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SETTING: At sea heading to the North Pole; Geneva, Switzerland; and the University of Ingolstadt in Germany.
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SUMMARY: The scientist Victor Frankenstein relates how he created and gave life to a "hideous monster" and the subsequent misfortunes he suffers at the hands of his creation.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Alas! why does man boast of sensibilities superior to those apparent in the brute; it only renders them more necessary beings. If our impulses were confined to hunger, thirst, and desire, we might be nearly free; but now we are moved by every wind that blows, and a chance word or scene that that word may convey to us." - Chapter 10, page 124.
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A friend recommended I read this book after I had finished reading Dracula last summer. I couldn't get a hold of a copy at a library or a used book store, and I wasn't pressed to ready it right away, so I decided to wait until I came back home for the summer. I was very enthusiastic to read it because I really enjoyed Dracula and looked forward to reading a book written in the same style.
Two points before going into my lists of likes and dislikes:
- A novel written as a series of documents (e.g. letters, journal entries, etc.) is called an "epistolary novel." I didn't know there was a term for this writing style until yesterday.
- "Frankenstein" is the creator of the creature. The creature itself is unnamed and is mistakenly called "Frankenstein" in modern culture.
Things I liked about this book:
- I went through a variety of emotions while reading the novel, from (1) boredom to (2) sympathizing with the creature and disliking Frankenstein to (3) sympathizing with Frankenstein and disliking the creature, and, (4) back to boredom.
- It's an epistolary novel, which has become one of my favorite methods of relating a story.
- The fact that an act committed during his youth haunts Frankenstein throughout his adult life. It's an occurrence that mirrors many people's lives- a regrettable act, minor or major, from one's youth, when one is naive and has not had enough experiences to really assess what he/she believes is right versus wrong, manages to either stay with that person throughout his/her life or creeps up during adulthood.
- Frankenstein's creature is given a chance to tell his side of the story.
- I was really bored at the beginning and end of the novel. I started reading this book three weeks ago and in between started another two books because I was that bored. It did pick up in the middle, and if I wasn't so stubborn when it comes to finishing books I would have put it down after reading the first 50 pages. I'm glad I finished it, because it felt like an accomplishment of sorts, but it is boooooring for the first quarter and the last 1/5 or so.
- Frankenstein's dialogue. Half of the story is how he mourns creating the "monster" and, yes, I get it, it's a big mistake and he regrets it, but he starts to whine after a while and it's very annoying!
This list is pretty lame, I know, but I wasn't all that impressed with this novel. I wasn't even impressed enough to come up with a longer list of dislikes, and I don't mean that as I'm being lazy, but moreso that the majority of this book was so dull that there isn't much else to say about it. I realize it's a classic and it has some great themes, but apart from it being an epistolary, I didn't find it exciting. It's a sad story told in a whining voice. The end.
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Recommend? Yes, because it's a classic. Wasn't horrible, but wasn't that exciting either.
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