Frankenstein
Ratings1,477
Average rating3.8
Story : Well, the story is not very interesting: a dude creates a monster and has to stop it from doing bad things, but the characters really bring this story to life. I like how it is told and the jumps between past and present.
Characters : Yeah, I love all of them. Frankenstein is an inteligent person who wants to create revolutionary stuff, but when he acknowledges that he created a monster, he decides to stop it. Contrary, the monster is a very likable person who only wanted to do good things for people, but when he is treated like trash, he starts to hurt people, especially his creator. I felt so sorry for him and I understand why he did what he did... poor fella.
Overall : I was lucky to get the Deluxe version of this book (kinda), which is filled with illustrations and fun facts, so every time I read a page, I kinda saw the summary in one drawing... so beautiful and scary! Great story about wanting to be human... I just want to hug Frankenstein's creation.
This book was actually deep? And not scary at all? Talk about a plot twist. Didn't expect that at all.
Spoilers and Rant/analysis
The beginning was confusing and annoying (didn't like Victor) but the ending was amazing! Both the characters existed because of each other and were constantly at a war with themselves and with each other. I loved the story but didn't like any characters
It's a shame I could never get around to reading this - because this is a masterpiece, in the truest sense of the word.
All of us know the gist, as Frankenstein's monster is a huge part of popular culture - Victor Frankenstein, a committed science student, discovers the secret of ‘animation' - the process by which life is injected into a body. He then attempts to create a sentient creature, and does so - but repulsed at his own creation, he deserts the creature. What happens in the novel is simply repercussions for the same.
But what really made the novel work was its maddeningly beautiful prose, and the sheer tragedy of the villain, Frankenstein's monster. Deprived of human affection due to his monstrous appearance, you feel for him, even though your sympathies are strongly tested. But Shelley's command of the language is unparalleled - you can visualize the downfall of both Victor and his creation, and it is just heart-rending to witness.
Another striking thing about the novel is the pacing - it is simultaneously beautiful and wretched to witness. It is an exercise in futility to think of all the ‘what-ifs', alluded so casually by Shelley at numerous parts of the novel. In fact, at some point, you just have to stop to take a deep breath, because it is so pulse-pounding.
I was thinking Frankenstein would be another one of those ‘classics', solely read because it's on all of those ‘best of all time' and ‘trope creator' lists. I will gladly admit though, that I have never been more glad to be proven so wrong.
it was really good! the format of this book is so interesting (the fact that they're all letters), and really well done - i don't know if i've ever seen a book written that way before?
its SO different from what i've heard or experienced from frankenstein, and i liked that! really great characterization of the monster, and even dr. frankenstein, and a really cool look into the culture and world at the time.
overall i really dug this and this should definitely be on more summer reading lists!
I'm on monster's side. The little shit deserved to die, and Frankenstein deserved to live without a loved one, just as he condemned his creation to live without love.
And having stood on ice for weeks and knowing that they will certainly be dead unless they return, and then tell them they are cowards and should continue... what an arse! No, I do not consider Frankenstein in any way a good man, or having any noble qualities. He should have blamed himself and sacrificed himself to live with his creation and be a father to his son, instead of deeming him evil just because he looked horrible. HE didn't create himself!
Re-reading this with students in an English class.
Is it just because I'm middle-aged that teen Mary Shelley's MC Victor seems TSTL? Come on, dude: you've got every advantage, yet keep walking into the metaphorical dark alley because you won't trust the DOZENS of people who love you? And then you abandon Ernst?? Probably my strong reaction just connects to messages Shelley wanted me to get loud and clear...but what an annoying main character! The second time through, my sympathies are much more firmly with Victor's creation than Victor.
I'm also annoyed that this book barely passes the Bechdel test of having two women talk to each other about something other than a man (Don't Justine and Elizabeth have, like, 2 sentences to say to each other in the prison?). But, I am also annoyed on behalf of Mary Shelley that her teen-aged work of genius was produced in a context that shaped it into a work that barely passes the Bechdel test... I'm cheering for you, nineteenth-century proto-feminists!
Reading this the second time, I'm still impressed at Mary Shelley's achievement. My students (generally around 17-y-olds) found lots of things to talk about in this book–we read it alongside selections of Paradise Lost, so lots of good class discussions there about all sorts of things (theology & religion, gender & power, etc.).
A good book-club read so you can hash out with your friends all the things that are going on with family, nature, Romanticism, the relationship of the artist/creator to the creation, what makes us human, etc. And can hate on Victor for being dumb. Just sayin'.
I can't imagine there's much left to say about Frankenstein that hasn't already been said elsewhere, so I won't go on too much.
When I first read Frankenstein as a teenager I thought the language was quite stilted, and though I appreciated the story at the heart of the book I found the text difficult to concentrate on. In contrast, on this read through, I was blown away by how beautifully written this book is and I wanted Shelley's prose to go on forever. Such is the difference between adult and teen, I guess.
Despite being two hundred years old and having been done to death in countless retellings, the sad story of Frankenstein and his monster still comes across as somehow modern and fresh. It does not suffer from the tedium that accompanies so many books of the early eighteen hundreds, and remains a relevant cautionary tale for this day and age.
This book is a true classic that has resoundingly withstood the test of time, and I loved every minute of it.
I absolutely despise Victor Frankenstein and I feel he deserved all of his torture. While I feel bad for the innocent people who were killed, the agony it caused Frankenstein was justly deserved. I feel so terrible for his creation and I genuinely wish that it had found love and friendship. This was an incredibly exciting read and definitely a favorite!
For my classic read of the month I wanted something for Halloween. Of all the movies I've seen with Frankenstein in the title-None of them followed the book too well. No Igor or use of electricity in the book. Just 3 pages to describe the giving of life to the monster. Sentence structure was difficult at times but I know this was written in the early 1800s. This was still a good read! David N.
After my last run in with a renowned classic (ahem, [b:The Scarlet Letter 12296 The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1404810944s/12296.jpg 4925227]), I was a little worried about this one. However, I loved this book. I practically read it in a single day and could hardly put it down through the last 100 pages- which was over half of the book. This book kept me on edge and was so wonderfully well-written. I would certainly consider re-reading this.The characters are splendid. As the novel's main point, they had to be splendid. I felt things for both Frankenstein and his monster and I commend the author for eliciting sympathy from both sides of the combat. In addition, the relationships present in the novel are strong and enduring- they never felt cheesy nor insubstantial. Each character was fascinating in its own way; however I do wish there was a bit more individuality from the female characters. Each woman seemed very similar, which was incredibly disappointing since this novel was written by the daughter of a known feminist of the time. With that said, that was my only complaint with the novel.The emotions this novel evokes are heart-wrenching and true. I recommend this book to anyone interested in classics and, truly, to all people, for it explores humanity in a brilliant manner.
Admittedly, in certain parts of the novel Frankenstein can ramble a little repetitively and sometimes the story is oppressed with an overly melodramatic tone but over all I really enjoyed this story. Unlike the Hollywood counterpart this story is very different. Frankenstein (the creator not the monster) is found and saved by adventurer Robert Walton and through this framed narrative we learn of Frankenstein's creation and the horrible fate that envelopes Frankenstein in the consequences of such a creation. I love the conflicted nature of the narrative and how at the end of the book you are conflicted about who the monster really was. I loved the depth given to the character of the monster and the strong themes within the novel of Religion, Philosophy and Science as well as Revenge and Ownership. This book was dark but utterly enthralling and intoxicating. This book certainly deserves a re read in the future to glean the most from Shelley's impressive storytelling! A pleasant surprise to read. A 4 and a half star read!
This book is really slow paced. I really enjoyed the concepts and the craft of the story itself but I did not like the pacing at all. For a relatively short book, it dragged on and on. Overall I enjoyed it but I wish the pacing didn't feel so sluggish.
There is so much to admire about this book...the dynamic vocabulary...the structure of a story within a story within a story...the sadness of the disappointment and eventual horror of creating a disappointed and eventually desperately sad being...the resonating depth of the implications of creation...a brilliant work.
The story is of a man on boat, Walton, in the cold regions of the world who comes upon a man by the name of Frankenstein who is almost frozen; Walton rescues Frankenstein, and the two develop a friendship based on their common interest in the powers of science. Frankenstein begins to tell Walton his story as a cautionary tale, and the full horrors that are potentially in creation are revealed in Frankenstein's story of how he made a human and how his creation went awry.
The final takeaway from this book is that of all good stories: this story keeps you thinking about the implications of the story for many days after you have finished reading the book.
As many others, I was already familiar with Frankenstein in pop-culture, but I didn't really know what to expect going into the novel itself. I was pleasantly surprised. The book is immensely sad and tragic, much more complex and philosophical than the standard tropes would lead one to believe. The language is a little hard to read, but after a few pages, I became accustomed to it.
Executive Summary: There were a few parts I thought were interesting, but overall this one just wasn't for me.
Full Review
Frankenstein permeates our culture. I think I've seen the movie before, but it's hard to remember for certain. You just feel like you know the story already even if you've never read the book.
The book was certainly different than I expected though. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I'm sure someone who studies literature could explain why the book has what I consider by current books to be a very strange and unnecessary framing device. I don't care about the guy who traveled north and is writing letters to his sister. I just don't.
Then again, I really didn't care for Frankenstein either. Maybe that's the point of the book? Who's the real monster or something? I don't know, I just know that despite how short the book was, it took me a very long time to get through the whole thing.
The highlight for me was some of the early chapters told from the creature's POV. It makes them much more sympathetic despite the horror of their later actions. Could all of this have been prevented if Frankenstein had simply been a better man?
I'll leave the dissection and discussion to others however. At this point I'm simply happy to be moving on.
This is a pretty nerdy book. I could have gotten any number of free Project Gutenberg editions of Frankenstein, but I had a dilemma over whether to read the 1818 or the 1831 edition. Annotated versions solve the problem! Included with the 1818 text are several articles on cultural impact, annotations that help you experience both the texts and the changes Shelley made in between, as well as tons of notes fearlessly attempting to explain away plot holes.
I'd never actually read Frankenstein before this, and this might not be the best way to experience it as a first read, but I still enjoyed the process. It seems silly to review the actual story because what could I add to the other two centuries of criticism? That said, one of the forewards writes of Frankenstein as a modern myth in line with Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. When you say “Frankenstein,” people know what you mean even if you've never touched the book. So it's surprising how different the story is from the myth that has been passed down the last few centuries. It's a story I'm glad I finally read, and an edition that does justice to author and the story.
Bonus: Klinger is clearly a big fan of Young Frankenstein and one of the appendices is an interview with Mel Brooks.
It's hard to know what to say about Frankenstein...like I'm glad it launched science fiction as a genre and Frankenberry as a cereal. I applaud the innovation but didn't love the experience of reading it in 2017 (tho I loved the spirited book club discussion it prompted).
as we summarized at book club...Frankenstein, OR, The Modern Prometheus, OR, TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH VICTOR.
For the 1818 edition
Utterly unlike later media reproductions, this is a finely crafted work that plays with the emotions, sings of the beauty of nature, the joy of discovery and understanding, and the horrors of obsession and vengeance.
This book is both wonderful and terrifying, a true classic.
So glad I finally had a chance to read this classic. It was amazing! Just not as scary as I was assuming it would be.