Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1113 in Books
• Published on: 1994-02-24
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Synopsis
The epic battle between man and monster reaches its greatest pitch in the famous story of "Frankenstein". In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor himself to the very brink. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship ...and horror.

Customer Reviews

Focus on Emotional Tragedy and The Personal Responsibility of The Scientist
This book is a "must read" for all science fiction / horror lovers, as you will be able to, as previously pointed out by other reviewers, trace the roots and themes of the genre back to its beginnings.

The depth of the book, however, lies in the poignant questions Shelley raises about scientific discovery and creation. These issues are as valid today as they were at the time and have been literary motifs ever since. Shelley's discussion of these themes makes this book a classic, and as such it should be understood.

If you are only familiar with Frankenstein's monster through film adaptations, you will discover an entirely different story, depicting the monster as a tragic and unloved hero, who turns into a brute following the betrayal by his creator, Victor Frankienstein.

Shelley's story centres around the emotional tragedy endured by the monster rather than on the depiction of his crimes or his outward appearance. In this context, we have to mention that the reader does not even find out how Frankenstein assembled his monster or how he infused him with life. This aspect of the story is entirely left to the reader's imagination.

Interesting
I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long, in my mind I imagined this to be some standard gothic horror with a monster chasing civilians but the reality was much different. The book is far more complex, the characters more complicated and the idea of creation rebelling against creator throwing up various allegories. The book does admittedly take some getting into, but it is worth persevering with as it rapidly gets better.

Frankenstein - Immoral or Kinky?
Although Frankenstein is undoubtedly enjoyable due to its successful attempts at being a novel tale, superbly written and carefully considered; the real fascination and pleasure of the book is to be gained from modern analysis.
Since the birth of Freudian psycho-analysis came into mainstream literary criticism, we must question Shelly's true inspiration behind writing a horror novel and the curious characters within it.
It is clear that what lies on the surface of the tale (A maddened, genius scientist creating a creature, playing the role of God and suffering the consequences) is just the starting point for literary interpretation.
I would surmise the tale is a physical apparition of a polymerization of her super-ego formulating a will to over come nature, combined with a lust for a 'large powerful man' to create the menacing daemon of her work.