Week #32 – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Welcome to 2023!  On Mondays this year, let’s discuss and have fun with books. No I’m not writing book reviews. But this website is for writers, and writers like books right? So let’s have FUN with books!

Week #32 – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, 1818

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, was written by Mary Shelley when she was just 18 years old. Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist, creates a living creature by piecing together body parts of cadavers and then giving it life in an unorthodox scientific experiment. He is then horrified by what he made and does not give it a name. The monster initially seeks affection and acceptance, but inspires loathing and fear in everyone who meets it.

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is best known for defying the Olympian gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity. In some versions of the myth, he is also credited with the creation of humanity from clay. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein

You can read the story here

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/84/84-h/84-h.htm

The 1931 movie with Boris Karloff as the Monster is the most famous film adaptation

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/

Robert De Niro played the Monster in 1994

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109836/

It has a fan page

https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Frankenstein's_Monster_(Frankenstein)

Here’s an analysis of the book

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/frankenstein/

An interesting article in The New Yorker

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein

Have you read Frankenstein? Did you know the name was the scientist and not the creature? Tell us in the comments!