BNCMM: FRANKENSTEIN (B&N Classics Mass Market)

Rating:
Summary: Surprising
Review: Before reading this book, I thought I had a fairly good understanding of what it was about (which is primarily why I was hesitant to actually read it). A mad scientist somehow created a monster in his lab. The monster, commonly (however, incorrectly) referrred to as Frankenstein, had green skin, was about seven feet tall, had bolts in his neck etc. And I recalled something about him being pursued through the streets by an angry fire-wielding mob.

What surprised me most about this book is how little of what I had always heard about it was actually true. The monster that most people refer to as Frankenstein actually has no name. He was created by a man whose last name is Frankenstein. There is a brief description of him, but no mentioning of neck bolts or green skin. Furthermore, there is no scene where a mob of people chases after him with fire. This was not, as I had previously been lead to believe, a horror novel. It is, rather, a book dealing with the themes of love, desire, acceptance, ignorance, resentment and revenge.

The following is a brief summary of the plot, so if you don't want to know what this is about I would advise you to not read this portion of my review: Frankenstein (the scientist, not monster) is a man deeply interested in science. One day he discovers how to give life to inanimate objects, and decides to assemble a being from various body parts. When he imparts this creature with life he is horrified at what he has created and flees. It isn't long before the "monster" learns that all people are horrified and appalled by his existence, and is driven to live in the woods. He ends up living outside of a family's home where he is able to observe them through a window. Through his observation, he is able to learn to speak and read perfect English. He feels a love for this family who are completely oblivious to his existence and feels a deep desire to establish a relationship with them. When he finally gets up the courage to meet them, they are of course terrified of him and drive him away. Sometime after this, the monster, devastated by humanity's unwillinglness to accept him and filled with resentment towards his maker who has forsaken him, decides to lash otu in revenge toward Frankenstein. He systematically kills off Frankenstein's family one by one. It then becomes Frankenstein's only goal in life to eradicate the menace he created.

This book is surprising in that it didn't really seem like a horror novel at all. Sure, the monster is composed of the body parts of corpses, but he is very much a human character, complete with a full spectrum of emotions. He desires love and companionship from human beings just like we all do, but he is denied this. This is a sad story, but not at all scary. The writing style is very unique in that it is extremely non-descriptive. In a way, I think that is a good thing. I've read far too many books that are too long-winded. This book is concise and to the point. The author did not use twenty pages to describe the look of the monster's left toenail. With so little detail, this book does require a little imagination but there's nothing wrong with that. Overall, it's a decent read but doesn't seem to have held up too well over time. I imagine that when this book was released it actually was considered scary, but in 2004 it really isn't. So if it's a horror novel you're looking for, I suggest looking elsewhere. But if you're interested in a book that explores the desire/need for acceptance and companionship and what happens when it is denied, this is a pretty good choice. Score: 7/10