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A review by authorlisaard
This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
4.0
It's no small task to write a prequel to a classic. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has such big themes that capture the age it was written in. So I was skeptical of 'This Dark Endeavor'...I read it with very high expectations.
Victor Frankenstein is 16 years old when he discovers a secret alchemy library in his family's chateau on the edge of Lake Geneva. With his twin brother Konrad, cousin Elizabeth and friend Henry, he seeks to discover its mysteries. When Konrad falls deathly ill, only the library's recipe for the elixir of life holds the promise of his survival. Throughout the quest for the elixir's ingredients, author Kenneth Oppel portrays Victor as a pompous, ambitious and self-absorbed young man -- in line with Mary Shelley's older version. In my opinion the premonitions (of actions that occur in Shelley's Frankenstein) do not strengthen the story but rather try to create a false tie or perhaps test the reader of their Frankenstein knowledge.
The beginning of the novel does not engage the larger themes in Shelley's Frankenstein, but wait...once the love triangle between Konrad, Elizabeth and Victor emerges, the book takes on more interest, the pacing quickens and stronger themes develop. Secrecy, revenge, love, jealousy all play a part. The conflict between science, faith and magic becomes more prevalent. This Dark Endeavor builds to a satisfying climax, with interesting twists.
Victor Frankenstein is 16 years old when he discovers a secret alchemy library in his family's chateau on the edge of Lake Geneva. With his twin brother Konrad, cousin Elizabeth and friend Henry, he seeks to discover its mysteries. When Konrad falls deathly ill, only the library's recipe for the elixir of life holds the promise of his survival. Throughout the quest for the elixir's ingredients, author Kenneth Oppel portrays Victor as a pompous, ambitious and self-absorbed young man -- in line with Mary Shelley's older version. In my opinion the premonitions (of actions that occur in Shelley's Frankenstein) do not strengthen the story but rather try to create a false tie or perhaps test the reader of their Frankenstein knowledge.
The beginning of the novel does not engage the larger themes in Shelley's Frankenstein, but wait...once the love triangle between Konrad, Elizabeth and Victor emerges, the book takes on more interest, the pacing quickens and stronger themes develop. Secrecy, revenge, love, jealousy all play a part. The conflict between science, faith and magic becomes more prevalent. This Dark Endeavor builds to a satisfying climax, with interesting twists.