Scan barcode
A review by amythebookworm
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
A little disappointing.
For the last 5 years my dad has been endlessly recommending this book to me. I always ask his advice for classics to read. And, obviously, I have only just got around to reading it.
Having done a little research on the book, I was really excited to read it.
Mary Shelley was a romantic writer from the early 1800s and she was just 18 when she wrote Frankenstein (or The Modern Promethus), after being challenged by Lord Byron along with Percey Shelley to create the scariest story.
The book's title, contrary to popular belief, names the main character Dr Victor Frankenstein rather than the anonymous monster. The story follows Frankenstein on his quest to impart life into a body, which he painstakingly creates from dead plants and animals, and then electricutes it into existence. He is appalled and runs away. What follows is a chilling pursuet between the pair.
And I wasn't just intrigued by the plot, I was also curious in a literary sense. The book is filled with references to the Greek myth, Promethus and it has many links to the personal trauma of Mary, which added another level of interest for me.
However, despite excitement I failed to get past the first 50 pages, simply because I found the 19th century language to difficult to understand. I am disappointed with myself for not pushing through but I haven't really been in the mood for a challenge anyway. I dare say, that I'll try again in the future, but for the moment Frankenstein stays firmly on the shelf.
Follow @amythebookworm for more insightful reviews
For the last 5 years my dad has been endlessly recommending this book to me. I always ask his advice for classics to read. And, obviously, I have only just got around to reading it.
Having done a little research on the book, I was really excited to read it.
Mary Shelley was a romantic writer from the early 1800s and she was just 18 when she wrote Frankenstein (or The Modern Promethus), after being challenged by Lord Byron along with Percey Shelley to create the scariest story.
The book's title, contrary to popular belief, names the main character Dr Victor Frankenstein rather than the anonymous monster. The story follows Frankenstein on his quest to impart life into a body, which he painstakingly creates from dead plants and animals, and then electricutes it into existence. He is appalled and runs away. What follows is a chilling pursuet between the pair.
And I wasn't just intrigued by the plot, I was also curious in a literary sense. The book is filled with references to the Greek myth, Promethus and it has many links to the personal trauma of Mary, which added another level of interest for me.
However, despite excitement I failed to get past the first 50 pages, simply because I found the 19th century language to difficult to understand. I am disappointed with myself for not pushing through but I haven't really been in the mood for a challenge anyway. I dare say, that I'll try again in the future, but for the moment Frankenstein stays firmly on the shelf.
Follow @amythebookworm for more insightful reviews