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

dark slow-paced

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

3.5

 I picked this up for my module on gothic fiction and went into this without knowing what to expect. It’s one of my friends favourite classics and so I went into this with high hopes. I was not disappointed in the slightest. Shelley’s craft is simply magnetic and the way that she engages with gothic themes is one of the highlights of this book. She involves passion in her writing and the secrets of the mind is heavily explored to the point where repression is a key theme. Victor’s relationship with the monster is shocking and seeks to show all taboos of this period. Can we as humans give into our deepest of desires, Shelley seeks to show that we cannot. An easy three star read.