The original story of science gone berserk: one that changed how far our dreams can stretch. Imagine a human created out of corpses. A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator. Who is the monster: this tortured beast, or the man who made him?--Goodreads, LibraryThing.
A monster has been loosed upon the world--super-humanly strong, inhumanly vicious. Its inventor knows he must find and destroy it--halt its career of terror and murder! But as Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist, pursues his monster through the night, he hears the echo of its fearsome voice: "You are my creator, but I am your master. Obey!--WorldCat.
"Mary Shelley's timeless Gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein …
The original story of science gone berserk: one that changed how far our dreams can stretch. Imagine a human created out of corpses. A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator. Who is the monster: this tortured beast, or the man who made him?--Goodreads, LibraryThing.
A monster has been loosed upon the world--super-humanly strong, inhumanly vicious. Its inventor knows he must find and destroy it--halt its career of terror and murder! But as Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist, pursues his monster through the night, he hears the echo of its fearsome voice: "You are my creator, but I am your master. Obey!--WorldCat.
"Mary Shelley's timeless Gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
Reading the original after only knowing various adaptations is striking. A well-presented tale of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the chain of moral failures.
Mary Shelley really did a commendable job on this book especially considering her age and the society she was placed in. However, this book didn't stant out to me as much as I hoped it would.
Mary Shelley really did a commendable job on this book especially considering her age and the society she was placed in. However, this book didn't stant out to me as much as I hoped it would.
This was an amazing book, and the writing was very poetic. The banter between Frankenstein and his monster was awesome. The book was a little slow at first, but quickly picked up. Also, I the monster was very different than I expected; and I sympathized more with him than his creator (even though his crimes were horrific).
I read this when I was a teen and found it dull and tough to read. Now though, I'm all growed up and my vocabulary has increased to just over 40 words (including, luckily, countenance) I enjoyed this more second time around.
There are two annoying things though with the book. 1. The lack of science, it was like "oh I think I'll make a person, bish, bash, bosh, tadaaaaaaa!!!!!" and then "I don't really like it". 2. Frankenstein is such a pathetic excuse for a man, so much drama each time somebody dies. Was this written by a girl or something?
In conclusion I enjoyed this, the chase and the constant search for revenge made for a gripping read.
I think everyone has had some exposure to the general idea of what this book is about. I certainly had, and was not altogether excited by the prospect of reading it. I got a free copy, and decided to dive in anyway. I'm so glad that I did. The story was much deeper than I'd ever thought it was based on the modern re-imaginings that we've probably all seen in various media. The monster was not just some groaning & slow-moving zombie, but rather a thoughtful and tormented being. He not only is able to speak, but can be quite eloquent and persuasive when he is so inclined. Frankenstein himself is similarly not the maniacal mad scientist that he is often portrayed to be.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone. I am very glad to have read it, despite my initial hesitance.
This truly is a classic tale of social insight, a story of one seeking acceptance and desiring companionship but being rejected and branded a monster. The thing that I liked most about this book is the fact that it’s divided into two accounts, designed to view both sides of the story. The first part of the book ‘Frankenstein’ tells the story of the life of Victor Frankenstein, the creation of Monster Frankenstein and the death of his younger brother William. A servant ‘Justine’ has been put on trial for this murder, but Victor knows the identity of the true killer. Monster Frankenstein and Victor finally meet up and despite his desire to kill his creation, Victor is forced to listen to the monster’s story, after being threatened.
‘The Modern Prometheus’ tells the story of the Monster Frankenstein, confused and unsure from the very first day of life, found himself hiding …
This truly is a classic tale of social insight, a story of one seeking acceptance and desiring companionship but being rejected and branded a monster. The thing that I liked most about this book is the fact that it’s divided into two accounts, designed to view both sides of the story. The first part of the book ‘Frankenstein’ tells the story of the life of Victor Frankenstein, the creation of Monster Frankenstein and the death of his younger brother William. A servant ‘Justine’ has been put on trial for this murder, but Victor knows the identity of the true killer. Monster Frankenstein and Victor finally meet up and despite his desire to kill his creation, Victor is forced to listen to the monster’s story, after being threatened.
‘The Modern Prometheus’ tells the story of the Monster Frankenstein, confused and unsure from the very first day of life, found himself hiding in the woods watching people and learning how to find food, create a fire and how to differentiate between the feelings of happiness and sadness. Watching a family in poverty taught Monster Frankenstein many things and he started chopping wood and shoveling snow for the family while they slept. His loneliness finally drove him to show himself to this family who ended up running away in fear. With a mixture of loneliness and anger, he seeks out his creator, finding his way to William where he decides to kidnap him for companionship and ends up accidentally strangling him.
This is where the two stories meet and monster Frankenstein pleads with Victor saying he’s ‘a good creature turned bad by unforgiving humans who scoffed at friendship’. The monster pleads with Victor to make him a companion which he would take and never be heard from again. Victor reluctantly agrees but found it harder and harder to do, even though his family was in danger. Victor began to realize the female companion could wreck much havoc by giving birth to more monsters and refusing to be with the monster as a mate altogether. Monster Frankenstein swears revenge and goes about killing everyone close to Victor in attempt to show Victor what it feels like to be alone. As Frankenstein dies, the monster appears in his room and begs his dead body for forgiveness.
In the end the story has no true villain or hero. Monster Frankenstein and Victor Frankenstein were both portrayed as hero and villain. The story also leaves you wondering on how you treat others, do our actions end up turning people into a ‘monsters’? Overall this was a brilliant story, although the language was at times hard to understand, it is still worth the read.
OK forget all the movies you've seen on Frankenstein. Even the ones that say that they're closer to the actual story. The book is so very different from any of the stories. A truly fine example of early science fiction. It has its problems due to the differing aesthetics in Ms. Shelley's time and ours, but still worth a read.
Quite different from the movies, in that the monster is eloquent and intelligent, and speaks with the same vocabulary as his creator. Actually, every character in the book belongs to the same educated, upper-class realm, and each speaks with the same voice.
This really is the first time I've picked up the original Frankenstein, and it was not at all what I'd expected, not one bit. Years ago, I'd seen a couple movies based on this classic, but neither version had much resemblance to Mary Shelley's original story. One of the most vivid scenes I can remember seeing in the movies was of Frankenstein's monster being chased by a band of villagers with torches, out to destroy this deformed creature, but nothing of the sort ever happens in the book.
Mary Shelley's story is the tragedy of a life brought into existence without any regard for that life; Frankenstein's monster does not even possess a name, much less the compassion of any other being on earth.
This novel actually begins aboard a ship, with the lonely Captain Walton writing letters to his sister, lamenting his extreme lonliness and lack of friends aboard …
This really is the first time I've picked up the original Frankenstein, and it was not at all what I'd expected, not one bit. Years ago, I'd seen a couple movies based on this classic, but neither version had much resemblance to Mary Shelley's original story. One of the most vivid scenes I can remember seeing in the movies was of Frankenstein's monster being chased by a band of villagers with torches, out to destroy this deformed creature, but nothing of the sort ever happens in the book.
Mary Shelley's story is the tragedy of a life brought into existence without any regard for that life; Frankenstein's monster does not even possess a name, much less the compassion of any other being on earth.
This novel actually begins aboard a ship, with the lonely Captain Walton writing letters to his sister, lamenting his extreme lonliness and lack of friends aboard his vessel, when suddenly, he and his crew spy a stranded man adrift on an ice floe. After rescuing this man, Walton becomes enraptured with his tale. Walton's new companion is none other than Victor Frankenstein, and his tale of woe is told in flashback.
Frankenstein's dissertation is full of remorse and uncertainty. The lonely, angry being which Frankenstein has created has already caused pain and despair to his loved ones, and is now demanding a mate, and Frankenstein vacillates on the morality of such an action.
The plot is still a meaningful one, though the style of Shelley's prose can get tedious and at times seems overly verbose--But then, it was written in 1818.
Frankenstein is, in my mind, the quintessential horror novel. Since it's incarnation as a casual, late-night, spooky story competition, this terrifying story has captivated readers for almost two centuries. With an eye for exquisite detail, Shelley paints the picture of the hunted monster, persecuted and scorned by humanity on account of his ugly form and rage-accompanied actions. Frankenstein's Monster is the epitome of the tortured soul and Shelley takes special care to painstakingly account his troubled misadventures. A work of the finest art, this stunning novel has taken its place firmly amongst the classics.
In the last year I watched the two Bela Lugosi films of Frankenstein and was curious to read the book. They are remarkably different,yet complement each other. If you can cope with a lot of gothic gushing and emoting it's a worthy read.