Frankenstein

Yes there are symbolic layers and brilliant remixes of mythic stories, examinations of friendship and nature and loneliness and (I only got this last one from the analysis included at the end of the book) fear of sex, but I gotta say, I did not expect this book to have one of the most modern protagonists in all of fiction.

It took me about 3/4 of the book to see the cleverly concealed narcissism of Victor Frankenstein and then it was all I could see.

His manipulation manifests as a constant state of trauma that makes him conveniently incapable of questioning his own beliefs. He spends the entire book crying genuine tears over the burden he's bearing for the people around him while simultaneously never actually doing anything anyone asks of him - you lose count of how many times he takes a few months off to emotionally recover from the latest terrible event that he is mostly to blame for.

And because he is charming and eloquent and wears his heart on his sleeve - plus constantly suffering depression over the trauma he has endured - he endears himself to everyone while being nothing but a burden on them, dragging them all down before finishing off with himself.

Can't believe I haven't seen more of this type of character.