A review by tuesdayswithregan
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

If you’re looking for a book that describes a descent into madness (or you’re just looking for a book to help with your AP lit exam), I highly recommend this book.

I find it pretty ironic that the “Frankenstein” we are most familiar with today is given to the creature, while the original book follows the main character- a human named Victor Frankenstein. I think it shows that we all have the potential to be monsters of our own. Because in a sense, Victor can be seen as a monster. Though, I see him more as a product of his own failure.

Mary Shelley does a wonderful job of incorporating society and societal expectations into the book, enough that it makes you realize that the world we see today is no different. Beauty is a theme brought up within the book quite a lot, and the book analyzes the full spectrum of beauty.
The creature’s request for Victor to create a woman as ugly as him shows that only someone who feels or is the exact same as you can love you… Freudianism? In my book?


Nonetheless, this was a wonderful read. The unreliability of Victor as a narrator might seem vague, but the story does no secret of revealing his bias.
You’re unsure of if even Victor’s recount of his encounter with the creature on the mountain is biased or the truth.
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