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palmkd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
This is an exceptionally interesting tale, especially when you consider it was written so many years ago and is still fascinating today. So many stories have spawned from Frankenstein and it's really nice to get to know the source material better.
Frankenstein is a spoiled man-child who has never been held accountable for his actions. Full of hubris, he manages to create life which he unleashes on the world without considering the repercussions.
It's an epistolary story, meaning the story is told via letters. It's a clever way of sharing information which is essentially told in 3 main parts or books. Whether you're a big fan of classics or just curious how this tale of the monster was really written, it's definitely worth the read!
Frankenstein is a spoiled man-child who has never been held accountable for his actions. Full of hubris, he manages to create life which he unleashes on the world without considering the repercussions.
It's an epistolary story, meaning the story is told via letters. It's a clever way of sharing information which is essentially told in 3 main parts or books. Whether you're a big fan of classics or just curious how this tale of the monster was really written, it's definitely worth the read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
whynotreadwithalex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I've had Frankenstein on my TBR forever and I figured it was high time to give the first science-fiction novel ever written a go!
Here are my thoughts:
THE STORY --
- Haunting (obviously)
- Lots of twists + turns
- Clever, with growing tension underlaid by an impending sense of doom
- It's obvious that so much of modern science-fiction and horror find their roots in this work of fiction (it's a classic for a reason, that's for sure)
THE CHARACTERS --
- The story primarily follows the relationship (if you can call it that) between Frankenstein and his Creation/Monster
- While there are secondary characters, they serve primarily as sources of grief for Frankenstein and instruments of torment for the Monster to use against his creator
THE WRITING --
- This was a bit of a struggle for me: most of the story is conveyed through long discourses (internal monologues as well as multi-chaptered monologues), which wasn't my favorite thing at times
Overall, this is an engaging book and it's obvious to me why this story has captivated audiences and inspired retellings since its publication!
Here are my thoughts:
THE STORY --
- Haunting (obviously)
- Lots of twists + turns
- Clever, with growing tension underlaid by an impending sense of doom
- It's obvious that so much of modern science-fiction and horror find their roots in this work of fiction (it's a classic for a reason, that's for sure)
THE CHARACTERS --
- The story primarily follows the relationship (if you can call it that) between Frankenstein and his Creation/Monster
- While there are secondary characters, they serve primarily as sources of grief for Frankenstein and instruments of torment for the Monster to use against his creator
THE WRITING --
- This was a bit of a struggle for me: most of the story is conveyed through long discourses (internal monologues as well as multi-chaptered monologues), which wasn't my favorite thing at times
Overall, this is an engaging book and it's obvious to me why this story has captivated audiences and inspired retellings since its publication!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
rileyyy02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Mary Shelley is my ancestor! I read this book when I was younger so it felt slow at the time but it’s a good story about humanity
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
mitsyleigh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
jessi_lou95's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Stalking
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
rin_varga's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
I enjoyed reading this classic immensely! I'm so glad that I decided to start it in the heart of winter just after the holidays since I discovered so much of the mood is wrapped up in desolate, frigid landscapes & frozen tundra.
If you've only ever watched the 1930s movie like me, then the original 1818 version will feel like a completely new story to you!
I appreciated how much heart, empathy, passion & flaws we see as both Victor & his creature explore the same feelings (believing that they're completely different from one another) such as hubris, the spectrum of morality, justice, & if wickedness is due to nature or nurture. The book even begins & ends through the lens of a third party, leaving us the reader free to sympathize a bit with both Victor & his creature who are at such odds with each other.
I didn't expect to get as emotionally invested in the characters as I did--it was a pleasant surprise to find myself hoping, grieving & crying on their behalf, especially the monster who so desperately & sincerely loves people & longs to be accepted for who he is on the inside💔
The middle of the novel could drag on at times, especially as Victor traveled and couldn't shake his fears, regrets & melancholy no matter who he was with or what he was doing for long. In the begin & by the end though, events picked up again in anticipation & drama leaving me at the edge of my seat!
There may be a little good & evil in everyone, & this novel explores in depth just how much enemies can be more similar than they'd like to believe. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a little (or a lot) of gray area & want to try a classic where emotions are a strong motivation--both for the characters & us as readers!
If you've only ever watched the 1930s movie like me, then the original 1818 version will feel like a completely new story to you!
I appreciated how much heart, empathy, passion & flaws we see as both Victor & his creature explore the same feelings (believing that they're completely different from one another) such as hubris, the spectrum of morality, justice, & if wickedness is due to nature or nurture. The book even begins & ends through the lens of a third party, leaving us the reader free to sympathize a bit with both Victor & his creature who are at such odds with each other.
I didn't expect to get as emotionally invested in the characters as I did--it was a pleasant surprise to find myself hoping, grieving & crying on their behalf, especially the monster who so desperately & sincerely loves people & longs to be accepted for who he is on the inside💔
The middle of the novel could drag on at times, especially as Victor traveled and couldn't shake his fears, regrets & melancholy no matter who he was with or what he was doing for long. In the begin & by the end though, events picked up again in anticipation & drama leaving me at the edge of my seat!
There may be a little good & evil in everyone, & this novel explores in depth just how much enemies can be more similar than they'd like to believe. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a little (or a lot) of gray area & want to try a classic where emotions are a strong motivation--both for the characters & us as readers!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
singalana's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I must confess I didn't have a clear understanding of the story as I've never watched any films or read the story before. Therefore, it took me by surprise.
Frankenstein was originally published in 1818. Unless I'm mistaken, it's one of the first science fiction stories ever written. Of course it's also a gothic horror novel, and possibly the best known work of its author.
Frankenstein tells the story of a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monstrous being and brings it to life. After this, his life becomes a nightmare.
Frankenstein and his creation contrast each other on a thought-provoking way, and I found my sympathies to be with the monster. For a modern reader, the story lagged a bit in places but I decided not to deduct any stars because of it. The book is full of interesting themes and symbolism, no wonder this is a classic.
This edition: I liked the colourful audiobook cover and I found the narrator (Jonathan Keeble) to fit the work very well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
sunflower7skull's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's really interesting how different the book was from the media based off it! Really cool to analyze.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Incest, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide
lunarblazes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i think this is one of the better books i've been forced to read in school. it's incredibly atmospheric and its moral quandaries are truly compelling. i think about victor frankenstein and the creature a ton, as well as everyone caught in the blast zone of whatever fucked up dynamic they have going on. the framing device is so cool, it preserves tension really well. the main flaw with this book is how goddamn long it is. shelley probably needed an editor or something because by the time we get to three different exhaustive life stories in one letter (thanks to red from osp for that description) it starts to drag a little. i am shocked i don't see more people talk about the ending to this book. i think it was what stuck with me the most. i'd recommend a read if you've never given it a shot! it mostly lives up to the hype if you're willing to wade through dense victorian-era language.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
marissasa's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This classic was surprisingly introspective and philosophical, especially since I was only expecting gothic horror and scares. I really enjoyed the narration of this book as we got to see perspectives from Dr. Frankenstein, his monster, and from an outsider recounting the whole situation, giving the whole book the intended experience of trying to keep up while a friend or family member is telling you a wild story. Although the actual process of Frankenstein creating and giving life to his monster wasn't explained scientifically, I actually liked the abstraction of the process in favor of showing more of his descent into obsessive research, isolation, and madness. It also paved way for more internal conflict about the ethics, morality, and implications of his experiment, and it was a great literary choice to have the monster himself pose many of those ethical questions to Frankenstein as his creation and have the doctor genuinely struggle with what he owes to him as his creator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder