Classic 10 of 40: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

One quarter of the way through my reading goal! 25%! 1/4!

Why Frankenstein?

I had another classic book purchased and ready to read - but ... then had to buy something for a couple dollars on Amazon to get my "add-on" item -and Frankenstein was sitting at the top of my wish list for less than $3. Seemed perfect!

That explains the timing of this read, but really it's on the list because it's one of those classics that you feel like you know already from all modern references from movies, cartoons, and tv shows. And all the costumes. But I realized, I don't really know the "true" story of Frankenstein. And it seemed like a fun way to spice up the Classics reading. And it was!

Thoughts on the Book:

This book was a delightful surprise in many ways. Much more broadly philosophical than I'd imagined. Creationism, wrongful conviction, self-determination, the power and limitations of knowledge, self-acceptance and rejection, etc. It was almost 3 stories in one tiny compact book, with 3 rotating storytellers. My copy was only 166 pages - but Mary Shelley covered quite a lot of terrain in that small space.

Admittedly, I was disappointed by the slow start to the book and how heavy the language was. However, after adjusting to the pacing - the book developed increasingly well. I found myself eager for longer commutes to get back to the story.

The long, heavy language was due, in part, to how old the book is. First published in 1818, it took awhile to get back into older English. To put that in perspective, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was first published in 1870! Jules Verne wasn't even born until 1828 - ten years after Frankenstein was published. On the other side, Candide was published in 1759, but has always seemed so much older to me. The development of science between those years is more than imaginable. And thus, the basis of these novels that flirt was science are so vastly different.

I can't really say that this is an early anti-hero style book. But I will say that Mary Shelley provided reasons to both dislike and like all three of the main story tellers - which I appreciated.

Recommended for? Those willing to brave the older English for a thoughtful, if somewhat dark story.