Sunday, October 6, 2013

A Review: Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Genre: Mystery/Gothic Thriller

Incerpt from the back of my edition: "Frankenstein tells the story of devoted science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering 'the cause of generation and life' and 'bestowing animation upon lifeless matter,' Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts; but upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein."

I adore this book; I read it in high-school and again this year. I think it might one of those novels I read every year. I'm not even sure why I like it so much. It could be the eerie, suspenseful tone, the well-crafted depictions of nature to mirror the moods of the characters, the deep subject matter itself, or the fact that I read it in the majestic season of autumn (it makes a great 'ghost' story).

This book is not that difficult to read and raises great questions about the nature of life, the role of science and God, and the pride of man. I've never watched the movie, but the portrayal of the monster on the covers makes me weary of them. Whether you've seen these movies or not, you must absolutely read the book. It is deemed a classic for a reason and is worthy of that title in my opinion.

I give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 for its depth of content, lovely, eerie language, and how nature becomes a character (and it takes place in Switzerland!). I recommend it for people around 16 years old and up.