alyssapusateri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death
draven_deathcrush's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
5.0
I had to read this for school, and I'm so glad I did. It was amazing, and I loved it so much. I'm a big fan of zombies, and I always wanted to read this book, but I never ended up doing it. Now I had to, and I'm very glad!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Suicidal thoughts
e_r_q's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
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
"I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace, or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell.”
Despite becoming so ingrained and recognisable within popular culture, Frankenstein still managed to surprise me. Firstly, Mary Shelley's prose is exquisite and extremely coherent, especially for a piece of literature written in the 1800s. Furthermore, Shelley's writing is rich in symbolism, philosophical deliberations, as well as explorations of compelling themes such as the thirst for knowledge/power, unbridled ambition, revenge, discrimination, prejudice, and creation versus destruction. Additionally, the profound poeticism with which she captures The Monster's perception of life and humanity is hauntingly beautiful. I saw one review criticising Shelley for being unable to write male characters, but I wholeheartedly disagree, as the emotional vulnerability of said male characters is both realistic and truly refreshing to see.
Despite still surprising and impressing me, Frankenstein didn't entirely live up to my expectations. Some parts of the narrative felt confusingly rushed, while other aspects felt entirely unnecessary. But still, I'm glad I finally got around to reading this classic work of horror fiction, especially in time for Halloween.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Murder, Bullying, Abandonment, Ableism, and Body shaming
Minor: Stalking
bookgurl488's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book showed that humans are hopelessly flawed and in need of true companionship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Stalking, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Classism, Bullying, and Death of parent
corriejn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I was of course familiar with the core conceipt of the story via cultural osmosis, but reading the original story I found it to be so much more complex and full of nuance! Worth a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Death of parent, and Drug use
annaforthebooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
bebidocrimes's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I remembered enjoying this in high school, but now I simply will never stop thinking about how much I love this story. My brain won't let it go, it's like I'm gnawing on a bone. It's about the loneliness of every kind of ostracization, it's about spurning God, it's about not learning your lesson even after facing every consequence, it's about hating your dad, it's about nature versus nurture, it's about being human yet inhuman. I can't wait to reread and do full annotations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Classism, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Death of parent, and Incest
s_snape_hbp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Suicide, Mental illness, and Grief
basil_touche's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
Re-reading four years later for a bookclub and it still impresses me how readable this novel still is 205 years later. If I can give a criticism, the narrative can be a tad long winded, especially with Frankenstein's narrative. Although the creature's narrative is the best part of the book (he's the best character).
I found it quite interesting that in the narrative the way the creature is brought to life is deliberately kept vague, with only minor implications to body parts and grave robbing. Also I understood more of the biblical and literary references this time. The fact that Mary Shelley wrote this when she was eighteen and created modern science fiction as we know it blows my mind. Still one of my favourite classic novels.
I found it quite interesting that in the narrative the way the creature is brought to life is deliberately kept vague, with only minor implications to body parts and grave robbing. Also I understood more of the biblical and literary references this time. The fact that Mary Shelley wrote this when she was eighteen and created modern science fiction as we know it blows my mind. Still one of my favourite classic novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
sproutedpages's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Violence and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent