REVIEW: Frankenstein

 Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley

One of my favorite pastimes is reading. I love books. 

Even so, during my years of schooling, I was obliged (I really want to use the term "forced" here, as it is pretty well true) to read many, many things that were not my choice. Some were great....and others, well....I believe the term Classic is sometimes applied too liberally. I have strong opinions on high school reading lists that haven't been updated for decades.

It is a totally different experience to read a book by choice with true interest in the story. So, I have decided to choose some classic literature to revisit. I want to see if reading these books again without any outside pressures, opinions or instruction will make the tales more enjoyable. Re-visiting some classic novels with adult wisdom and experience might give different insights into the characters and stories as well. I'm willing to delve back into whatever old tomes catch my fancy, and see what I think. And, there is no exam at the end! Woot!

I start this project while I am several books into another personal reading challenge - reading all of Agatha Christie's writing in publication order. I found a system that works for Christie's novels that I am also going to use for my foray into classics. I obtain a print or E-book version of the text and an audio book version, and read the text as I listen to the audio. I'm finding it helps me check on changes in text between editions, if any. It also keeps my mind focused completely on the story. I only read/listen to my book of choice when I have time to only concentrate on reading. I will not be listening to Christie or classic audio books while driving, doing household tasks or anything else. I also pause my reading to look up references to people, places, events in the story or whatever might grab my attention. The internet makes researching little tangents so easy, and it lends a more in-depth understanding of the story. I also look for adaptations into other formats - movies, TV, graphic novels, and audio dramas - and compare some of the adaptations to the actual novel while the book is still fresh in my mind. Then I review the book on my book blog.

I got the idea for this personal reading challenge when PBS hosted The Great American Read. I watched each episode of the accompanying show and read several of the books that made the final list of 100 favorite books. I loved the concept and I enjoyed voting and finding out which books made the top list. But, I really just wanted to enjoy picking my own personal list. 

The first classic I re-visited was Dracula. I disliked the novel when I read it in school, but the revisit was a success. I loved the story and really enjoyed the horror/psychological aspects of Stoker's vampire tale. So, I decided my next classic would be another in the horror genre - Frankenstein. The last time I read this book was in college, and about the only thing I remember from previous readings is that the actual story is very different from movie and television adaptations. I also remember that the story started some great moral/ethical debates during class discussion. 

I read Frankenstein using an ebook, courtesy of my lovely local library and Hoopla (Duke Classics, 2012) and an audio book I already had in my Audible library (Audible Studios, 10/29/13, narrated by Dan Stevens). The audio is 8 hours and 35 minutes long. Stevens does a very good job of voice acting, reads at a good steady pace, and is easily understandable. Excellent performance!

The first issue I encountered as I started reading is that I discovered there are multiple editions of Frankenstein, with the author and even Percy Shelley making edits in the later versions. The first edition was published anonymously in 1818. There was an edited version in 1823, and a another version published in 1831 that finally gave author's credit to Mary Shelley. I read up on the differences between the 1818 and 1831 version and they are extensive.

I didn't discover this fact until I was about 3 chapters into the first volume of the book. I stopped for a bit to contemplate whether I wanted to take a deep dive and read both the 1818 version and 1831 version, and compare/contrast the changes. It took me a little bit of research to determine what edition I was reading -- 1831. I thought on it for a bit and decided that I'm only going to read the 1831 version. I am reading for enjoyment not academic study. The end result is a book review, not a dissertation or academic paper. I'm not interested in scholarly debates on which version is better. I just want to experience and enjoy the story. If Mary Shelley made edits to her creation, I'm willing to read the one that was her final version...the one with her name on it as author. Plus, truthfully, I could not find a copy of the 1818 version and didn't want to spend more money buying another copy just to compare the two. At some point, I may go back and read the earlier version to see which one I prefer. 

Both Victor Frankenstein and his Creature/Creation speak extensively regarding their feelings throughout the book. The Creation (He does not have a name, and I don't like calling him by derogatory terms because his physical condition and appearance are not his fault) feels alone in the universe and hated or feared by everyone. No matter how nice he tries to be, there is no place for him among men. So he exacts revenge on the man who created him and abandoned him to try to make his way in the world alone. Victor sees his creation as an abomination and oftentimes wishes he would just die/disappear. He calls his Creation evil and laments the violent revenge and actions of the Creation he abandoned, but never really admits that the entire situation is his fault. He dabbled in science that was best left alone for moral reasons and then ran away like a coward when his experiment was successful. Did he think the Creation he brought to life would just magically go away? Then the creature begs him to give him a companion, promising to disappear if he just has another being like him to spend his days with. Victor goes on and on about being disgusted by conducting the experiment again - but isn't the act a way to undo the harm he did by his first act of Creation?  Of course, things do not go well.....and things end badly for both Victor and his Creation. 

There isn't a lot of detail given regarding the nature of what Victor did to give life to a dead body. The focus of the 1831 edition is more on the feelings, emotions and ethical questions about what Victor accomplished. His actions were horrific. He didn't realize it at the time, but by the end of the story he realizes what he did was unforgivable. Victor loses everything he loves. And, the Creation never had anything to lose. It's sad. 

I kept thinking of a scene from Jurassic  Park as I listened to this book. Dr. Malcolm is upset over the re-creation of dinosaurs and says,"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." I think that statement applies here as well. Victor was so obsessed with the fact that he could reanimate a dead body that he never once stopped to think if he should. Then he was horrified and ran away. And that one act of cowardice caused so much pain for everyone that came in contact with Victor or the Creation. How would the story have been different if Victor had helped his Creation...taken him in, shown some compassion, or even destroyed him at the beginning? But he just ran away.....left the Creation there alone. The Creation discovers Victor's notes and learns who brought him life.....and abandoned him to an existence filled with loneliness, pain and mental anguish. 

Who is the monster? After listening to the full story, I really have no sympathy for Victor Frankenstein.The Creature tried for years to be kind....to just Live....and was injured and rejected at every turn. Every bad event that happens in this tale is a consequence of Victor's ego and thoughtless actions.

This is a very moving, and horrific story. It has nothing to do with ridiculous movies about a 9 foot tall green monster with bolts in his neck. It's horrific because a man used his knowledge of science to create life, and then abandoned that life, causing harm to so many other people. It's about abuse of knowledge, medical ethics, consequences and revenge. 

I enjoyed re-visiting this classic. It's a gruesome story. I found myself wishing that just one person would overlook the Creation's appearance and see his goodness and his genius....just one friend would have made this a different story. If Victor had taken responsibility for his actions and done the right thing, the outcome may have been entirely different.

All the twists and turns in this story will have me thinking on human nature, ethics, and responsibility for some time to come. So glad I read this book again! It's very dark, but so thought provoking!