Reviews

Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson

hashbrownhedgehog's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

1.75



he told me that many a time when he was weary of the world, her arms around him were better than any book yet written.

It is not always possible to forgive oneself. And sometimes you make a choice to do something, knowing that you must do it, and that forgiveness is impossible.

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notartgarfunkel's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

maribooked's review against another edition

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4.0

Το βιβλίο μας παρουσιάζει δύο χρονοδιαγράμματα, στο ένα μας μεταφέρει στην Αγγλία του 1816 όπου η Μαίρη Σέλευ ξεκινά να γράφει τον Φρανκεστάιν και στο δεύτερο μας μεταφέρει στο ‘’εγγύς’’ μέλλον όπου ο επιστήμονας Νικηφόρος Στάιν πειραματίζεται με την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη και προσπαθεί να προσθέσει την ανθρώπινη συνείδηση σε ένα ρομπότ, έτσι προσεγγίζει έναν τρανσέξουαλ γιατρό τον Ρί και έναν κατασκευαστή sexbot τον Ρον για να βοηθήσουν με τα τρελά του σχέδιά.

Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι ιδιαίτερο αλλά δημιουργικό, με μια αντισυμβατική δομή και μια φιλόδοξη προσέγγιση, για το πως η τεχνολογική πρόοδος γενικότερα μπορεί να σημαίνει το τέλος του κόσμου όπως τον ξέρουμε σήμερα. Η ιστορία που αφορά την ιστορία της Mary Shelley ως γυναίκα αλλά και ως συγγραφέα μου άρεσε πολύ, όπως και η εξέλιξη των σκέψεων της. Αντίθετα στην δεύτερη ιστορία με τους σύγχρονους χαρακτήρες δεν μπορώ να πω ότι με κέρδισε τελείως, γιατί τους παρουσίαζε λάθος σε αρκετά σημεία -κυρίως στις πρώτες 100 σελίδες- και μπορώ να πω ότι είχε κομμάτια ομοφοβικα και τρανσφοβικά.

“I'm a woman. And I'm a man. That's how it is for me. I am in a body that I prefer. But the past, my past, is not subject to surgery. I didn't do it to distance myself from myself. I did it to get nearer to myself.”

Είναι ένα βιβλίο που για ακόμα μια φορά δεν νομίζω να ταιριάξει σε όλους, αλλά έχει πολλή συζήτηση και εγείρει μεγάλα ερωτήματα. Αν μπορούσαμε να εγκαταλείψουμε εντελώς το σώμα μας για μια εξελιγμένη έκδοσή όπου η συνείδησή μας βρίσκεται σε ένα ρομπότ, αυτό  θα το θεωρούσατε τερατώδες ή θα ήταν ένα βήμα ανθρώπινης εξέλιξης;

“The Future is Now. That annoys me because if the future is now, where is the present?”

caitlinritchie's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

3.25

nastjarchive's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

sturbock's review against another edition

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3.0

I loved the Mary Shelley parts, and not just because of Perdita Weeks but also because of the writing and tone and the historical facts that I could google. But I unfortunately just didn't really enjoy the rest of the book... too much happening I guess.

emannuelk's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Um livro que não é uma releitura de Frankenstein, mas antes uma obra que busca capturar o espírito do clássico de Mary Shelley e trazer para os nossos dias. E quando digo nossos dias, quero dizer exatamente isso. Inteligência artificial é o centro da história e até Bolsonaro é citado umas 3 vezes (como um verdadeiro risco à existência da humanidade, obviamente). Nesse processo, a autora inclui trechos também da criação do Frankenstein original, ao ponto de Mary Shelley ser uma das protagonistas (se não a verdadeira protagonista) em uma metade do livro que une o histórico a uma metanarrativa com twist tipicamente pós moderno quanto à natureza das criações literárias e das ideias de um modo geral. 

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bustyphillips's review against another edition

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3.0

I kinda feel like this novel was written to be written about and not to be read. I was unimpressed and at times uncomfortable with how Winterson portrayed the trans character but the Mary Shelley parts were fascinating and beautiful. I like Winterson - I adore Mary Shelley. It's an interesting book.

bookswithcesco's review against another edition

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3.0

I need to start this review off with a disclaimer that this is a 2.5 star read. It balances between meh and bad for me. Simply put, the novel is thought provoking and well researched in theory. However, Winterson missed doing research on real trans experiences and voices.

Transgender people shouldn’t be a simile to AI. In fact, most of the instances where AI is being discussed, Ry is either comparing themselves to AI or having others do the same to them. I don’t know why this part specifically stood out to me from the entirety of the novel.

Overall, the idea behind this novel is really good. I’m a total sucker for Frankenstein retellings and reimagining after all.

blackbird_reads's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

4.5