end for.
dark
mysterious
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 is a very boring and unnecessary retelling
Generally I am a fan of historical fiction. This one seemed right up my alley. A book that supposes that Dr Frankenstien was a real character? What could be better? I'll tell you what could be better. Almost anything. The author places Frankenstein as a friend of the Shelleys, et al. I already wasn't happy that he deprived Mary Shelley of her creative genius. Then he proceeded to turn her into a weak and silly fool. The creator of Frankenstein and the daughter of perhaps the most important early feminist afraid of looking at a dead body? I don't think so. I found his treatment of Mary Shelley misogynistic and very spiteful.
Oh, and the book was boring except for a little bit at the creation of the monster and the twist at the end-the only reason it got any stars from me
Oh, and the book was boring except for a little bit at the creation of the monster and the twist at the end-the only reason it got any stars from me
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
This book was a terrible disappointment! I thought the description sounded intriguing, and like it would provide some interesting and more in-depth understanding of Dr. Frankenstein.
Well, it's in-depth all right! It takes the author almost 100 pages (a full third of the book) to describe Victor's early life and education. Unfortunately, that part of his life (at least as this author describes it) is the most boring, dry painful thing I've read in a while. I can't imagine how Frankenstein possibly managed to become the manic, crazed, exciting mad scientist we all know, based on this mind-numbing description of his early life.
I gave up at page 100 because there are just too many books out there that I want to read, to waste time dragging myself through books that don't capture my interest and attention.
Maybe this book gets better if you read the whole thing. But for me, if I'm still bored out of my mind at the one-third mark, I'm putting it aside and going on to the next book on my list.
Sorry Ackroyd!”
Well, it's in-depth all right! It takes the author almost 100 pages (a full third of the book) to describe Victor's early life and education. Unfortunately, that part of his life (at least as this author describes it) is the most boring, dry painful thing I've read in a while. I can't imagine how Frankenstein possibly managed to become the manic, crazed, exciting mad scientist we all know, based on this mind-numbing description of his early life.
I gave up at page 100 because there are just too many books out there that I want to read, to waste time dragging myself through books that don't capture my interest and attention.
Maybe this book gets better if you read the whole thing. But for me, if I'm still bored out of my mind at the one-third mark, I'm putting it aside and going on to the next book on my list.
Sorry Ackroyd!”
In 2008 I read Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein by Molly Dwyer. Intrigued by the historical fiction of Mary Shelley's life, I decided to give Peter Ackroyd's book, The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein a try.
Where Dwyer carefully looks at the elements of Mary Shelley's life that could have come together to inspire Frankenstein. Ackroyd's book though focuses not on Mary Shelley. Instead the two main characters are Victor Frankenstein and his school chum Percy Shelley. Excuse me while I mutter to myself an scratch my head. Except for marriage and the encouragement of one spouse for another, what exactly does the poet have to do with his wife's novel?
I got about one hundred pages into this book before the misogyny got too much for me. Mary Shelley is relegated to the background while her fictional creation and her husband go about being macho. Percy and Mary are so out of character that I couldn't finish the book.
Where Dwyer carefully looks at the elements of Mary Shelley's life that could have come together to inspire Frankenstein. Ackroyd's book though focuses not on Mary Shelley. Instead the two main characters are Victor Frankenstein and his school chum Percy Shelley. Excuse me while I mutter to myself an scratch my head. Except for marriage and the encouragement of one spouse for another, what exactly does the poet have to do with his wife's novel?
I got about one hundred pages into this book before the misogyny got too much for me. Mary Shelley is relegated to the background while her fictional creation and her husband go about being macho. Percy and Mary are so out of character that I couldn't finish the book.
A semi good but also bizarre plot twist, that I can't tell if I enjoyed or not.
This whole book was a tad confusing, I found it lacked a coherent flow and it was just painful to read
This whole book was a tad confusing, I found it lacked a coherent flow and it was just painful to read
Stale writing, boring characters. Didn't seem to add anything interesting to Shelley's book, except for downgrading Victor's character and accomplishments.