Frankenstein is a fairly short novel. It is under 300 pages. The book tells the tale of Doctor Victor Frankenstein and his quest to build a human. Things don’t go as planned for Dr Frankenstein, and his creature (aptly named The Creature) turns against him. Frankenstein has been told and retold since its publication. One thing that is certain, is that the original novel is not so much about fear or horror or monsters, but what happens when a living thing becomes lonely. “Frankenstein” is four stories in one: an allegory, a fable, an epistolary novel, and an autobiography. It is a chaos of literary fertility that left its very young author at pains to explain her “hideous progeny.”
Much of the novel is dedicated to The Creature’s narrative. He is extremely intelligent and well-spoken, thanks to a poor family that he lives among for months without them knowing. He hides in the shadows and listens to their conversations, and he also finds a sack of abandoned books in the woods which he uses to teach himself to read. The Creature knows that he is ugly, and he knows that he inspires fear in whoever he meets. He is profoundly lonely and decides to go to Victor for help. He pleads with the doctor to create a mate for him, and Victor warily agrees. Find out what happens next as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone!
Frankenstein follows Victor, a scientist on a mission to create new life from old carcasses – until his plan, of course, backfires. What ensues is perhaps fairly well-known in popular culture: the killing of his brother, the framing of his tutor, Justine, and the murder of his wife Elizabeth. With the help of his wife, Elizabeth, and his loving family, he must find a way to save not only his family but his soul.
After learning more about Shelley’s life, it becomes clear that “The Creature’s monologues” come from a very personal place. In addition to the pressure put on her to become a famous intellectual, Shelley had to deal with the fact that her mother died giving birth to her. The Creature expresses the same sentiments after he begs, Dr Frankenstein to make him a mate. He even references the epic poem, Paradise Lost himself but reminds the doctor that when God created Adam, he created Eve, and he did not abandon them. He abhors the doctor for creating him; he never asked to be created. He did not “solicit” him.
Mary Shelley raises questions about the danger of knowledge. The novel portrays nineteen-century fears for the rising field of science and knowledge and questions how far it could go. Indeed, in this case, Victor takes on the role of God by creating a new life. She also shows us what can happen to a man if he is so driven by this thirst for knowledge and how it will ultimately lead to a fall. Victor, like Faustus, has stopped at nothing to gain his goal, but in the end, is ultimately dissatisfied with the result. Faustus is from Marlowe’s play.
I simply adore this book. I think this, alongside Dracula, are amongst the strongest representations of Gothic literature. Furthermore, I have a real soft spot for epistolary means of storytelling. I’m not sure why perhaps it’s the stronger sense of intimacy we feel with the characters as we see their words on the page rather than an impartial narrator. While reading an epistolary work, we see inside their heads more and understand their motifs and feelings.
Read it once
