Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
BOOK REVIEW
Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley is a story about a man who wants to play God which leads him to a terrible end. The life of the author seems to inspire the novel greatly. A wide range of unbelievable emotions of grief, misery and agony encircles the story that resonates with the life of Mary Shelley. The very idea of ‘giving life’ is a terrible experience for Victor Frankenstein as well as Mary Shelley who recently lost her child.
The story begins with Victor Frankenstein living an ideal life with a loving mother, supporting father, an admirable cousin whom he loves dearly and a loyal friend until his deadly ambition makes its way into their lives and ruins their perfect world bit by bit. Frankenstein tries to intrude into the matters of nature and “life and death” creating a monstrous figure who makes his life no less than a nightmare. Frankenstein made a creature out of dead mass and bones, and a miraculous spark of light brought him to life. His creation which he expected to be beautiful has turned out to be a horrific image. Frankenstein completely abandons him, taking no responsibility for what he has done.
The character of the monster seems to be the most captivating and his story is the best part of the novel. All the events in his story compel the reader to dive deep into his tale and it rides one through a rollercoaster of emotions as they read. Monster similar to a young child, pure and naive, is not yet exposed to the evils of the world and doesn’t understand the hatred thrown towards him by other people. He alone, without any parent, friend or a companion learns language and gets knowledge of the world through books. As he reads, he now understands the world and his heart is filled with nothing but immense rage and hatred for the “man”. In the beginning, the monster, still an innocent child-like character, ‘could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellows’. He ‘turned away with disgust and loathing’ when he heard ‘details of vice and bloodshed’ but later on he, now exposed to evil, uses the same technique to take his revenge from his creator. He murders all the people Frankenstein loved, making Frankenstein as miserable as himself.
Victor, on the other hand, is an annoying, selfish and a ‘mad scientist’ who loves to play the victim card. Victor wants to avenge the monster for destroying his life, but he takes no responsibility for his own actions. He lets young Justine die when he was fully aware of the real criminal yet he chooses to stay silent for his own sake, too afraid to face the horrors of his own invention. His selfish attitude turns him into a real villain of the story. He, blinded by his ambition, first to create life and later to destroy the same life, brings misery into the life of all characters. The revenge of the monster is justified but the revenge of victor is still another egoistic desire of a man who bears no responsibility for the mess he has created.
The description of nature takes one into another realm and helps both the readers and the characters to take a moment out to appreciate nature. However, the elongated description of the minute details makes the story boring at times and the reader’s mind deviates from the actual story. Frankenstein and the demon both find pleasure in nature. The only source of pleasure and comfort for the monster when he forgets his ugliness and misery is the warm and bright sun. In the beginning, when the monster is pure and angelic, the weather that surrounds him is also pleasant. Later, the monster becomes more and more like his creator and the weather around him tends to change. Now dark and gloomy weather surrounds both Victor and the monster. Victor and the Monster become more like each other. The multiple references to Milton’s Paradise Lost compare the relationship of Frankenstein and Monster with God and Satan. Monster compares himself with Adam and Satan considering ‘Satan as the fitter emblem for my condition’. The monster, although miserable and devoid of his creator’s love, is more like Satan but Victor appears to be more of a satanic figure who, wrapped in his pride, tends to challenge God’s Rules by meddling in the affairs of nature.
In conclusion, the novel comprises chaos and disruption with a strong expression of emotion. Although the book is a fine read, the ending could have been better. The book is highly recommended for those who are great fans of Mary Shelley so they can enjoy her early works.
Rating: 4/5