Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

In this all-time classic of gothic horror, the mad Dr. Frankenstein, ina bid to discover the mysteries of life and death, creates a hulking, tragic monster of indescribable beastly ugliness--a nightmarish creature birthed up from the darkest realms of the human soul. But, is this monstrous revenant of the charnel house really, truly, evil? Articulate, passionate, wanting only the love and acceptance owed to us all, he wanders the wastelands of bleak, Northern Europe, seeking only Frankenstein, his 'father", in a bid for the warmth and human companionship he feels he is owed. Alas, denied this, he proclaims, boldly, "If I cannot inspire love, I WILL INSPIRE FEAR." For two hundred years, this immortal saga of mystery and tragedy, good and evil, life and death, has thrilled readers, and has been adapted into countless plays, films, comics, games, and other media. Come, tour the creaking castles and icy, frost-choked forests of the old world, in search of monsters, mystery, and more.

Reviewed by lyx on

3 of 5 stars

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3.5 stars

I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
I know neither of the main characters are meant to be likeable, but I had to force myself to get through the pages sometimes, utterly annoyed by the Creatures black-and-white thinking and rage-fueled ramblings, and Frankensteins lack of attempt to even try to detain the Creature or prevent it from harming the people he cares about, or anyone else (still #teamfrankestein tho).
It is beautifully written and does discuss or rather lead to discussions about humanity, nature vs nurture, alienation, societal prejudice, etc. and I appreciate it for that and for being one of the first and/or most renowned works of "horror"/genre fiction to do so (I really wouldn't call this a horror novel in any sense, but well it is typically regarded as such). The story itself and a lot of the twists and turns were just.. predictable? Still, I understand why this classic is so beloved, it might just not be for me. In the end, I'm far more interested in the thoughts and discussions it provides and encourages than the story itself, which certainly isn't a bad thing, but I would have liked to love it more.

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  • Started reading
  • 28 November, 2021: Finished reading
  • 28 November, 2021: Reviewed