Frankenstein
Ratings1,548
Average rating3.9
I loved this book. I especially liked its format and will look for some more books written by Mary Shelley. It still baffles me how she was able to write this when she was only nineteen.
If you respect the Classics, and like Gothic stories then this book is perfect. The time era is honestly beautiful in my opinion, and I gladly added this to my Classic bookshelf.
I did not like this novel. The language was way too flowery, making the book cumbersome and tiring. The plot is great and there's so much to analyze which makes me deliriously happy as a literary nerd, but it comes with the cost of having to read through paragraphs of absolute word vomit.
Mary Shelley is an impeccable writer. A tormented man blessed with life and a tormented monster cursed with life, who is more human?
3.85
Keep in mind, this was a first read-through. I'll probably reread it later in life and enjoy it more. It took me a while to get through the book - not necessarily bc Frankenstein is super boring (although it did have its moments - giving background info, setting a scene, etc) but you have to be in the right mindset to really enjoy the book.
For anyone not familiar with the Frankenstein story, I'll try not to spoil too much but read at your own discretion
♦ Victor is 100% a narcissist and loves his family and best friend as much as he possibly can.
» That was another thing that threw me off for a bit! Since the families used to arrange marriages and stuff, people - specifically guys - would create these super close bonds - they're basically brothers. So the way that they talk about each other is kind of romantic bc the language at this time was kind of extra. Don't get me wrong it's pretty, but if you're not expecting it, it's weird.
» It's funny how little people have changed tho... After making his creation come to life (and realizing what he had actually done), he decided to just go to bed and hope that his problems would go away... and then only when he absolutely HAD to did he deal with it. I feel like we as a society do this all the time and I'm fairly confident that Mary wrote her characters in certain ways based on other people and what she saw but I could be wrong.
♦ The Creature was a super gentle being! (If a little grotesque and 8 FEET TALL - still cant get over how he just walked out of a college one day - IN THE LITERAL MORNING - and NOBODY noticed anything strange!) He just needed a friend... Like Victor at college.... and Walton...
You don't understand how intricate this book was! It was crazy - layer upon layer upon layer! And it would never stand up in court bc it's literal letters... so it went a little something like this:
sometimes the Creature
Now, I still have a few questions about the book, but my biggest one: What about Earnst??? What happened to him? This poor middle-child kept getting forgotten in the storyline and I'm just- where did he go?
2,5 stars
J'apprécie les éléments avant-gardistes qui ont été apportés dans l'univers littéraire grâce à la publication de ce livre et qui sont maintenant des éléments courant utilisés dans la litterature. Mais côté appréciation de ma lecture, je n'ai pas particulierement apprécier le moment passé à lire ce livre.
Le personnage principal est insupportable et je n'ai aucune compassion pour lui et j'ai trouvé que l'histoire avait beaucoup de longueurs(il est vrai que je lis très peu de classiques et/ou livres qui ont été publié dans un siècle différent de celui dans lequel nous sommes).
Les points positifs:
Ce livre est un excellent “conversation starter” et il ouvre la porte à de nombreux débats et discussion sur divers sujets. Pour cette raison il est encore très actuel au niveau des sujets abordés(c'est pourquoi je comprends son statut de classique).
Apprendre à quoi ressemble la version originale du monstre de Frankenstein vs ce que la culture populaire a conservé du texte original était très intéressant et ça m'a fait me poser des questions sur d'autres histoires et/ou personnages dont je crois connaître l'apparence ou les caractéristiques et qui pourraient s'avérer bien differents dans leur version originale.
L'ambiance gothique était également excellente.
Read for school and glad I did. Would not have seemed out independently but this good is great and representsa lot of interesting themes that reflect Shelley's enlightened society.
Really hated Frankenstein himself, found him full of nothing but complaints and laments for only himself, even his sections have a lower level of interest in its writing style and storyline. But what really redeems it is the Monster's perspective and the life that he lives in the middle section of the book, so much more engaging and makes for a better character overall.
His section is easily a 5, Frankenstein himself scrapes in a 3 so my raring seems fair. Maybe because of the dull melancholy that surrounds it, it makes the Monster's story see better than it is but I really liked it and wish it took up more of the novel, even though I admit it's structure makes sense the way it is despite how much I dislike the protagonist and the ways he narrates his world.
Still good, but alike many other school books, the concept and themes are far more interesting than the physical pages of the novel, which forces you to acknowledge its depth and greatness as a romantic gothic classic of the 1800s.
Me encantó, te hace pensar mucho, odiar a los humanos, encariñarte de otros, es bastante triste también, la versión comercial de Frankenstein no tiene nada que ver. Todos los actos tienen consecuencias, no puedo empatizar con Victor porque todo el sufrimiento que vive es simple y llanamente su culpa, las únicas víctimas son sus familiares que se vieron envueltos en la irresponsabilidad de él.
Al monstruo lo quiero mucho, nunca me harán odiarlo, es incomprendido, fue abandonado y desilusionado por la sociedad.
Summary: This gothic novel by Mary Shelley is a classic work of science fiction. In the book, Victor Frankenstein sets out to create life, but, once he does, he creates troubles for himself and others that he never could have imagined. Be ready, though, to have the way that you have seen Frankenstein’s monster portrayed in popular media challenged; the book will leave you questioning who the true villain of the story is.
I don’t know why this book says it is two authors because we all know that’s not true. As far as the book goes. It was great story with an absolute great tragedy. I really enjoyed it but did have a tough time with the old world English. Great literary classic.
A good classic book written in the 1800's by Mary Shelly. It explores questions about secrecy, knowledge, ambition, and monstrosities. While reading this book, one needs to question who is really the monster; the creature or the creator/humanity? Also, ask how far one can be pushed and ostracized before they crack and do horrible things to those around them.
It is a book that should be read by everyone and explore the questions asked.
I was lowkey so sad when Victor tore down the partner he made for the creature, they would've been adorable together :(
Una obra profundamente romántica, con una perfecta representación de la naturaleza humana, el contraste entre el bien y el mal. Se muestra la evolución de Victor Fankenstein, pasando de la ambición hasta la desesperación y la locura. Además de los sentimientos de su “monstruosa” creación, tan humanos, pero despreciados por su apariencia.
Todo se envuelve en un aura de melancolía, solemnidad, y oscuridad, con paisajes grises, tempestuosos, representación del alma humana ante lo infinito y lo sublime.
5 Sterne für den Anfang, aber irgendwann wird es leider ziemlich zäh.
Schöner, poetischer Schreibstil :)
Victor Frankenstein: Human Disaster.
But seriously, read this as a black comedy and (other than any time the Monster is speaking and being Sad™) you'll have a good time.