Frankenstein

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Summary: Not a horror story, but rather, a tragedy
Review: The Frankenstein monster is truly one of the most tragic characters in classic literature. He is obviously quite brilliant, having learned to speak (rather eloquently, I might add), and to read simply by secretly watching others. He's sensitive, kind, and appreciative of nature's beauty-all of the most admirable characteristics of a wonderful soul. And yet, he is vilified by all who come in contact with him because of his physical repulsiveness.

His longing for love, especially from Victor, was so painful that it became difficult for me to read. I kept hoping he'd find someone to show him the littlest bit of kindness. His turn to violence is entirely understandable, and Victor's irresponsibility toward his creation is despicable. Victor, who is outwardly handsome but cowardly and cruel, is the story's true monster.

In addition to writing a captivating story, Shelley raises many social issues that are still relevant today, nearly 200 years later, and the book provides a superb argument against *ever* cloning a human being.

(Note: I have the edition with the marvelous woodcut illustrations by Barry Moser and the Joyce Carol Oates afterword - superb!)

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Summary: What is the Monster Really Like?
Review: I enjoyed reading Frankenstein, but it wasn't at all what I expected. I had all these horrific images in my head about some terrible, ugly monster. Mary Shelley does not provide her readers with a descriptive image of what the monster truly looks like. As I read this novel, my imagination ran free. As different stories were told, and different emotions were expressed, the images and thoughts in my head of the monster changed. The general theme conveyed is that Victor Frankenstein has to deal with the consequences of his creation. He was so eager to creat life and a god-like figure, but once it was complete, he was disgusted. He did not want to deal with his creation, nor have any relation to it. Ultimately, Victor became his creature's slave. Victor Frankenstein had to deal with many losses and hardships, but he stayed strong till the end. At the end, the monster narrates his side of the story and after completing his "job" he disappears and goes back to being on his own. Although the book started off a bit slow, it picked up and kept my interest until the end. I would recommend reading this book, especially to those who have seen the movie because the book leaves more to the imagination and can be interpreted in many different ways.

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Summary: It's still good!
Review: Frankenstein is a horror classic that no matter how many times you read the story...it's still good!

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Summary: Man is not God
Review: Forget the Frankenstein from the movies and come read the real story of a man, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who is a brilliant scientist with an obsession: play to be God, creating a living human being all by himself. God punishes him: when the creature wakes up to life, he turns out to be a horrible monster. Frankenstein is terrified and rejects his creation.

And here's where the Gothic tale becomes a true literary work of art. What follows is the tragedy of a creature created by the arrogance and ambition of one man, an ugly yet fully human being. The monster is not good nor bad: he's just plain human. What he needs is affection, love and understanding. But his ugliness and clumsiness provoke that no one is willing to approach him: he scares the hell out of everybody. First, he is sad; then, he is enraged. Here's where the real monster is created: by the hatred and frivolity of other humans.

A true Gothic masterpiece, this novel is unforgettable for its message, its depth, and especially for its environment and mood. It is all dark, all cold, all terrifying and all moving. The true monsters are the others, not Frankenstein's creature. But his wanderings around the world are wonderful horror literature. Don't miss this great book written in one night by Mary Wollstonecraft, the young wife of poet Percy Shelley. It is the fortunate result of a bet made by several attendants to a vacation by a lake in Switzerland, Lord Byron included.

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Summary: Frankenstein review
Review: I think that "Frankenstein" is worthy reading material at nearly any level. Besides a short portion in the middle of the story, this book stays rather interesting throughout. I especially enjoyed the character Victor. His emotions, thoughts, and reactions to his creation are convincingly real. Also, I liked the fact this book did tend to keep the reader a little chilled and anxious. I feel that this book is appropriate for high school or college courses and is surely a great leisurely read.

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Summary: Not as expected
Review: I guess I based my presumption of this book on all the movies. Frankenstein is not the creature who I thought he was. I found myself feeling sorry for him. Wishing that someone would reach out to him. Mary Shelley left it to your imagination on really what he looked like. I enjoyed this portion to. The book was exquisitely written. I felt I was actually transported to this era. Enjoyed it very much.

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Summary: Classic of the Romantic Era.
Review: Victor Frankenstein's creation had murdered members of his family and strangled to death his fiance on their wedding night fulfilling his threat to "be with you on your wedding night" and warned Victor, "You are my creator but I am your master." As Victor centered his life around creating the monster, he would later center it around hunting down and killing his creation. This manhunt would expend Victor's life and prove his efforts futile to catch an untouchable and nameless monster. This novel is full of enduring themes of ambition, friendship, and the conflict between the two, psychology, oppression and rebellion, the dangers of scientific and intellectual advancement, and societal injustice. The writing itself isn't great but it's the story and the themes that make this a great classic.

Shelley wrote this book influenced by the period of time in which she lived, the Romantic Period. This was the response to the previous time, the Age of Enlightenment. In the Enlightened Age, reasoning was deemed of utmost importance and people thought that there were natural laws and that reason plus these natural laws would equal progress. By progress, they meant not only advancement, but unlimited advancement, that society would continue to move closer and closer to perfection. In Frankenstein, we see the result of so much logic and reason- the creation of a monster. In the story there seems to be no natural laws governing the world. The Romantic Period accounted for emotion like reasoning and logic cannot. The monster as the center of the novel shows us as his direst need a companion, as does Frankenstein himself.

When I think of what natural laws would govern the world, Justice comes to mind as the most important. Throughout this whole story, justice is so dearly lacking. Injustice leads to more injustice. The monster is born into unforgiving circumstances that were not his fault. His creator rejects him immediately. Throughout his life, the monster found himself rejected by everyone for the repulsive looks his creator gave him. The monster even suffered rejection of the impoverished family he ardently and sacrificially helped. When he saved a girl from drowning, her father shot him. The monster yearned desperately for a mate of his kind, which Victor denied him for fear the two would breed an entire race of fiends or that she, too would reject him and there would be two fiends. Decide this debate between the monster and Victor for yourself. Even if Victor was right to deny him a mate, it was still an injustice for the monster. After all, the monster could not help the disadvantages he was born into and he strove mightily to be virtuous. He exercised his will and responsibility strongly, but to no avail. The poor thing begs for just one friend and he is denied this. The innocent Justine (a play on the word "Justice") is executed for the monster's crime; the monster eventually slays several innocent people he doesn't even know. Injustice is what moves the plot of Frankenstein.

Shelley's novel disputes the importance and promise of natural laws, reasoning, and the idea of progress. It introduces emotion and intuition. Frankenstein studied laboriously but failed because he left the monster emotionally neglected and rejected. When Victor first learns of the murder of an innocent member of his family, he intuitively knows it was the doing of the monster- he offers no reasoning or deduction as to how he knows. The monster hounds Victor and seems to supernatually know where he is at all times.

One of the many interpretations of Frankenstein is that it was a product of the Romantic Period, which was a response to the Age of Enlightenment. My own evaluation of reasoning vs emotion is that our logic must be in control of us always but that emotions are a part of us too and must be satisfied.

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Summary: A monster with feelings
Review: Don't expect a mad scientist, angry mobs with pitch-forks, or a grumbling monster you can't understand. Mary Shelly created a beautifully written masterpiece that also inspires deep thought. The monster in this book is enourmous, ugly, intelligent, and in the beginning, loving. But both the monster, and its creator - Victor Frankenstein - live out a life of misery soon after the creation. Each with its own torture - and each caused by the other.

The story is dark and cold - the emotion in the characters is deep. The most amazing part of the book is the monster that thinks, feels, and talks. After reading the book, you are left with much to think about; the dangers of playing God, why do we seek revenge, the source of evil, and much more. Read it because it is beautiful, because it is a classic, or because despite the age of the book and all of the movie versions out there it is still a fresh and exciting story.

Rating:
Summary: Frankenstein review
Review: I think that "Frankenstein" is worthy reading material at nearly any level. Besides a short portion in the middle of the story, this book stays rather interesting throughout. I especially enjoyed the character Victor. His emotions, thoughts, and reactions to his creation are convincingly real. Also, I liked the fact this book did tend to keep the reader a little chilled and anxious. I feel that this book is appropriate for high school or college courses and is surely a great leisurely read.

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Summary: The first work of science fiction
Review: Mary was a truely great woman, braving heavy literary snobbery, her own tradgic personal life, social and moral opression to write not only a classic work of literature, but also the first ever science fiction story. A revolutionary of her time and a genius writer with a full and budding imagination.