Horror Annotation: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Author:     Mary Shelley

Title:     Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

Genre:     Horror

Publication Date:     January 1, 1818

Number of Pages:     284 (Simon & Schuster 2004 Paperback Edition)

Geographical Setting:     Arctic Ocean; Geneva, Switzerland; Ingolstadt, Germany; Mount Montanvert (glacier in the Alps); England; Scotland; Ireland; Arctic Circle

Time period:     1700s

Series:     Standalone Novel

Plot Summary:     Captain Robert Walton and his crew, while attempting to reach the Pacific Ocean from Russia by way of the Arctic Ocean, spot what looks like a giant man on a sled far off in the distance, and they later find a freezing and starving Victor Frankenstein and bring him aboard their ship.  Frankenstein tells the crew that he was in pursuit of the giant they spotted, and later confides in the captain all his life events that led to that point.  Captain Walton relates the story Frankenstein tells him in letters to his sister Margaret, who lives in England.  The bulk of this story is told from Victor Frankenstein’s perspective, with shorter portions at the beginning and end from the perspective of Captain Walton, and a section in the middle from the perspective of Frankenstein’s Creature.  Occasionally the story incorporates letters written to Victor from other characters in the story, so the reader sees short glimpses into their perspectives as well.

Subject Headings:     Frankenstein, Victor; Frankenstein’s Creature; Scientists; Monsters; Geneva (Switzerland) (Evergreen Indiana)

Appeal:

Tone/Mood  The tone of this visceral horror story is bleak and tense throughout.  Descriptions of the terrain in scenes are generally cold, dark, and unhospitable, and the outlook for the protagonist and his loved ones is similarly foreboding.  The occasional scene with sunshine, happy weather, and optimistic characters (usually flashbacks) effectively creates an even more menacing atmosphere once the story returns to present-day.

Frame/Setting  Shelley presents a story which, though violent, contains little graphic gore and no sex.  Scenes in graveyards, scenes of murder, and descriptions of dead bodies are described without reference to smells, excessive blood, or genitalia.  The most graphic descriptions apply to the Creature’s appearance and the freezing, unforgiving terrain.

Storyline  A reader who has seen the Frankenstein movie or one of its many parodies may think they already know the storyline to this book, but they would be incorrect!  There are enough surprises in the plot that even someone familiar with the movie will never be sure what will happen next.  The ending of the book provides a satisfying sense of closure to the story, but it is also open-ended – leaving the reader to wonder if – or where – a monster awaits.

Style/Language  Shelley uses lush prose to describe the events, environment, and characters in this story.  Written 200 years ago, the language used is at times archaic, but after a few pages the reader is so immersed in the story that this does not impede, but instead adds flavor to the story.  There is no profanity (at least in the modern sense).

Characterization  There are three main points of view to this story:  Captain Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s Creature.  Shelley uses written correspondence written by other characters to briefly give their point of view as well.  All characters are – at least to some extent – sympathetic, though the reader feels compelled to have little sympathy for the violent, malicious, and unpredictable Creature. 

Pacing  Erratic, with long passages of inner monologue or nostalgia for past happiness followed by scenes of explosive violence and anger.

Three Terms That Describe This Book:  Tragedy, Revenge, Pursuit

Readers Might Also Enjoy:

Fiction:

• Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Nonfiction:

• Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon
• Frankenstein: A Cultural History, by Susan Tyler Hitchcock
• The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

References

Evergreen Indiana. (n.d.).  Frankenstein, or, The modern Prometheus / Mary Shelley.  Retrieved from Evergreen Indiana: https://evergreen.lib.in.us/eg/opac/record/16639959?locg=1

Goodreads, Inc. (n.d.). The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov. Retrieved from:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35031085-frankenstein