Frankenstein
By Mary Shelly
Review by Sam
Shelley’s novel languishes in the grief of its characters. Death clings to Victor Frankenstein from the beginning to the end of his story, and his glorious creation soon becomes the object of his suffering. Likewise, Frankenstein’s ‘monster’ is tormented by the cruelty of the world and the man who carved him into existence. The relationship between the two – creator/creation, father/son – is at the twisted beating heart of the novel.
Alongside this character driven heart, the story breathes through its vivid depictions of rural and urban Europe at the beginning of the 19th Century. The author’s tragedy stretches from agrarian France to the tip of the Arctic Circle, as dramatic fallacy ties Victor’s unstable moods not only to the weather but to the climate he inhabits. To this end, the novel’s Romantic depictions of travel and nature provide a measured, atmospheric backdrop to the events unfolding on the pages. Shelley’s mastery of the craft cannot be overstated.
In Frankenstein, lyrical and psychological prose combines with a carefully cultivated atmosphere of Gothic tragedy to bring Shelley’s beautifully horrifying narrative to life. An amazing read that will stick in your head for weeks – highly recommended for anyone interested in classic literature and horror.
