Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

375 reviews

brynalexa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

When I picked up this copy of Frankenstein at a thrift shop, I didn’t realize it was an annotated version. I mostly focused on the original story but was pleased to have contexts, other works, and explanations throughout. 

The story of Frankenstein was not what I expected (popular culture has truly butchered it) and it was truly hard to get through, but worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Abandonment

caidyn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder

draven_deathcrush's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

Just rereading my favorite book during a scary time in history. I loved it, of course.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

maple_dusk's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Incest and Racism

fronk10's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Still 5* on the 5th read through. My favourite classic novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Murder

magimiel's review against another edition

dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicide and Stalking

lenorayoder's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Obviously this book is an achievement and ahead of its time and presents some really interesting ideas, but when it comes down to how much I liked it… 3 stars. It just seems a little too long, and like many Romantic books from this period there are a lot of philosophical monologues that make me feel like the author has taken a break from their fictional novel to present an essay. I don’t object to a book having a moral argument, but I’d rather be shown that argument instead of being told (at great length). 

My other main problem with the book is that so much of it is told from Victor’s perspective and spends time with him while he’s being boring and unlikeable (again, I think the book is a little too long). He never really owns up to his actions, but everyone he encounters still likes him, which is infuriating. It’s probably realistic, but it didn’t make for a very enjoyable read to spend so much time with a self-centered idiot. 

I liked the context that this edition’s introduction provided. It’s interesting to see this book through the lens of an author feeling rejected and abandoned by her parents. I’m interested to read Mary’s diaries, where I can get her ideas unfiltered through unlikeable protagonists. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Confinement

lolab24's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicide, Violence, and Stalking

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The first time I read this book, I was a sophomore in high school, and this was one of the few assigned readings that I actually completed. This is my first reread of the novel—fifteen years later—and I can now say that it still ranks highly among my favorite classic novels! I enjoyed following the incredible/unbelievable journeys of the three narrators, and I can now much better appreciate the Romantic, Gothic, and Transcendentalist elements that Shelley uses to weave her narratives. I think I’ll always be blown away by what Shelley accomplished as a woman of her time and how much of herself she puts into her work. I don’t believe I have anything new under the sun to say about Frankenstein. All I can say is that it truly does live up to the bar against which it is set.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

compassrosa's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Murder