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This thread is to discuss ‘s book, .


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Eirelyn, TuÄŸba, Ilona, Susy, Kyla, Allie, Catherine, Joan, Scott

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 68
Week 2: 68
Week 3: 68
Week 4: 68

I will be starting this very soon. My son is also reading it for his high school class so that makes it fun as well. I was helping him with it a couple of weeks ago and it doesn't seem like it is going to be all that easy to read so I'm glad I'm reading it with a group!

I am doubt whether to start this one ore Norse Mythology first, but either way I will join in soon.

Id planned to read this one this month.

Ilona wrote: "I am doubt whether to start this one ore Norse Mythology first, but either way I will join in soon."

I'm not sure whether I'll actually have time for this (and Dracula) this month but I'm thinking towards the end of the month so that it's closer to Halloween :)

I've begun reading this. I am only through the 4 Letters so far, though. :)

I'll start after I finish Messenger.

I've started it.

Read the four letters so far, which have awakened my curiosity. Looking forward to start the chapters.

Those 4 letters weren't how I expected the story to begin. lol I really had no idea what to expect, but after all the years of hearing about the Frankenstein story (without actually having read it), I had never heard about that particular section. XD

I am through chapter 4, and Dr. Frankenstein has become (view spoiler)[soooo obsessive about his work! (hide spoiler)] I'm excited to read on.

I like it so far. It's not what I remember from watching the Boris Karloff movie when I was a kid. hehe.

I completed the letters. I has also piqued my curiosity. At first I assumed Dr. Frankenstein was writing them and I got a little further and I looked at the signature.......sometimes I can be a little thick! I was worried it was going to be hard to read but it is easy so far. I'm hoping to complete it this weekend.

I want to join in on the Dracula one also but worried if I do I might not complete my 52 book week challenge.

I'm through chapter 3. You can see how his interest of alchemy at a young age shaped his future. I find it interesting. I find the part interesting about the lightning and how the movie might have taken liberties with that part.

I have just finished chapter 8.

Poor (view spoiler)[William! And poor Justine as well! And now Frankenstein's all paranoid that his creation did all of this. How tormented he'll be because of that. (hide spoiler)]

Also, I was expecting to see much more of Frankenstein (view spoiler)[creating his monster. He just mentioned toiling for months on end and his health deteriorating and then all of a sudden his monster's complete and MOVING! Frankenstein runs off, terrified, and then when he returns, the monster is gone. I suppose all the post-book lore and movies and such had given me much different expectations for that part of the story, lol. (hide spoiler)]

Eirelyn - My son had kind of mentioned to me that (view spoiler)[ they didn't say how the monster was created. He kind of ruined that for me! (hide spoiler)]

I'm through chapter 9 now. I like the book so far. The writing is pretty and flows well and the emotions are conveyed well. I like that it is completely different from the movie.

Just finished it really enjoyed. Touched on subjects I wasn’t aware of like injustice and other social issues. I also saw a lot of similarities to the movie blade runner by Ridley Scott and the novel by Philip k dick it’s based on.

I also just went and watched the 1931 Frankenstein movie with Boris Karloff. It had some similarities with the novel but was quite different.

I'm through chapter 13 now.

This book is sooo different from what I was expecting, based on all of the movies/shows/re-tellings/etc. that have been based on it.

Right now, Frankenstein's monster is (view spoiler)[recounting the events of watching the family & learning their ways & language & everything. He seems very empathetic at this point, really invested in their lives & what's going on with them (hide spoiler)]. I'm interested to see where this goes from here. And to find out what exactly happened (view spoiler)[to Frankenstein's little brother (hide spoiler)].

Eirelyn wrote: "Also, I was expecting to see much more of Frankenstein [spoilers removed]"

Yes, my expectations were very different too!

Eirelyn wrote: "I'm through chapter 13 now.

This book is sooo different from what I was expecting, based on all of the movies/shows/re-tellings/etc. that have been based on it.

Right now, Frankenstein's monster ..."

Very different indeed!

I'm feeling so sorry for Frankenstein's monster! (view spoiler)[He does seem very empathetic and friendly. I really felt for him when he was mistreated by the villagers, while his intentions were good and he would have loved to have made some friends. I do seem to remember that part from one of the movies and that I cried for him. (hide spoiler)]

Susy wrote: "Eirelyn wrote: "I'm feeling so sorry for Frankenstein's monster!"

[I'm somewhere in chapter 18 :D]

Me too! Oh that whole part with (view spoiler)[the villagers. :( He had been watching them for so long and wanting so badly to be close to them. And he had even gone out of his way to help them (chopping & bringing them firewood & such) when he could see they weren't doing very well throughout the winter. And then he *finally* got up the nerve to approach them & was treated so horribly, just as he had feared! How lonely he must've been. (hide spoiler)]

However, to take out all of that (view spoiler)[anger & frustration on a child was so terrible. :( And then to frame the woman for it! I know he wanted to get back at his maker for doing this to him, but to murder an innocent child because of it? I can certainly understand why Frankenstein doesn't want to create a bride for him! Although, it looks like that's exactly what he's going to do. (hide spoiler)]

Eirelyn wrote: "Susy wrote: "Eirelyn wrote: "I'm feeling so sorry for Frankenstein's monster!"

[I'm somewhere in chapter 18 :D]

Me too! Oh that whole part with [spoilers removed]

However, to take out all of tha..."

(view spoiler)[I think he's angry with all of human kind, not only his creator. Also I believe he wanted to take the child with him as a companion who wouldn't (yet) be prejudiced against him. But then not only did the child treat him as all other humans had treated him, the boy started screaming which he wanted to silence.
You can even argue that he is a child himself, in a monstrous grown up body, thrown into a very harsh world without any understanding of social rules and expectations, without someone to teach him, to protect him, to love him. All things that every child needs to be able to grow up to be a responsible and good person.

From personal principles I can understand why Frankenstein doesn't want to make him a bride (haven't gotten to that part yet though). On the other hand, morally, I think it's Frankenstein's duty to make sure he can have an acceptable life of some kind. Frankenstein is the one who, without much thought about possible outcomes and consequences, put a living and feeling creature on this world and then abandoned him to his fate... (hide spoiler)]

Susy - I loved reading your commentary on the (view spoiler)[ monster's feelings and Frankenstein's responsibility to help him through his lonely life. (hide spoiler)]

I'm waiting for you all to finish the book to see what you think!! This book was such a surprise with the character definition and moral.

Susy wrote: "Eirelyn wrote: "Susy wrote: "Eirelyn wrote: "I'm feeling so sorry for Frankenstein's monster!"

[I'm somewhere in chapter 18 :D]

Me too! Oh that whole part with [spoilers removed]

However, to tak..."

[Spoilers through chapter 22 below...]

I definitely agree that the monster's (view spoiler)[development is similar to that of a child's. Frankenstein is certainly responsible for unleashing this monster on the world; yet he entirely refused to help him acclimate to society.

However, the monster has shown great articulation and understanding of the world, simply through observation. He knew what he was doing was wrong. The fact that he tried to blackmail Victor into creating another monster for him shows that he understands morals at this point. Of course, he never should have been set free on his own like he was. Frankenstein never should've tried to play God that way.

I'm reminded of one of my absolute favorite quotes (which comes from Jurassic Park lol): "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they *could,* they didn't stop to think if they *should.*" This is a notion that plagues scientific & technological advances to this day...and society as a whole.

Frankenstein fell into this trap as well -- he was so curious if it was possible to create a being this way, that he didn't take the time to think about whether or not it was a wise decision. And then once he succeeded, he had no plans in place to handle the repercussions. Things have spiraled out of control for him at this point, and I can completely understand his misery & feelings of guilt for unleashing this monster who has now been the cause of death of 3 of the people closest to him. (hide spoiler)]

I have finally started this book and read the letters so far. I don't really know much about the story so I am going in without any expectations :)

I just finished!

I found myself torn a lot of the time, while reading this book. Torn between (view spoiler)[feeling horrified by the monster's behavior and feeling sorry for him for how he was treated.

He had learned a lot in his short time and he knew it was wrong when he had committed those murders.

But on the other hand, I'd argue (to myself, lol), that he had had to learn all of these things on his own. Frankenstein had created him & then left him to his own devices. He had never known love or acceptance or kindness (and those things were all he had ever wanted), and at every turn, he was rejected by everyone he tried to get close to. (hide spoiler)]

The ending was almost (view spoiler)[Shakespearean in its tragedy! I felt so sad for both Victor & his monster at the end of their lives. Neither had anything even remotely resembling a happy ending, and both of their lives ended in utter torment & despair. (This is,
of course, assuming that the monster followed through on his ramblings of ending his life.) (hide spoiler)]

It was so appealing how well Shelley wrote the characters of Frankenstein & his monster, and how relatable she made them, despite finding such deep faults with each of them. They were both very human in their own ways, with faults & attributes that made them both well-developed & sympathetic characters.

Eirelyn - (view spoiler)[ Don't you just want to smack him for leaving his wife alone????????? The monster also seemed so sad that Victor was dead. Too bad Victor didn't try to become friends with the Monster from the beginning. When I was reading it when he had made the monster and just left - I asked my son - what the heck has the monster been doing all this time? My son was like "oh you'll see!" I thought that was funny! I can't believe he just left the monster after creation. What in the world did he think was going to happen!! (hide spoiler)]

Read above spoiler only if you've finished the book!

Joan wrote: "Eirelyn - [spoilers removed]

Read above spoiler only if you've finished the book!"

***End of book spoilers abound!*** (view spoiler)[Lol! I thought the same thing. I couldn't believe he left his wife alone! In that moment, he was even talking about how worried he was about what was going to happen and how he was going to stay up and keep watch...yet...he didn't think to actually keep watch over his wife?! I was just like o_o

Aww, yeah, that was sad when the monster was so upset about Victor's death. I think a part of it was that Victor's the only person the monster ever really *knew* who also knew him...and if anyone was ever going to accept him, it would've been him. Plus, he was the only one the monster knew of who could've created another monster for him. Victor had never really been sold on the idea, but at least when he was alive it was still a possibility. With his death, the monster lost all hope of ever having someone understand & accept him.

lol! The monster certainly got up to a lot during that time! XD Yeah, that was so irresponsible leaving the monster after his creation. I think it was kind of an "Oh shit!" moment for Victor though. He had spent years figuring out *how* to do it & then actually making it happen. His mind was focused solely on the science of it. And then when it was finished, he was kind of jolted out of his scientific trance with the realization of, "Omg, what have I done?" And then he just got scared & ran away. (hide spoiler)]

I have finished chapter 7 and am enjoying it way more than I expected. Love the writing style!

Yes I’m loving it too! It reads quite easily and I can’t wait to find out how things turn out/end. I’m at chapter 22 and could have finished by now but I’m having a hard time concentrating on reading with all the bushfires in Portugal (which are getting closer and closer to my home) so I’m lagging behind on all my readings at the moment.

Susy wrote: "Yes I’m loving it too! It reads quite easily and I can’t wait to find out how things turn out/end. I’m at chapter 22 and could have finished by now but I’m having a hard time concentrating on readi..."

Oh no, Susy! That's so scary. Stay safe!!!

Susy wrote: "Yes I’m loving it too! It reads quite easily and I can’t wait to find out how things turn out/end. I’m at chapter 22 and could have finished by now but I’m having a hard time concentrating on readi..."

Let us know when you get a chance that you are ok!!!!

Thank you Eirelyn and Joan, I am. I’m currently living in the Netherlands as are my parents. But we still have a house in Portugal which we visit every year (my parents more than once since they’re retired). It’s hard being so far away (not that we can do anything about it, I’ve seen pictures, it’s a living hell, literally) from home, friends and family.

Eirelyn wrote: "I'm reminded of one of my absolute favorite quotes (which comes from Jurassic Park lol): "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they *could,* they didn't stop to think if they *should.*" This is a notion that plagues scientific & technological advances to this day...and society as a whole."

That is a beautiful quote indeed and expresses my thoughts exactly. Also it reminds me off all the people who buy pets to discard them like trash when they're fed up with them or don't know how to care for them. And looking at my job as a child psychologist I even experience stuff like this within families, people just having kids without thinking about the consequences (or simply just not caring).... Very sad indeed.

Eirelyn wrote: "I just finished!

I found myself torn a lot of the time, while reading this book. Torn between feeling horrified by the monster's behavior and feeling sorry for him for how he was treated.

He had never known love or acceptance or kindness (and those things were all he had ever wanted) ..."

I agree with you completely Eirelyn, I felt really torn too, thanks to the splendid job Mary did on making both Frankenstein and his creature so relatable, despite their individual faults.

The creature not only wanted those things, he needed them, just like any child needs to experience love, acceptance and warmth to be able to grow up to be a kind and responsible adult. Most come to know the difference between right and wrong, but are unable to live their lives/make behavioral choices accordingly.

Joan wrote: "Eirelyn - [spoilers removed]

Read above spoiler only if you've finished the book!"

Agree wholeheartedly!

I just finished the books and read all your spoiler tagged comments. :)
I felt more empathy for the creature than for Frankenstein in this book. While the first one is at fault in many ways, he is also just a like a child just like you say Susy. And can you blame a child for not getting a proper upbringing with someone to teach him the what is wrong? On the other hand, the create was aware that murdering people is wrong, so he is also definitely to blame.
Frankenstein is responsible for the wrongdoings of the creature by not taking care of him, like a parent neglecting his child.

I'd like to say that whatever you do and create as a scientist, you are responsible for the outcomes. But is that fair? You can create something with the best intentions and someone else can use it for horrible things. There are enough examples in history.
However, Frankenstein is taking things too easy, by leaving his creation and hoping for the best. I cannot believe why it took him so long to take responsibility (by attempting to find and kill the creature)