Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein

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: a more feminine re-telling of a feminist classic
Review: Theodore Roszak wrote _The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein_ to further explore the character that Mary Shelley based on herself in _Frankenstein_: the foster sister and wife of the scientist main character. Roszak is eerily accurate in his portrayal of some of the most difficult female emotional situations (menstruation, childbirth, and rape), and I loved his invocation of the Reason versus Nature and God versus Science conflicts.

However, Roszak took some risks by choosing the same narrator as Shelley did. By allowing Robert Walton to re-tell the story (upon finding Elizabeth's journals), the deletion of important characters seems even more glaring. Victor's youngest brother, William, was completely left out, and as a result so was the character Justine, who had come to stay with the family. Also never mentioned was Victor Frankenstein's best friend Clavel. Both William and Clavel were victims of his creation before Elizabeth, but were left out by Roszak which marred my enjoyment of the novel somewhat.

For the most part however, I found _The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein_ to be a fascinating read and a wonderful study of a classic work of literature. The most amazing statement lies at the very heart of the novel: the desired result of the alchemic union Victor's mother was planning between Victor and Elizabeth was to stop the masculinization of science. I think Mary Shelley would have understood that.

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical, sensitive... and not for light readers.
Review: This is a novel that works in amny levels. Of course, it is indeed, a masterful gothic. A bouquet to Mary Shelley and a very modern horror story, but beyond these layers it is also a study of the secrets of the women at a time when they were best thought of "in the dark"... and this is a dark story all right.

For those of use who longed for more about the enigmathic and tragic Elizabeth Lavenza-Frankenstein here is a book that won't be easily read, but neither will it be easily forgotten.