Don’t Skip This: Frankenstein

Remember that summer reading list in high school that you blew off? There were some pretty great titles you skipped and you’ve spent your adult life hearing references to them. What did you miss? And why are these titles still thrown around today? Are they really that good? Here’s your chance to redeem yourself: we’re taking a candid look at a lot of these books and building a case for finally picking up that book years later.

Frankenstein

Author:
Mary Shelley
Genre:
Science fiction horror
Length:
Roughly 200 pages, varying wildly between editions
Difficulty Level:
11^th grade
Selling Point:
“Give my creation… life!”

The Gist:

Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant and ambitious scientist who finds the secret to reviving dead tissue. He tests this discovery on a body made from dead tissues, and ends up creating a monster.

Lonely and feared by the rest of the world, the monster goes to his creator and promises to live the rest of his life in exile, if only Frankenstein would give him a mate. After Frankenstein reneges on this deal, the monster goes on a killing spree while the scientist goes mad with paranoia and a lust for vengeance.

Common Misconceptions:

Pretty much everything that you know about Frankenstein is wrong. Most common knowledge about the topic is derived from the film adaptation starring Boris Karloff, which (as iconic as it is) was such a piss-poor adaptation that Shelley has probably been spinning continuously in her grave since it came out 80 years ago.

First of all, the book’s narrator is deliberately vague about his methods of re-animation. He didn’t want some other misguided soul to continue his work, you see. As a result, there’s virtually no detail given to the scene in which Frankenstein brings his monster to life. There’s no mention of lightning or electricity, there are no grandiose speeches, and Frankenstein never once proclaims “It’s alive!”

Speaking of which, so much of Frankenstein’s agony comes from mental and emotional isolation. He can’t go to friends or family, because everyone he knows and loves is in mortal peril. He can’t tell anyone that he created the fiend behind so many murders, lest they lock him up in a madhouse or go to die at the monster’s hands. And again, Frankenstein can’t tell anyone about the monster’s creation, for fear that someone will make another one.

He’s completely alone in this. That means no lab assistants, no hunchbacks, and no one named Igor.

As for the monster himself, where do I begin? There aren’t any bolts in his neck. He isn’t afraid of fire more than anybody else. He isn’t a slow and lumbering behemoth, but a giant who’s faster and more nimble than any ordinary man. Perhaps most importantly, the monster isn’t some stupid brute who can only speak in grunts and roars. Yes, he does start out that way, but he quickly learns how to read and speak. In short order, he becomes the most eloquent and verbose character in the book.

Last but not least, the 1931 Universal film has a happy ending. The book doesn’t. At all.

Is it still worth it?

If you ever wanted to know the true definition of “macabre,” just read this book. Every single sentence of this prose is dripping over with Gothic imagery that’s exquisitely dark. Furthermore, the bleak presentation gives a surprising amount of weight to the book’s thematic content, which is basically a thorough examination of the human condition.

First and foremost, this book is about the hubris of mankind. It’s about our attempts at understanding and controlling the universe through science and religion. It’s about our ability to create and to destroy. It’s about how our attempts at justice are inherently crippled by our own fallibility. It’s about the evils of murder, and how life’s brevity gives it value.

When all is said and done, the book’s various meditations and arguments boil down to this: We as a species are not yet ready to be gods.

Unfortunately, it’s very easy to lose track of the plot, which is often buried under all the Gothic prose and philosophical ruminations. However, those who put in the effort to read this book carefully will find a timeless and scary read.

Where can I find it? How much does it cost?

Public domain, folks. Physical copies are easy to find and dirt cheap, free online texts are readily available, and the Kindle edition won’t cost a cent.