Book Review: Frankenstein

I purchased Frankenstein and Dracula last year hoping to read them in the month of October for Halloween. HA! With a brand new baby and working 10 hours a day, that was a lofty ambition...so I was glad to be able to do it this October, and found that Frankenstein was not at all what I expected it to be.

1) I thought the Monster was going to be slow, stupid, and horrible. On the contrary, he achieves superhuman speed and agility, strength beyond any of his human counterparts--which makes him scary. Also he is very smart, perceptive, and wise which makes him even more cold and calculating when he kills.

2) I thought it would describe in greater detail the process of creating the monster. Instead it gives a brief and vague account of his creation. I thought Victor was a little whiny I didn't understand why he didn't tell people what he'd done until the end.

3) Much of the book is Victor looking over his shoulder in fear, always watching for the monster. I thought it would have more of the monster in it I guess.

I really enjoyed the book. I read it pretty quickly, and I love the story behind the conception of Frankenstein. Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley challenged each other to write a "ghostly tale" and Mary was the only one that completed her story, and was successful too. She was only 18 when she wrote it. There were many profound quotes also which I will share:

"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."

"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful."

"If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!"

"...learn from my miseries, and do not seek to increase your own."

"Live, and be happy, and make others so."

Great book, very spooky, now--On to Dracula (I wonder if he sparkles like Edward?)