Paperback, 360 pages
Spanish language
Published Jan. 3, 2007 by Cátedra.
Cuando Mary Shelley publicó "Frankenstein" tenía veinte años y era su primera novela, y lo hizo ocultando su nombre, un procedimiento habitual en la época. Nada hacía augurar que aquella novela adolescente pudiera convertirse en un mito contemporáneo. En algún momento de la última década del siglo XVIII, un estudiante llamado Victor Frankenstein, interesado por las ciencias naturales, concibió la posibilidad de crear un ser humano a través del descubrimiento del origen y el funcionamiento del principio de la vida. La criatura que finalmente logró componer resultó monstruosa y, al mismo tiempo, terriblemente lúcida.
Quite different from the movies, in that the monster is eloquent and intelligent, and speaks with the same vocabulary as his creator. Actually, every character in the book belongs to the same educated, upper-class realm, and each speaks with the same voice.
This really is the first time I've picked up the original Frankenstein, and it was not at all what I'd expected, not one bit. Years ago, I'd seen a couple movies based on this classic, but neither version had much resemblance to Mary Shelley's original story. One of the most vivid scenes I can remember seeing in the movies was of Frankenstein's monster being chased by a band of villagers with torches, out to destroy this deformed creature, but nothing of the sort ever happens in the book.
Mary Shelley's story is the tragedy of a life brought into existence without any regard for that life; Frankenstein's monster does not even possess a name, much less the compassion of any other being on earth.
This novel actually begins aboard a ship, with the lonely Captain Walton writing letters to his sister, lamenting his extreme lonliness and lack of friends aboard …
This really is the first time I've picked up the original Frankenstein, and it was not at all what I'd expected, not one bit. Years ago, I'd seen a couple movies based on this classic, but neither version had much resemblance to Mary Shelley's original story. One of the most vivid scenes I can remember seeing in the movies was of Frankenstein's monster being chased by a band of villagers with torches, out to destroy this deformed creature, but nothing of the sort ever happens in the book.
Mary Shelley's story is the tragedy of a life brought into existence without any regard for that life; Frankenstein's monster does not even possess a name, much less the compassion of any other being on earth.
This novel actually begins aboard a ship, with the lonely Captain Walton writing letters to his sister, lamenting his extreme lonliness and lack of friends aboard his vessel, when suddenly, he and his crew spy a stranded man adrift on an ice floe. After rescuing this man, Walton becomes enraptured with his tale. Walton's new companion is none other than Victor Frankenstein, and his tale of woe is told in flashback.
Frankenstein's dissertation is full of remorse and uncertainty. The lonely, angry being which Frankenstein has created has already caused pain and despair to his loved ones, and is now demanding a mate, and Frankenstein vacillates on the morality of such an action.
The plot is still a meaningful one, though the style of Shelley's prose can get tedious and at times seems overly verbose--But then, it was written in 1818.
Frankenstein is, in my mind, the quintessential horror novel. Since it's incarnation as a casual, late-night, spooky story competition, this terrifying story has captivated readers for almost two centuries. With an eye for exquisite detail, Shelley paints the picture of the hunted monster, persecuted and scorned by humanity on account of his ugly form and rage-accompanied actions. Frankenstein's Monster is the epitome of the tortured soul and Shelley takes special care to painstakingly account his troubled misadventures. A work of the finest art, this stunning novel has taken its place firmly amongst the classics.
In the last year I watched the two Bela Lugosi films of Frankenstein and was curious to read the book. They are remarkably different,yet complement each other. If you can cope with a lot of gothic gushing and emoting it's a worthy read.
This isn't just a book that I teach, it's one of my favorite all time novels. I look forward to every semester that I get to teach it because I find something new and interesting in it every time I crack it open.
I read this the summer after I graduated from high school, during my massive Shelley crush. What I learned was that Mary was every bit as awesome as her husband.
Victor, oh Victor. You self-obsessed fool.
