Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Begun when the author was only eighteen and conceived from a nightmare, Frankenstein is the deeply distrubing story of a monstrous creation which has terrified and chilled readers since its first publication in 1818. The novel has thus seared its way into the popular imagination while establishing itself as one of the pioneering works of modern science fiction.

Frankenstein has probably got to be one of my favourite classic books. I remember reading it a couple of years ago and wanted to refresh my mind on the story, so re-read it. Frankenstein was written marvellously and contained a combination of eerie and grostique events.  The story takes place in Europe, and many scenes are in Geneva, Switzerland where Frankenstein is from. Is it me or do most dark Gothic books take place there? Many people mistaken the name Frankenstein for the beast, but really it is the name of the creator. The beast is never given a name, and is often referred to as a hideous monster, and demon by town folks and Frankenstein himself.

This story is born when Frankenstein decides to create a companion, but ends up not liking his results thus leaving it alone. Little did he know his creation would come to life and would ultimately lead to his demise.  Through the beginning of the book the reader feels sympathy for the beast because of the emotional trauma he goes through of not being accepted by the human society. Shelley displays the human nature in judging by appearance rather then seeing an individual for who they are. The rejection he feels ultimately transform into rage towards his creator. As the story progresses, the reader (at least me) feel sorry for both characters, but especially Frankenstein's life. I will stop there for fear of any spoilers!

The only complaint I had was that there were some parts where the story kind of dragged with unnecessary scenes, but the ending made up for it. I would greatly recommend this classic to anyone who likes to read something dark Gothic once in a while and don't mind the writing structure of a classic. If you like easy words that are used in modern lingo, then I wouldn't recommend this book for you. But to others, great book, go read it!