A review by allymute
Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVia for the galley! Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein is a slow novel that explores the inspiration behind Mary Shelley's famous work. There are two timelines; one in 1816 on the famous Switzerland excursion, and 1812 Scotland, where she forms an intimate friendship with family acquaintance Isabella. Eekhout explores how grief, the supernatural, and heartbreak help inspire one of the most important science fiction novels of all time. All though the novel becomes a tad repetitive in its second half, Eekhout's voice and Watkinson's translation pay a notable homage to the forever iconic Goth.