Again, this is another novel that I read with my students. I LOVE this book. I always thought that it would be scary, and initially, I was terrified to read it. Everyone paints it as such a horror story, and of course, we all have Halloween.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is considered the quintessential horror book. Victor Frankenstein had what he considered a perfect life. He had a happy family and close friends in Geneva. Victor was fascinated by the sciences from a very young age and pursued the philosophies of the alchemists. After being mocked mercilessly by a college professor, Victor eventually gives up these beliefs, but not for long. He discovers the secret to life. Creating a being out of the remains of the dead, initially, he is thrilled by his creation, but once he finally bestows the spark of life, he is terrified at his creation and abandons it. The monster is then left to fend for itself, learning morality from works like
Paradise Lost, and observing a French family living in a cottage. Eventually, after discovering that he will never be accepted by society because of his appearance, the monster starts to exact his revenge on his creator.
This book is a masterpiece. While it is meant to be terrifying, I found it instead fascinating. I was less scared of the monster and almost pitied him. This book raises important questions about the responsibility of parents to their children and perhaps even of God to His creations. There is so much analysis that could go into this novel that I can't write in a simple blog post. While the characters are typical of the romantic era, with many aspects of the romantic literary movement, it is also a product of the gothic movement. These almost contradictory literary movements combine to make this piece truly unique.
I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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