Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Full disclosure: this is my all-time favorite book. This may or may not make this review somewhat... biased. This is one of the most incredibly well written, timeless, dynamic, and complex pieces of literature I have personally ever experienced. I not only have to be cautious of where and when I choose to pick this up to read again (because I disappear entirely into it and not a single thing can pull me out of it once I have started), but I also enjoy how vividly this story plays in my mind as I read. I always imagine a stage set monologue performed by James McAvoy (prior to his ever being cast to actually play Victor Frankenstein). 

Mary Shelley's Masterpiece

To begin, let us take a moment to discuss how extraordinary it is that a work of science fiction written by a woman during any pre-suffrage era was regarded highly enough to still be considered a classic and iconic piece of literature today. Countless many masterpieces may have been lost to history for the singular crime of having been penned by a woman, and that is an atrocity in itself. Shelley truly set the stage for women in writing, paving a sturdy path for writers the likes of Helen Keller, Maya Angelou, and J.K. Rowling. During an era when any woman looking to make a name for herself would be forced to publish under a male pseudonym or sacrifice success, Mary Shelley blatantly refused to have any name but her own credited for her work. Brava, Mary Shelley, and thank you.

A sad truth about classic literature is that, for the most part, it is all kind of difficult to read. The language is antiquated, the pacing slow, the cultural relevance minimal. Opening a lot of books on the "classics" shelf has made me question whatever committee was assigned the task of designating these as such. When I think of something being classic, I think of something that can withstand the test of time. Shelley does that in Frankenstein by speaking so deeply to the ever unchanging struggle of the human condition that this masterpiece will never be anything other than classic.

Victor Frankenstein, our protagonist, is a curious boy who grows up to become one obsessed with the sciences. He devotes so many years to the study, so much time in each and every day, that he becomes entirely engulfed in the process within which he has engaged. He falls into a trap within science that even Jurassic Park has recognized as fallacy, which is that he spent so much time trying to prove that he could that he never stopped to consider if he should. Over time his obsession with this project developed into the creation of a living being fashioned from what had once been numerous corpses. An arm here, a leg there, and a human being was formed.

In one of the most poignant moments in the development of Dr. Frankenstein as a character, we see him completely lose all resolve in the face of his creation. He takes one look at the reality of what he has done and forfeits responsibility for it. There are so many parallels that can be made during these passages that it would be impossible to sum them all up in a reasonable amount of time. Some examples of the more prominent ones for me are those between a divine creator and his creation, between a parent and an unwanted child, and in the human capacity to flee from perceived failure.

During the dozens of times I have either read or listened to the audio version of this book, I always feel strongly that Shelley intended for the audience to connect more deeply with the narrator, Frankenstein, than with the monster. The direction of the narration and the language of perspective convey the idea that we are supposed to feel for Victor and learn from his example of dabbling too extensively into sciences that should not be explored. This is true until the later chapters when his monster takes over the narration and we finally see the experiences of his creation and life through his eyes.

Without a doubt, the passages of the monster's experiences following his waking are some of the most powerful, resonant, and impactful passages in literary history. Tears form in my eyes at the thought of his experiences and at how eloquently he expresses his sorrow, confusion, and profound pain. It is at this moment that Shelley rips you from what you have known and shows you the singularly most significant fictional character ever created. This section alone warrants a second, and even third, pass through this novel to afford the audience a more dynamic view of the story as a whole.

As the story progresses, and the monster becomes guilty of more and more heinous crimes against his creator, the shift becomes again towards Dr. Frankenstein and his struggle. We start to forget what he has cost this innocent creature, and what he legitimately owed him from conception that he never paid out. The monster becomes the hunted, at the grave cost of Victor's life and (some may question) sanity.

Through this entire experience it can sometimes be overlooked that neither Frankenstein, nor his monster, are actually telling this story. A sea captain, who rescued and befriended the mad doctor, laments the loss of his only friend and the reasons for it. We find then that the bias of this entire story was in the hands of someone who loved dearly the creator, but feared the creature. The purposeful taint, and distinct disconnection from the full account of this extensive journey, add to the experience that is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Do yourself a favor and devour this masterpiece. It is worth every word. It is literal literary perfection.