blueorange34's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-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
the first description of the monster was him grinning and reaching his arm out like a baby would for its parent, then him experiencing the joys of being alive after being abandoned by victor, only for him to be forced him to discover mankind won’t accept him and he will forever be alone. he never asked to be born or created, and he wanted a peaceful life with companionship at first. he was adam, but as he said often, he became the fallen angel.
drowningfaithh's review against another edition
5.0
“Yet even the enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.”
Frankenstein is unlike anything I have read before. I must admit that my knowledge of the story was only rooted from the movies depicting Dr. Frankenstein as a mad scientist and his creation as a monster, and I am pleased to say that it runs much deeper than that. The novel is a thought-provoking one that explores human nature as well as seeks to understand why we are the way that we are.
The writing was descriptive to a point that I was able to vividly imagine the scene frame by frame. Not only that, but the way it was able to tell a story within a story of a story was immaculate. It was not confusing at all. I also added a handful amount of new words to my vocabulary. One page in and I had already consulted the dictionary far too many times. In the end, it was all worth it.
Frankenstein may not be everyone's cup of tea but I highly recommend others to read it. It is a perfect example of knowledge and ambition gone awry. As one my high school teachers used to tell us, just because science can, science should.
Frankenstein is unlike anything I have read before. I must admit that my knowledge of the story was only rooted from the movies depicting Dr. Frankenstein as a mad scientist and his creation as a monster, and I am pleased to say that it runs much deeper than that. The novel is a thought-provoking one that explores human nature as well as seeks to understand why we are the way that we are.
The writing was descriptive to a point that I was able to vividly imagine the scene frame by frame. Not only that, but the way it was able to tell a story within a story of a story was immaculate. It was not confusing at all. I also added a handful amount of new words to my vocabulary. One page in and I had already consulted the dictionary far too many times. In the end, it was all worth it.
Frankenstein may not be everyone's cup of tea but I highly recommend others to read it. It is a perfect example of knowledge and ambition gone awry. As one my high school teachers used to tell us, just because science can, science should.
karydiazc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
This book is so sad to think about. Frankenstein's monster just wanted to be loved, wanted to belong. He did not chose to live, yet he had to. How different could everything had been if Frankenstein has stayed with him and helped him see the world in a different way?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Violence
nexrai's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
2.5
lunam0uth's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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 of parent, Body horror, Death, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment, Injury/injury detail, Violence, Stalking, Colonisation, and Racism
imyourmausolem's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a classic for fans of the horror genre. I have read this book several times in my life, though I first read it when I was around nine. In this book, a mad scientist doctor creates a monster man out of swiped parts. It was a great book, and I may need to read it again soon. Every fan of horror should read this book.
heather3879's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve heard for years that I just HAD to read this classic; that it is so very different from the story of Frankenstein we all recall when we hear the name. And this is true.
The “monster” created by Frankenstein is no serial-killer-brained Boris Karloff: rather, he is a human being turned into a monster by society’s continual rejection. Frankenstein’s monster experiences that most human desire for belonging and teaches himself language and literacy in an attempt to be part of the world, but he is so vastly “other” that he is unacceptable to the world. The monster’s story is tragic and compelling, and while he is supposed to be “other,” I think most people will find him relatable.
Frankenstein himself is irritating and self-absorbed. Rather than coming clean about having created and abandoned a monster, he keeps his secret and falls into “fevers” until everyone is convinced he’s insane and can’t be speaking the truth. The ethical dilemmas he faces are real, but as a character, he was not one with whom I empathized.
The letters in which the story was embedded seemed unnecessary to me and just added too many characters and layers to the story.
A very good read overall, and even more compelling after reading this feature in The New Yorker about Mary Shelley’s life and themes identified in the book:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein
The “monster” created by Frankenstein is no serial-killer-brained Boris Karloff: rather, he is a human being turned into a monster by society’s continual rejection. Frankenstein’s monster experiences that most human desire for belonging and teaches himself language and literacy in an attempt to be part of the world, but he is so vastly “other” that he is unacceptable to the world. The monster’s story is tragic and compelling, and while he is supposed to be “other,” I think most people will find him relatable.
Frankenstein himself is irritating and self-absorbed. Rather than coming clean about having created and abandoned a monster, he keeps his secret and falls into “fevers” until everyone is convinced he’s insane and can’t be speaking the truth. The ethical dilemmas he faces are real, but as a character, he was not one with whom I empathized.
The letters in which the story was embedded seemed unnecessary to me and just added too many characters and layers to the story.
A very good read overall, and even more compelling after reading this feature in The New Yorker about Mary Shelley’s life and themes identified in the book:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein
josephaaron's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
chandranolynne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
This was fun; a story I've known my whole life but never read for myself. A little tedious at times with the old language and dialogue that goes on longer than necessary, but enjoyable overall.