by Rena Sherwood

Created on: March 19, 2008   Last Updated: September 28, 2011

Legendary science-fiction and science fact author Dr. Isaac Asimov often wrote that Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was one of the most influential books of science fiction written. Arguably legendary horror and fantasy author Stephen King also urges his readers to read "Frankenstein" in order to get a good grounding for how to write.

But if you are looking to read a science fiction book, horror book or even a good book, then pass it by. This is one book that breaks the usual rule of being better than the movie adaptation. Skip this book and watch "Young Frankenstein" instead.

You Had To Be There

Granted, "Frankenstein" was groundbreaking in its day. It was one of the first books to base its premise on a science experiment. However, there the science ends. Even the creation of the Monster is relegated to one or two sentences, far unlike the incredibly dramatic "IT'S ALIVE!" triumphant blast we have grown up with from the 1931 movie version.

However, modern readers will be sorely disappointed with "Frankenstein." This reviewer couldn't tolerate reading the whole thing (my life is too short to be spent reading bad books) and skimmed the last fourth of the novel. Not that I didn't know what was going to happen, anyway. If you've seen the 1973 mini-series "Frankenstein: The True Story", then you already know the plot. Seeing "Frankenstein" (1931) doesn't count, because the plot is different.

Lost The Plot

The book is told as a series of letters from a traveler back to his sister in England. This was a standard narrative device of the day, but it is incredibly clumsy and completely unbelievable to twenty-first century readers. Reanimating a conglomeration of corpse parts is far more believable than writing to Sis a 200 page letter in the middle of an Artic expedition. Granted, suspending some disbelief is usual for readers, but this was stretching it.

The traveler then meets up with the tragic but utterly incomprehensible Dr. Frankenstein, who proceeds to pour out his soul all over our remarkable productive letter writer. There really is nothing sympathetic about this wishy-washy genius who detests his miraculous creation. Perhaps Shelley meant for Frankenstein to be seen as God and the Monster as the rest of us. Perhaps not.

In Conclusion

If you like gothic literature such as "The Sorrows of Young Werther" (1774) by Frederick von Goethe, then you will have a lot of fun with "Frankenstein" (1817). There are even qualities to it that are reminiscent of "Wuthering Heights" (1847) by Emily Bronte, which makes you wonder if Mary Shelley might have played an influence on Miss Bronte. There certainly are a lot of wild, desolate landscapes, dramatic unfair deaths and page after page of minutely detailed soul searching.

Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.