Frankenstein

The first time I read Mary Shelly's Frankenstein was decades ago, and when I finished reading it, I felt like I'd just read one of the greatest loves stories ever told, and now after reading it a third time I feel exactly the same. Her heart felt writing of a misunderstood creature who is only seeking love and companionship, but is looked upon as a monster because of his physical appearance, shows us that no matter what era we live in, human nature does not change.

"Frankenstein" captivated me with its haunting exploration of ambition, isolation, and the quest for identity with gay themes between the lines. I was moved by the Creature’s yearning for acceptance, making him a tragic, sympathetic figure rather than a simple monster. The story is a powerful reminder of responsibility, empathy, and the human need for connection—even in the face of fear and rejection.

We have all heard of this book. We all know something about the plot either by watching the film or hearing something about it at school. If you haven’t yet read the book, you must put it on your reading list. We can only give Mary Shelley’s work full justice by reading it from beginning to end; not until then will you be able to feel Victor’s internal struggles. In his attempt to achieve immortality, he created a monster.

I never get tired of reading chapter five where Shelley describes Victor’s utter disappointment upon watching his creation coming to life.… show more.

Frankenstein digs deep into a parent’s responsibility to their child and the beginning roots of violence. Mary Shelley asks if rejection, isolation, and suffering through neglect is sufficiently potent to make a monster. This one isn’t obscure, but I was surprised and touched by the poignant and relatable themes.

It got me thinking about my childhood and my parent’s even rougher upbringings. They tried to overcome the traumas passed on to them and stumbled quite a bit. I’ve done the same with my children and wonder at what point those increments of positive change reach a tipping point. Frankenstein asserts… show more.

Perhaps the most classic work of horror fiction in both literature and cinema. As an English teacher, I find that there is so much fodder for lessons prevalent in this book–nature vs nurture, the dangers of forbidden knowledge and playing God, the arrogance of science, and who the real monster is. I particularly love the difference between The Monster in the novel and the film, its articulation, desires, abilities, and even its physical appearance. Few written works have been more seminal.

I’ve always loved this story of the misguided scientist and his outwardly monstrous but inwardly very sympathetic creation. My favorite scene is the one where the monster hides out in a shed of an unsuspecting family, and by watching them through a chink in the wall, he learns to speak; then, he learns to read with some of their abandoned books.

For me, his acquisition of language and literacy most poignantly characterizes his humanity in a surprising twist since Victor Frankenstein ought to be the learned one. The centrality of language to human experience has been an important theme in… show more.

I don't know if creating a monster from the remains of the dead qualifies as sci-fi, but I'm adding Mary Shelley's 1818 title anyway. This was one I got to read in middle school; we had a list of books we could read, but it was mandatory to read at least 5 for the year. Other than just a handful of books I've read that were written by female authors, this is the only one that can qualify as sci-fi.

Shelley has a very eloquent yet provocative voice. I think it would be near impossible to liken her tone, pace,… show more.

I have been a fan of Gothic and melodrama since I first watched the 1931 film Frankenstein with Boris Karloff–and I was delighted to discover that the book is even better and so much more than what we’ve ever seen on screen.

Frankenstein’s monster is articulate and soulful in Mary Shelley’s atmospheric, dread-filled original novel, and his plight is all the more moving because of it. She wrote it when she was just 18 years old, still grieving over the death of her first child two years earlier. I feel her aching sorrow on every page. 

I think the best way to understand this novel is to read it as a story about a father and a son. Victor Frankenstein creates a son whom he immediately rejects. The son seeks love and receives hate. The father fears and loathes what he has created. He refuses to take responsibility for what he has done, and the results come back to haunt him.

I think this speaks clearly to the choice we fathers must make when we start down this road, and it shows what can become of unloved sons. I’ve read this story many times, and I… show more.

I get it. This topic is low-hanging fruit, yet classic science fiction is always worth revisiting, particularly when it is the first of the genre. And the first was written by a woman.

It was 1818 when Mary Shelley explored what can happen when a laboratory experiment goes wrong. In this case, an experiment that eliminates the need for human propagation. Taking such an experiment to its logical conclusion eliminates the need for women. Or men for that matter. The prose holds up surprisingly well.

I recommend it because it illustrates why science fiction is as much an art form… show more.