Having been bombarded by re-tellings and interpretations of Frankenstein for many years now, in cartoons and popular media, it felt a bit surreal to actually read the book. It was definitely NOT what I expected!

Contrary to popular belief, the story does not climax with Frankenstein's creation of his iconic monster. The actual creation happens pretty early on. The book is actually far more concerned with the sufferings of both Frankenstein and his monster. The creator is racked with guilt at unleashing such a hideous creation on the world, and the monster is frustrated at being shunned by his creator, and the human race in general. Also contrary to popular belief, the monster is by no means stupid; he's actually extremely intelligent, but because he has no-one to guide and teach him, his intelligence is misdirected and wasted.

It's actually a pretty sad story which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I'd recommend anyone with pre-conceived ideas of what the story is actually about to push them aside and read the book!