Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

frankenstein What’s it about?

The Uncensored 1818 Edition FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, a novel written by the English author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley about the young science student Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment.

 

 

 

My thoughts

Forget everything you think know about the story of Frankenstein and his monster because this is nothing like what you’ll expect it to be….it was nothing like I expected it to be.  I thought I’d be getting a horror movie in a book and what I actually got was something far more genteel.  In some ways I’m glad I didn’t get blood, guts and gore as I don’t like horror movies etc but I thought I might be a little scared or apprehensive but nope, nothing.

I found Victor to be a very highly strung character and somewhat annoying, which didn’t help me to feel sympathetic towards him in his tortured moments (mentally that is….remember no real blood and guts here).  I mean….he creates this ‘monster’, the act of which is skirted over (probably wise considering the era and the questions that in itself would raise) and then proceeds to let it loose and abandon it because it was horrifcally ugly and larger than a normal human….what the hell did he expect? What did he think he was doing and what the result was going to be from procurring body parts from a cemetery?  It was never going to Miss World! 😉

Don’t get me wrong, it does have that dark gothic Interview with a Vampire hiding in shadows feel to it and the language although very of its time is easier to follow than I anticpated but unfortunately it just doesn’t live up to the hype that the movie makers have made of it.  I do appreciate that this isn’t the fault of the book but nonetheless it disappointed me.

Overall my sympathies lay with the monster, this eloquently spoken horrific being who at the end of the day just wanted a friend, a mate of his own kind and isn’t that just what any of us wants!

What did you think of this book? Is there anyone else who hasn’t read it?

Book links: Goodreads | Amazon

Learn more about Mary Shelley here

Talk of the Town

 

19 thoughts on “Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley”

  1. kecoles says:
    Reply

    Reading’s so subjective, isn’t it? I loved the book and thought it much better than the films. Of course, they’re so totally different you can’t really compare them. It’s a tragedy rather than horror story. Victor’s ruthless ambition rides roughshod over everyone around him, and then he shirks his responsibility for the chaos he’s created. Like you, my sympathies lay with the poor monster. I think perhaps it’s a salutary tale of the dangers of ruthless personal ambition.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. kathleenjowitt says:
    Reply

    I haven’t read Frankenstein for years – the last time was part of a module on the Gothic in my second year at university, so very little has stuck with me. Have you heard the old gag:

    Knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein wasn’t the monster
    Wisdom is knowing that Frankenstein *was* the monster

    …?

    Liked by 1 person

  7. RaisieBay says:
    Reply

    I’ve read it as part of a course and I actually enjoyed it despite it being nothing like the old horror movies. I too had sympathy for the monster rather than the horrid Frankenstein.

    Liked by 1 person

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