Book –Frankenstein

Book –Frankenstein 

Author :  Mary Shelley 

Score: 8/10

Year: (1818) original ; revised text (1831) ; 2000  (this edition)

Publisher:  Bedford/ St. Martin's 
Series : Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism

ISBN 0-333-91438-4

Pages 470 (novel 28-189) 

Language: English

Robert Walton's letters to his sister, Margaret Saville tell the extraordinary tales as told to him by Victor Frankenstein. These tales start when Victor's parents met,  but quickly turns to focus on his education and fleeting interests. He becomes obsessed with discovering the cause of degenration, and wishes to prolong human lifespan by countering the natural decay of our bodies. He assembles a humanoid from body parts he gathers, only to be repulsed by his creation, a never-named monster. Victor accounts for all the havoc and ill-fortune that his obsessions caused. 


The novel follows several protagonists, focusing on 3 viewspoints : that of Robert Walton, that of Victor Frankenstein and the monster's. Each has a unique but partial knowledge of events and each of these reflect and share their thoughts to a third party. 

There are sociopolitical commentaries, which are somewhat ambiguous, pertaining to education, and scientific knowledge, as well as classes, and especially to careless obsessions and to nurture. 

I'd planed to read this story for a very long time, but feared that it'd a difficult read, so I'd postponed it indeffinately. I was aware that it's a litterary classic and so, I decided to take a small break in reading Tolkien's book of lost tales 2, between stories. 

I knew that Frankentein had been initially published in 1818 and wished to read it, like a geek, in the 200th anniversary year. I borrowed it in a university library and set to the task, and after I finished the story, went to read the introductions. I found out that the text used for it was from the third edition from 1831, as Mary Shelley reworked her tale and so, I mised out on reading the original, which she' d started writing when she was only 18. 

Frankenstein is a Gothic thriller, a cautionary tale about the dangers of science - through Victor's obessions, first reading obsolete scientific manuals, second from his monstrous creation, and third, I'd add, from the way that he tries to evade that which he made up. He trully created his bad luck, and cost a lot to those around him, through his actions. 

In the subtext, there are also socio-cultural comments, about classes, fears and raises disturbing questions about the nature of life and one's place in society.

The monster, my wife told me, is portrated to be mindless and utters no word in most film adaptations ; in this original written form, not only he utters words, he does so very eloquently. He's super-sensitive, self-taught and very smart. His isolation and feeling rejected by the world can speak to anyone who suffered a marginal viewpoint ; this creature is trully hideous and repulses everyone who sees him, even his own creator, Victor Frankenstein ; some faint, some run away, everyone shuns his very presence and so, I can relate to some of his yearnings of a peaceful life, shared with others who are like him, in a remote area where those who abhore him wouldn't have to deal with him. But, things are a bit more complex,  as one reads this novel.

I like its flowery prose, and found that, afterall, it was mostly a flowing read ; there were a few tougher moments for me, but Mary Shelley never dwelled on these portions, pertaining to the way that Frankenstein procured the body parts for his creation, and later on, about hunted animals to eat. 

Overall, this horror classic must be read at least once in one's life. I have now done so, and shall reserve another review for the essay part of this book, once I read it.