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pellepanda's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book tells the stories of three women, who's lives were intermingled with Victor Frankenstein's both before and after he created his monster. The book follows a chronological timeline where we get the stories of the mother, the bride, and the servant.
This book is beautifully written in the classic gothic style. I listened to the audiobook and Barrie Kreinik does an excellent job portraying the feeling associated with the genre. You definitely get the same feeling as you do from reading Frankenstein, for better or worse. The drawback for me is that it at times gets a little tedious, but that comes with the territory.
It's not an easy task to flesh out women who's already been established, but I think Waldherr does a good job bringing these women to life. It tells the story of people who have been ignored and cast as background characters, but the book is still centered around Victor Frankenstein in how they are connected to him. My biggest problem with them is that they still feel a little like caricatures of the time at points, and how similar the tone is for all three women (which could be a problem with the narration instead of the writing).
Overall I think the book is worth the read or listen if you enjoy gothic books or are a fan of retellings of classics.
This book is beautifully written in the classic gothic style. I listened to the audiobook and Barrie Kreinik does an excellent job portraying the feeling associated with the genre. You definitely get the same feeling as you do from reading Frankenstein, for better or worse. The drawback for me is that it at times gets a little tedious, but that comes with the territory.
It's not an easy task to flesh out women who's already been established, but I think Waldherr does a good job bringing these women to life. It tells the story of people who have been ignored and cast as background characters, but the book is still centered around Victor Frankenstein in how they are connected to him. My biggest problem with them is that they still feel a little like caricatures of the time at points, and how similar the tone is for all three women (which could be a problem with the narration instead of the writing).
Overall I think the book is worth the read or listen if you enjoy gothic books or are a fan of retellings of classics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Incest, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism