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A review by electricjuicebox
Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Another book with a cool premise that let me down in its execution! I enjoyed reading this book overall, because it felt very literary and fancy, but I don't know that it was actually any good, or that I liked it.
The good: I felt challenged in trying to figure out the themes, meanings, etc. - untangling all the literary elements at play here. I loved the chapters from Mary Shelley's perspective, but I am a sucker for a narrative that brings us into the tragedy of womanhood, especially in different eras. And again, the premise is interesting.
The bad: The modern story with Ry and Victor was interesting, but much harder to follow and less engaging. One thing I wanted to mention is that the way Ry is described throughout the book, especially by Victor, as kind of a male-female hybrid seemed very transphobic. I'm not sure that Ry's character had a lot of depth beyond his transness (especially if he's supposed to be the modern analogue to Mary Shelley, who has actual agency and perspective in her part of the story), which is continually fetishized. I've seen a couple of trans reviewers here call this out more incisively. There is also a rape scene, which felt unnecessary and cruel. I guess what I mean to say is that I want to find out whether there was some kind of sensitivity reader who okayed this, because it felt sus. Also - while reading other reviews I saw multiple people point out that the modern Claire character is a racist stereotype, which I didn't notice but is sadly true.
The good: I felt challenged in trying to figure out the themes, meanings, etc. - untangling all the literary elements at play here. I loved the chapters from Mary Shelley's perspective, but I am a sucker for a narrative that brings us into the tragedy of womanhood, especially in different eras. And again, the premise is interesting.
The bad: The modern story with Ry and Victor was interesting, but much harder to follow and less engaging. One thing I wanted to mention is that the way Ry is described throughout the book, especially by Victor, as kind of a male-female hybrid seemed very transphobic. I'm not sure that Ry's character had a lot of depth beyond his transness (especially if he's supposed to be the modern analogue to Mary Shelley, who has actual agency and perspective in her part of the story), which is continually fetishized. I've seen a couple of trans reviewers here call this out more incisively. There is also a rape scene, which felt unnecessary and cruel. I guess what I mean to say is that I want to find out whether there was some kind of sensitivity reader who okayed this, because it felt sus. Also - while reading other reviews I saw multiple people point out that the modern Claire character is a racist stereotype, which I didn't notice but is sadly true.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Transphobia
Minor: Child death