Originally published in 1818 and this classic novel still has a heartbeat!
I believe this book is highly underestimated and this beautiful story should be more well-known.
Before I dove in, my understanding of Frankenstein greatly contrasts the story that was told between these pages. The idea that most people have of Frankenstein is about a mad scientist who challenges the laws of nature to bring a man, or monster, to life. This is not wrong, but it is only the beginning and scratches the surface of the whole story. It veritably is a novel about the complexities of human emotion and connection, and it touches your heart. It touched mine, at least. This original story NEEDS to be told again. Or, brought back to life ;P
For a love of virtue, Victor Frankenstein had excitement and enthusiasm in building this creature of his imagination. Sacrificed everything he had to bring this idea to life.
“How can i describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care i had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and i had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!—Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.”
However, the day of his success, the day the giant creature came to life, he ran away in terror and immediately shut him out. He wanted nothing to do with him and to forget that it ever happened. The ingenious scientist became bed ridden with sickness and depression for months afterward.
“I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I have deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that i had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being i had created, I rushed out of the room, and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber, unable to compose my mind of sleep.”
My depiction here, for what it sounds like, Victor Frankenstein had postpartum depression. — It does take a lot of work and energy to create another living being. Welcome to a woman’s world, Victor.
On the topic of depression, I’m really sad when Victor’s second project did not come into fruition. (I don’t want to spoil the story in-case anyone reading this has not read the book). I saw logic and felt a hope for peace behind that idea. But maybe that was just my female fairy-tale imagination wishing for that perfect ending where everyone is happy. (Ugh i just reread that)
As the story developed, my heart kept bouncing back and forth for the monster and I kept switching teams. This is not your typical protagonist vs. antagonist plot, because I couldn’t decide who was who. Both characters indubitably had good and evil inside both of them. Developing the idea that this story was actually about human emotion, and how complex they can be, given context. Did anyone else feel this way?
At the end of it all, I’m mad at Frankenstein for rejecting the creature that he so passionately wanted and created. Abandoning him basically because he was F-ugly.
A vision so horrible as his face, of such loathsome yet appalling hideousness.
This ignorant and helpless creature who was forced into the world, begs the scientist to accept him and take him under his wing, Frankenstein refused and abandoned him. I wonder if the fictional Frankenstein character ever thought of the lives he could have saved, including his own, if only he had shown compassion and love for the very monster he created with his own imagination and hands. How different the story could’ve gone.
Know that, one by one, my friends were snatched away; I was left desolate.
Reap what you sow, Mr. Frankenstein!
Once a shy and curious fellow yearning love and fellowship, you watch the monster evolve into an abandoned and miserable creature full of hatred and vengeance in his heart. It’s quite sad.
By the last chapter did anyone else feel like they were gearing up for a Rocky Balboa fight? Lol.
Some food for thought — how different EVERY story could go if we encompassed more compassion rather than judgement into our own hearts. Hmmm. — Though, this is a fictional story that Mary Shelley wrote intended as a ghost story, not an inspiring novel that encourages us to be kind to one another.
With power comes responsibility. I am concluding that Victor Frankenstein’s troubles were only brought upon by himself.
I fell in love with the way this old tale was told. The old English and setting additives brought the story to context. It absolutely still makes for a great story, even now 200 years after its original publication. As a hopeless romantic myself, it certainly was the perfect gothic novel; passionate, horrific, yet romantic..
My reading experience was enriched learning about the author, Mary Shelley. Her life story is itself a bit of a gothic novel. Barnes and Nobles' classic novel print has an, About The Author, section in the beginning that I recommend. A motion picture came out last year telling her unique story that I also recommend for any other literary and history lovers.
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