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A review by hangsangareader
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
New favorite. This book is so well written! The themes and the writing make this novel so enjoyable.
Frankenstein is Mary Shelley's masterpiece of horror, gothic, and sci-fi. It is a difficult book to place comfortably within one genre, as it is unique and mixes different elements. We can be sure that it is an epistolary novel.
From the POV of a north-pole explorer, Robert Walton, we are told the story of Victor Frankenstein and his magnific and wretched achievement. We have a three-frame narrative about the consequences of Frankenstein's experiments: Walton's letters, Frankenstein's story, and the creature's story. All are beautifully sandwiched - which speaks to Mary's excellent writing.
Victor Frankenstein is our main character, and the book is mainly told from his POV - through Walton. We are shown his evolution from a hubris-infused scientist to a more humble person. Still, he failed from the beginning in his most important task - to "parent" his creation. Victor's actions drive the plot, and even though he is an empathic individual, he annoyed me to no end when he could not see the humanity in his "dæmon."
The other main character is the creature, who becomes a monster but only does so in total despair. Listening to his testimony, I saw no monster but an incredibly human creature. Something Frankenstein fails to see.
Mary Shelley's writing style is easy to follow and still incredibly beautiful; she often repeats keywords like wretched. Still, her descriptions of nature place her precisely in the period of literature she lived in and read from - romanticism.
The layers of meaning in this novel make it so enjoyable. The question of creation, motherhood, and the feminine in science - a somewhat feminist book, ahead of its time. Human justice and how it fails. Hubris and its consequences. There is much to explore—the insatiable pursuit of knowledge for knowledge's sake and accolades rather than improving others' lives. Humanity and love permeate the revised version of the story. Because there is a first edition that the author herself changed, that version would be interesting to read and compare.
I intend to learn more about the book, the author, and the context. And watch some of the adaptations and the choices made in them. How does such an eloquent creature become the monster from someone's nightmares?
Frankenstein is Mary Shelley's masterpiece of horror, gothic, and sci-fi. It is a difficult book to place comfortably within one genre, as it is unique and mixes different elements. We can be sure that it is an epistolary novel.
From the POV of a north-pole explorer, Robert Walton, we are told the story of Victor Frankenstein and his magnific and wretched achievement. We have a three-frame narrative about the consequences of Frankenstein's experiments: Walton's letters, Frankenstein's story, and the creature's story. All are beautifully sandwiched - which speaks to Mary's excellent writing.
Victor Frankenstein is our main character, and the book is mainly told from his POV - through Walton. We are shown his evolution from a hubris-infused scientist to a more humble person. Still, he failed from the beginning in his most important task - to "parent" his creation. Victor's actions drive the plot, and even though he is an empathic individual, he annoyed me to no end when he could not see the humanity in his "dæmon."
The other main character is the creature, who becomes a monster but only does so in total despair. Listening to his testimony, I saw no monster but an incredibly human creature. Something Frankenstein fails to see.
Mary Shelley's writing style is easy to follow and still incredibly beautiful; she often repeats keywords like wretched. Still, her descriptions of nature place her precisely in the period of literature she lived in and read from - romanticism.
The layers of meaning in this novel make it so enjoyable. The question of creation, motherhood, and the feminine in science - a somewhat feminist book, ahead of its time. Human justice and how it fails. Hubris and its consequences. There is much to explore—the insatiable pursuit of knowledge for knowledge's sake and accolades rather than improving others' lives. Humanity and love permeate the revised version of the story. Because there is a first edition that the author herself changed, that version would be interesting to read and compare.
I intend to learn more about the book, the author, and the context. And watch some of the adaptations and the choices made in them. How does such an eloquent creature become the monster from someone's nightmares?