Book Review
Oct. 15th, 2018 10:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariFrankenstein
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
While it is a foundational work of both the sci-fi and horror genres, Frankenstein will not bee at all frightening to most modern readers. The bare outlines of the story are too deeply embedded in pop culture for it to have any real surprises. It's still an engaging read and a good novel.
The one thing that did surprise me was how awful Victor Frankenstein was. Yes, his mad-scientist obsession and creation of the monster make him a monster, too. But he's also self-absorbed, irresponsible, and kind of a wanker. He creates a who then turns into a murderous villain that threatens to destroy everything he loves. So what does Victor do? He keeps the whole thing a secret and goes home to his family to wallow in his misery and fear. For a couple of years. He doesn't go out to find the creature and deal with it, warn any of the endangered people about the threat hanging over them, or do much of anything to prevent death and disaster until it is much too late.
Shelley's writing is florid as per the style of the early 19th century, but her prose is nonetheless very evocative and effective. Her skill at creating atmosphere and suspense made Frankenstein thrilling even though I knew how the narrative was going to go. Plus, she is very good at handling the nesting of narratives with clarity, as the story is framed by an explorer who encounters Victor in the arctic and hears his tale, which also includes the tale told to Victor by the monster, which further includes the tale of a family that the monster is observing.
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
While it is a foundational work of both the sci-fi and horror genres, Frankenstein will not bee at all frightening to most modern readers. The bare outlines of the story are too deeply embedded in pop culture for it to have any real surprises. It's still an engaging read and a good novel.
The one thing that did surprise me was how awful Victor Frankenstein was. Yes, his mad-scientist obsession and creation of the monster make him a monster, too. But he's also self-absorbed, irresponsible, and kind of a wanker. He creates a who then turns into a murderous villain that threatens to destroy everything he loves. So what does Victor do? He keeps the whole thing a secret and goes home to his family to wallow in his misery and fear. For a couple of years. He doesn't go out to find the creature and deal with it, warn any of the endangered people about the threat hanging over them, or do much of anything to prevent death and disaster until it is much too late.
Shelley's writing is florid as per the style of the early 19th century, but her prose is nonetheless very evocative and effective. Her skill at creating atmosphere and suspense made Frankenstein thrilling even though I knew how the narrative was going to go. Plus, she is very good at handling the nesting of narratives with clarity, as the story is framed by an explorer who encounters Victor in the arctic and hears his tale, which also includes the tale told to Victor by the monster, which further includes the tale of a family that the monster is observing.
