Frankenstein

A classic in ways we sometimes don’t understand. Is the monster the man brought to life of the man foolish enough to believe he is god and creation is his to employ

A foundational work of fiction. An excellent exploration of the place of mankind in the universe and our relationship to our creations. This book is not to be missed.

I didn’t think the book was particularly good, but it should be valued as a book that started a whole new genre. Actually, it began several genres, as passing generations split off new paths.

No movie can ever capture the original story.

This was out of my comfort zone. I had a little trouble getting into this read because it was different from what i imagined. But in the end I enjoyed it.

If you’ve never read the original, you have got to read this book! And if it’s been a while, why not read it again?

I find this story compelling, and, of course, it touches on science trying to go too far (as Michael Crichton did in the motion picture “Westworld” and the novel “Jurassic Park,” and other authors and filmmakers have done as well), along with touches of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, not to mention probably being the first science fiction novel.

Some might find this novel somewhat hard to read. First, the language of the early 1800s, when Mary Shelley wrote the novel, is somewhat stilted by today’s standards, but was the norm back then. Second, it is an epistolary novel (one written as a series of documents, usually letters, diary entries, and newspaper clippings). In this case, it starts with letters from an explorer to his sister, then moves on to documenting Victor Frankenstein’s story, documenting Victor’s remembrances of the creature’s story, then finishes with the resolution of the two stories.

Whenever I read a novel like “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus,” (or “Dracula,” or “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” or even the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming), I’m amazed at how many people seem to know the stories and characters only through motion pictures. For example, in the novel Victor Frankenstein’s creature is extremely tall, ugly, intelligent, and articulate, not at all the same thing as we have seen many times on the Big and Small Screens. And, sure, generally, the book is better than the motion picture is, but that doesn’t mean one can’t enjoy both. So, in this year of the 200th anniversary of the publishing of Mary Shelley’s novel, I say, read the book, then watch your favorite motion picture(s) of Victor Frankenstein and his creation, and enjoy both.

How the legend of the Frankenstein monster began. An incredible telling of a nightmare

I’ve read this book several times in my life, and I find myself always comparing it to the different versions of movies made around it. It is a classic and enjoyable, because it’s strength lies in leaving a lot left to your imagination.

Very good read. Victor the protagonist is very annoying though