Hollywood scriptwriters and pop-culture has mangled and twisted this tale so much that what is deemed “common knowledge” regarding this book bears no resemblance to the book itself. The lightning, grim castle, villagers with pitchforks, monster with scars across face and bolts in the neck are all figments of the imaginations of various Hollywood personas through the ages.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (née Maruy Wollstonecraft Godwin) was just nineteen when she wrote this fantastic piece of literature. This book transcends trivial concepts like genres. It is a deeply poignant and thought-provoking story of a scientist who, in Michael Crichton’s words, “was so preoccupied with whether or not he could, he didn’t stop to think if he should.”
The story is told in a frame format, with each outer narrator relating his perception of the story of the next narrator.
Captain Wolton is leading a sea expedition to the North pole, and writes a letter to his sister of an extraordinary occurrence. They first encounter a gigantic man driving a dog sled. Shortly later, they rescue a emaciated and near frozen scientist named Victor Frankenstein who is in pursuit of the gigantic figure encountered earlier.
Victor relates his tale thus: He was born of a wealthy Genovese family, and moves to Switzerland to study. There he excels in Chemistry and develops a method to impart life to non-living objects. Using this technique, he “creates” the gigantic man seen earlier. Though designed to be beautiful, the creature turns out to be hideous, and effectively turns his back on him. He returns home when he hears his brother was murdered, and is convinced the creature murdered him.
The creature confronts him and tells him his own tale. He is articulate and intelligent, but has been feared and shunned by people everywhere due to his appearance. Their unkindness makes him bitter; he was shot by the father of a child he saves from drowning. In his bitterness, he swears vengeance against all humans. He travelled to Geneva and murdered Victor’s brother. He then demands that Victor make a female companion for him, since no normal human would ever accept him.
Victor initially agrees, but changes his mind when faced with the implications of them breeding. This enrages the creature who kills Victor’s best friend, and later, his bride on their wedding day. Victor, wanting revenge and to destroy his creation, pursues the creature across Europe, and towards the North pole, where he had encountered the ship.
The strain of relating his story exhausts him and Victor dies. Walton then witnesses the creature on his ship, mourning over the death of his creator, and vows to burn himself to death so none will know of his existence. Walton then sees the creature leave…
The pacing of the story is brilliant. Victor comes across as a man of weak character, unwilling to take responsibility for his actions and its consequences. He pays for this by losing all his loved ones, but still choses to blame his creation rather than his own folly. The characterizations are excellent and the creature’s narration is particularly moving.
This book is an absolute must read, it is a seminal work of literature.