I had to read this classic in high school, but I have been wanting to read it again. Now that I've started listening to books on tape while I commute, I thought it'd be a great time to give it go.Unfortunately, this wasn't the best book to listen to on tape. The story doesn't move at a very quick pace. I think I would have greatly enjoyed reading this book again, but only semi-enjoyed listening to it. With that in mind, I have decided to trend towards listening to fluffier things and stick to reading heavier things. It's a learning process, most definitely.
That said, I really like Frankenstein. I love the story behind the story: a teenaged Mary Shelley challenged to write a scary tale by her lover and the Lord Byron. Yet she does an excellent job of capturing the horror that modern science could be capable of.
If you haven't read Frankenstein, I think you might like it. Some familiarity with the story always helps you get used to the older language. As important as the monster is to the story (his name really isn't Frankenstein, but his creator's is), that's only a small part of the greater picture of what happens in Frankenstein's life. The story is all the scarier when I can relate to Frankenstein himself.
If I were to write another paper, I'd love to write a paper comparing the idea of the "great man" in Frankenstein, Crime and Punishment, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. They each have different views of what might make men great, but all have the pursuit of greatness leading to their protagonist's fall. Perhaps we weren't meant to be exalted.
Okay, I'm sure I've scared you away with all my nerd talk, but really this is a good and reasonably short read (last night I was debating between David Copperfield's 800 pages and Atlas Shrugged's 1000 pages, so my view is a bit skewed) at just over 200 pages.
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I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Frankenstein. It's really a good book! I can't imagine it on tape though.
ReplyDeleteI read this in middle school which means I really remember next to nothing about it. I want to reread it for the 2009 By the Decades Reading Challenge.
ReplyDeleteThis is another one of those books I tried, but couldn't get into. It's like my Jane Austen complex. I really want to like the book, but can't manage to finish a few pages without wanting to quit!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I'm always looking for great insights on classic books. Here's my take on Frankenstein: http://www.classicly.com/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/frankenstein
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