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boe_zown's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the most interesting fan fiction novels I have ever read. The storylines of Mary Shelley and Dr. Ry Shelley draw parallels between the creation of Frankenstein and technological advancement today. While Mary crafts Victor Frankenstein’s story, present-day Dr. Victor Stein attempts to reinvigorate a cryopreserved human brain. While Mary wishes that her children weren’t bound to their bodies so their minds could have survived their bodies’ deaths, Stein wishes for a future in which we can upload our minds into any body we choose, or no body at all, making us immortal, each our own AI.
Winterson draws these parallels to warn of the dangers of technologies like AI, albeit in a heavy-handed way. Frankenstein is one of my favorite books, and I really enjoyed reading a multi-level fan fiction about it that was so relevant to issues today.
I also loved the insertions of bits of Percy Shelley’s poetry and Mary’s reflections on her mother. As I am not trans, I won’t speak on whether or not Winterson’s portrayal of a trans main character was well-done or beneficial, but I do find the idea of Ry’s “created self” interesting in the context of the novel. The breadth of issues covered in this book is impressive, and while it feels like more of an argumentative essay at times, the characters and plot were quite engaging to me. Overall I really liked this book! It was my second read by Winterson, and I am excited to read more of her work.
Please please check content warnings for this one because there was one really upsetting scene that I wasn’t expecting and I felt added nothing to the story! That’s a big reason I didn’t give this one five stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Transphobia
zenzi2read's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Questions asked-what is the point of technological progress if it does not increase the happiness and fulfillment of the many? Where does the self lie? Who are we without visual identity questions of gender mostly here. The intersectionality shown was shallow. I normally enjoy a bit of navel gazing, but this felt artificial. Unfulfilling relationship can only take aself lie? Who are we without visual identity questions of gender mostly here. The intersectionality shown was shallow. I normally enjoy a bit of naval gazing, but this felt artificial. Unfulfilling relationship can only take a plot so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Transphobia
rosemarycci's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While the pros are incredible and moments of the book are captivating, over all slightly overly complex without a huge amount of depth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Transphobia
softanimal's review against another edition
(Contains spoilers) This is possibly the farthest I've gotten in a book and decided not to finish it. I wrote a longer review and deleted it. This book doesn't deserve it. If the stupidity of the title doesn't irk you, you might like it. Please don't read this if you're trans and have trauma without looking at content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Outing
electricjuicebox's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Another book with a cool premise that let me down in its execution! I enjoyed reading this book overall, because it felt very literary and fancy, but I don't know that it was actually any good, or that I liked it.
The good: I felt challenged in trying to figure out the themes, meanings, etc. - untangling all the literary elements at play here. I loved the chapters from Mary Shelley's perspective, but I am a sucker for a narrative that brings us into the tragedy of womanhood, especially in different eras. And again, the premise is interesting.
The bad: The modern story with Ry and Victor was interesting, but much harder to follow and less engaging. One thing I wanted to mention is that the way Ry is described throughout the book, especially by Victor, as kind of a male-female hybrid seemed very transphobic. I'm not sure that Ry's character had a lot of depth beyond his transness (especially if he's supposed to be the modern analogue to Mary Shelley, who has actual agency and perspective in her part of the story), which is continually fetishized. I've seen a couple of trans reviewers here call this out more incisively. There is also a rape scene, which felt unnecessary and cruel. I guess what I mean to say is that I want to find out whether there was some kind of sensitivity reader who okayed this, because it felt sus. Also - while reading other reviews I saw multiple people point out that the modern Claire character is a racist stereotype, which I didn't notice but is sadly true.
The good: I felt challenged in trying to figure out the themes, meanings, etc. - untangling all the literary elements at play here. I loved the chapters from Mary Shelley's perspective, but I am a sucker for a narrative that brings us into the tragedy of womanhood, especially in different eras. And again, the premise is interesting.
The bad: The modern story with Ry and Victor was interesting, but much harder to follow and less engaging. One thing I wanted to mention is that the way Ry is described throughout the book, especially by Victor, as kind of a male-female hybrid seemed very transphobic. I'm not sure that Ry's character had a lot of depth beyond his transness (especially if he's supposed to be the modern analogue to Mary Shelley, who has actual agency and perspective in her part of the story), which is continually fetishized. I've seen a couple of trans reviewers here call this out more incisively. There is also a rape scene, which felt unnecessary and cruel. I guess what I mean to say is that I want to find out whether there was some kind of sensitivity reader who okayed this, because it felt sus. Also - while reading other reviews I saw multiple people point out that the modern Claire character is a racist stereotype, which I didn't notice but is sadly true.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Transphobia
Minor: Child death
niclbarton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
aaliyahwalker's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
myclutteredbookshelf's review against another edition
Had I known about Winterson's opposition to providing gender affirming care for trans youths beforehand, I wouldn't have bothered reading this novel. As such, I am going to refrain from giving it a rating and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Outing
Minor: Child death, Death, and Miscarriage
easefcik's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Grief
ari767's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Unrealistic and transphobic portrayal of a trans character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault