The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: After the fabulous Flicker (the sort of book that won't let you put it down) I couldn't wait for this one. Whilst the writing certainly leaves an indelible impression poor old Mary Shelley would I think be writhing in her grave. Unfortunately I found that his premise of writing the feminist Frankenstein laughable to say the least. A lot of nonsense about the feminine mysteries of childbirth and sexuality made me squirm, which seems to me a hippy's version of how the world really was man. Ultimately, it seems to deal less with womens truth, and more of what a male author more than a little obsessed with the tantra (remember bhoga from Flicker?), would prefer to be the truth.

Rating:
Summary: Amazon's experts should do better on their recommendations
Review: I bought this book after reading the recommendations and the reviews posted on Amzaon. This book was highly overated. The premise is certainly interesting, a retelling of Frankestein through his sister/fiance. The book just doesn't hold together terribly well. It's feminism is of the bludgeon over your head type, lacking in nuance and subtlety, and the main character really appeared to be a man's creation of a feminist female prototype. Very disappointing

Rating:
Summary: Mostly just silly
Review: I had high hopes for this book. Although I haven't yet read Mary Shelley's classic, (it's in my huge "to read" pile at home), I am familiar enough with the story to have been intrigued by the premise of hearing it from Elizabeth's point of view. Unfortunately, THE MEMOIRS OF ELIZABETH FRANKENSTEIN ultimately falls far short of my high hopes.

I enjoyed Elizabeth's early years, and her last few, leading up to her discovery of what her lover, Victor was really up to at school, and her eventual ill-fated encounter with "Adam". It was the stuff in between that disappointed me most. Elizabeth's adoptive mother initiates her into a bizarre secret society of women, who participate in a number of odd lesbian rituals and secret midnight meetings in the woods, where women are celebrated and men are reviled. These scenes weren't offensive or enlightening, just silly.

I'm not sure what Roszak was trying to accomplish here. Elizabeth's voice did not come across as a strong, female one; but rather a confused, manipulated girl, severely influenced by her delusional mother.

The writing is decent enough, and parts of the story are commendable, but overall, this book misses the mark.

Rating:
Summary: Mostly just silly
Review: I had high hopes for this book. Although I haven't yet read Mary Shelley's classic, (it's in my huge "to read" pile at home), I am familiar enough with the story to have been intrigued by the premise of hearing it from Elizabeth's point of view. Unfortunately, THE MEMOIRS OF ELIZABETH FRANKENSTEIN ultimately falls far short of my high hopes.

I enjoyed Elizabeth's early years, and her last few, leading up to her discovery of what her lover, Victor was really up to at school, and her eventual ill-fated encounter with "Adam". It was the stuff in between that disappointed me most. Elizabeth's adoptive mother initiates her into a bizarre secret society of women, who participate in a number of odd lesbian rituals and secret midnight meetings in the woods, where women are celebrated and men are reviled. These scenes weren't offensive or enlightening, just silly.

I'm not sure what Roszak was trying to accomplish here. Elizabeth's voice did not come across as a strong, female one; but rather a confused, manipulated girl, severely influenced by her delusional mother.

The writing is decent enough, and parts of the story are commendable, but overall, this book misses the mark.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I read this book just after it came out and have been searching for it ever since. I never found a book that was more intriguing that is based on another story. Most retellings that I have read are wishy- washy stories that have nithing to do with the original story. The way that they focused on the mythology in the Frankenstien family, interwoven with the beliefs of the time is what made it so interesting. a telling old a historical tale that gives woman a since of sexualilty. I would and will read this book over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I read this book just after it came out and have been searching for it ever since. I never found a book that was more intriguing that is based on another story. Most retellings that I have read are wishy- washy stories that have nithing to do with the original story. The way that they focused on the mythology in the Frankenstien family, interwoven with the beliefs of the time is what made it so interesting. a telling old a historical tale that gives woman a since of sexualilty. I would and will read this book over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting approach
Review: I think that although this book is marketed as a prequel or retelling of "Frankenstein" and the author said that this is the book Mary Shelley would have written today, I would disagree. It's not written in a similar manner -- it shifts between her diary and a commentary or interpretation based on the view of her contemporaries. Although the horror aspect is still contained in "Memoirs" it is a horror that focuses on the technological worship of impersonal science. The horror also may be the sexual, psychological, political, physical, and spiritual oppression of women, all of which are explored in some manner in this book. Elizabeth's sexual explorations and themes of "witchcraft" may put some readers off of this book. My personal favorite part of this book was the ecofeminist idea that oppression of nature can be linked to oppression of women -- in other words, that science objectifies and dehumanizes both the natural world and women. These themes might seem a little "out there" to some readers, but may be fascinating to fans of women's studies or liberal minded folk. Certainly well-written.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting approach
Review: I think that although this book is marketed as a prequel or retelling of "Frankenstein" and the author said that this is the book Mary Shelley would have written today, I would disagree. It's not written in a similar manner -- it shifts between her diary and a commentary or interpretation based on the view of her contemporaries. Although the horror aspect is still contained in "Memoirs" it is a horror that focuses on the technological worship of impersonal science. The horror also may be the sexual, psychological, political, physical, and spiritual oppression of women, all of which are explored in some manner in this book. Elizabeth's sexual explorations and themes of "witchcraft" may put some readers off of this book. My personal favorite part of this book was the ecofeminist idea that oppression of nature can be linked to oppression of women -- in other words, that science objectifies and dehumanizes both the natural world and women. These themes might seem a little "out there" to some readers, but may be fascinating to fans of women's studies or liberal minded folk. Certainly well-written.

Rating:
Summary: Be warned: this book is an argument in disguise
Review: If you read "The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein" expecting to find a horror story similar to Mary Shelley's classic, then you will be extremely disappointed. But Theodore Roszak's novel is an excuse to make an argument, albeit in narrative form, concerning what Dr. Frankenstein wrought up in his laboratory. After all, Roszak is not only a novelist ("Flicker") but also a historian ("The Making of a Counter Culture"). The novel "Frankenstein" represents an important paradigm shift in human history, where science became God, replacing religion. In that regard you can say that the myth of Frankenstein replaced that of Faustus. Essentially "Frankenstein" argues that "there are some things man was not meant to tamper with," a tale that you can trace back to the Tower of Babel or see behind the story of the Titanic for that matter. Roszak makes a similar and no less compelling case for a different kind of shift. For Roszak the science of Dr. Frankenstein represents the "masculine," which replaces the older "feminine" wisdom represented by Elizabeth.

As an infant, Elizabeth Lavenza is given to a wandering gypsy. She is illegitimate, without a mother and rejected by her father. Nine years later she is adopted by the strange wife of Baron Alphonse Frankenstein. Elizabeth discovers that Lady Caroline Frankenstein belongs to a secret witches' coven. She has adopted Elizabeth to create an intellectual companion for her son Victor. Lady Caroline has the two children tutored by an old crone, Seraphina, who teaches the "women's mysteries," which includes a series of erotic devotions that serve to reveal the ancient secrets of life. However, Victor would rather dissect animals and study electrical storms. Rejecting magic, instinct and sensuality for the power of aggressive intellect, Victor destroys his friendship with Elizabeth in a brutal act. This sets up Roszak's one ironic twist on the original novel, for when the creature finally emerges in the final chapters of the novel, he befriends Elizabeth; of course, this is before he strangles her on her wedding night. Ultimately, Roszak has written an allegory that despite its willingness to wallow in arcane sexual rites argues for the privileged position of supposedly "feminist" ideals. For Roszak, Dr. Frankenstein is more Pandora than "The Modern Prometheus." If you have read Shelley's novel (not to be confused with the various film versions) and have an appreciation for how the dawn of the Age of Science changed things, then you will find "The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein" to be a provocative story.

Rating:
Summary: Be warned: this book is an argument in disguise
Review: If you read "The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein" expecting to find a horror story similar to Mary Shelley's classic, then you will be extremely disappointed. But Theodore Roszak's novel is an excuse to make an argument, albeit in narrative form, concerning what Dr. Frankenstein wrought up in his laboratory. After all, Roszak is not only a novelist ("Flicker") but also a historian ("The Making of a Counter Culture"). The novel "Frankenstein" represents an important paradigm shift in human history, where science became God, replacing religion. In that regard you can say that the myth of Frankenstein replaced that of Faustus. Essentially "Frankenstein" argues that "there are some things man was not meant to tamper with," a tale that you can trace back to the Tower of Babel or see behind the story of the Titanic for that matter. Roszak makes a similar and no less compelling case for a different kind of shift. For Roszak the science of Dr. Frankenstein represents the "masculine," which replaces the older "feminine" wisdom represented by Elizabeth.

As an infant, Elizabeth Lavenza is given to a wandering gypsy. She is illegitimate, without a mother and rejected by her father. Nine years later she is adopted by the strange wife of Baron Alphonse Frankenstein. Elizabeth discovers that Lady Caroline Frankenstein belongs to a secret witches' coven. She has adopted Elizabeth to create an intellectual companion for her son Victor. Lady Caroline has the two children tutored by an old crone, Seraphina, who teaches the "women's mysteries," which includes a series of erotic devotions that serve to reveal the ancient secrets of life. However, Victor would rather dissect animals and study electrical storms. Rejecting magic, instinct and sensuality for the power of aggressive intellect, Victor destroys his friendship with Elizabeth in a brutal act. This sets up Roszak's one ironic twist on the original novel, for when the creature finally emerges in the final chapters of the novel, he befriends Elizabeth; of course, this is before he strangles her on her wedding night. Ultimately, Roszak has written an allegory that despite its willingness to wallow in arcane sexual rites argues for the privileged position of supposedly "feminist" ideals. For Roszak, Dr. Frankenstein is more Pandora than "The Modern Prometheus." If you have read Shelley's novel (not to be confused with the various film versions) and have an appreciation for how the dawn of the Age of Science changed things, then you will find "The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein" to be a provocative story.