Frankenstein the book is unlike any of the dramatisations I've ever seen of the story. Unlike the many different versions I've seen in the past, there's no clear-cut
hero and
villain in the story.
Frankenstein is no
mad scientist but merely an ambitious and misguided young man who sought to make his mark in the world. And once he realized his mistake, made the situation worst by attempting to shirk his responsibilities. Whatever amends he attempts comes too late and at too high a price.
Meanwhile, Frankenstein's creation while hideous in appearance was not monsterlike in nature at the start. Shunned and persecuted for his appearance despite his many attempts to gain the good will of the people he meets, he sought
vengeance against the one who had abandoned him to despair and loneliness. Like Frankenstein, he comes to regret his actions but the deed is done and no amount of remorse can undo the
evil he has done.
What I like about the story is the way it is told. Seeing things from both the main characters viewpoints made it very easy to understand and sympathize with them. The same event has different meaning when first seen through Victor Frankenstein's eyes, then his creation's. At different parts of the story, I found myself first blaming one then the other. In the end, the tale reads like a series of
tragic mistakes. Everyone had to shoulder a part of the blame and yet in the beginning no one meant to do harm.
Apart from that, there were just some minor complaints. The first is that we understand too little about the other characters. We know of them but care very little for them. Their deaths should be something horrible but the only feeling I had was pity for the main characters. The other is disbelief at how Frankenstein could have misinterpreted the
monster's promise to see him again on his wedding night. Even if I didn't already know what would happen, it would have been quite obvious what the
creature intended. Was it wilful blindness ? Shouldn't the monster's meaning have been quite plainly understood ?
Anyway as a rule, I don't normally like stories with sad or tragic endings but Frankenstein was such an absorbing read that I wouldn't mind reading it again. It certainly makes you think and wonder at this cautionary tale. Beware what you do when seeking knowledge and glory.