FRANKENSTEIN -- a confession and a short review

Frankenstein: Or A Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, first published in 1818. Later republished in 1831 with some distinctive changes. I read the 1831 version, published by Signet in 2021.

Slowly, slowly, slowly I am making my way through a list of classic books everyone* says I should read before I die. Hopefully, I won't die when I get to the end of the list. More likely I'll never die since it seems like the list is never-ending. Whichever the case, I have finally finished Mary Shelley's famous novel Frankenstein and it was a shocking experience. Not shocking because it was so horrifying, after all Frankenstein is considered to be the very first Sci-Fi novel, but because I thought I knew the story, but I was wrong.

Several years ago I partnered with a high school AP English teacher as part of my role as the school's librarian. She wanted her students to read some classic novels. I suggested a book club within her class. Each student would be part of a small group of students who would all read the same book, discussing it together on intervals. She liked the idea and had me book-talk several classic novels which the library had in multiple copies: Wuthering Heights; As I Lay Dying; Jane Eyre; Brave New World; 1984: and Frankenstein, to name a few. The groups made their selections and off they went with a novel in hand. Several days later a boy came to the library from the class and asked to check out Frankenstein. He'd not been in class the day I conducted the book-talks and he looked none-too-happy to be reading Frankenstein and to be playing catch-up with the rest of his group. I assured him that the novel was a good one, a true horror novel. Then I made a comment which brought a real questioning look on his face. "At least you know about the plot and the characters already." Clearly, by his look, he didn't know either. So I gave him a quick summary: "Mad scientist follows in his father's footsteps, goes to Transylvania, digs up a dead corpse, uses lightening and other dark arts, and creates life from death. The only problem is the new guy looks like a monster."

Gene Wilder as Victor Frankenstein

Boris Karloff

I honestly thought that was the summary of the book. I hadn't read the book but I had seen the Mel Brooks movie, "Young Frankenstein." Oh boy, imagine the student's disappointment when he figured out that I'd sold him on a movie script not a book summary. Imagine my embarrassment as I make my confession to you right now, dear readers. I should have known that Mel Brooks would make a horror movie into a comic one by playing with the details. I've never seen the first Frankenstein movie made in 1931. But I have seen a photo of it's famous actor playing the role of the monster, Boris Karloff. Need I say more? I had not prepared well for my book talk that day, that's for sure!

Let's see if I can quickly set the record straight. First, Victor Frankenstein is not following in his father's scientific footsteps. He becomes interested in the dark arts -- looking for immortal life -- and soon becomes obsessed with trying them out for himself. When he goes off to university in Ingolstadt, Germany (not Transylvania like in Dracula) he spends his time in his own room/laboratory creating the monster. There is no evidence that he robs graves or steals brains from somewhere. When Victor Frankenstein is successful in bringing his creation to life he is horrified at his actions and runs away. Later, when he returns, the monster is gone. Frankenstein goes into a complete depressive funk finally returning home to Geneva, Switzerland in shame. Later when a family friend is killed in a gruesome way, Frankenstein suspects his creation it to blame. More depression and self-incrimination follows. But Frankenstein never tells anyone what he has done or what he suspects.

Later, the two meet -- The creator and the created; The scientist and the monster.  It is during this meeting that the monster, who is never given a name, tells Frankenstein what has happened to him since his inception and explains how he learned language. He also demands that Frankenstein create a female for him, as a companion, since no one else will interact with him. If Frankenstein doesn't comply bad things will happen (and do.) Harold Bloom, the famous literary critic, thinks of the monster and the creator as one being. The monster as the head/mind, and Frankenstein as the heart. So they are forever linked. The book ends on a sad note. No "Young Frankenstein" happy ending here.

And while I am making my true-confessions, I admit I didn't know who Prometheus was either until just days ago when I looked it up. According to Wikipedia (the font of all knowledge. Snark!) -- "Prometheus is best known for defying the Olympian gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge, and more generally, civilization. In some versions of the myth, he is also credited with the creation of humanity from clay." So Frankenstein and Prometheus both created life, hence the subtitle "Or a Modern Prometheus." Got it.

There is a lot made of the differences between the original 1818 edition verses the 2nd edition from 1831 of Frankenstein. Apparently Shelley was pressured to tighten things up and clear up a few character qualities. I honestly didn't know which edition I read, being once again in the dark, since the book I was reading said it was published in 2021. I had to look it up and compare the changes in the plot with what I read. I read the 1831 edition, which is the most common version today.

Was I glad I read the book? Yes, if for no other reason than to set the record straight. And as a cautionary tale to other librarians doing book-talks -- do better research on the books than I did on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley! 

-Anne