Frankenstein

By Mary Shelley

Once upon a time... three people were snowed in at a house in the Swiss Alps. One day, the host of the other two proclaimed, "We will each write a ghost story."

And so, all three were challenged with the task of devising a story that outdid that of the other two. Lord Byron, the host, and his confidant Percy Blythe Shelley revealed their stories first, but while both were masterful poets well-versed in the art of constructing beautiful language and conjuring vivid descriptions, their stories lacked in the suspense and urgency which make fear possible. They called upon the other guest, Mary, to see if she could do any better.

Well, Mary, who felt both stories thus far were beautiful in their craft but weak in concept, set out to devise a concept which would make the blood curdle and invoke the greatest of horror in readers. So, Mary took a few days, trying to think day and night what kind of story would invoke such fear in a reader, until suddenly, it came to her in the night. Using the intrigue of modern science and calling upon the morality of timeless tales, she wrote a story that not only won her the contest but made her name legendary.

That novel?

Frankenstein (or The Modern Prometheus) by Mary Shelley.
I love that tale as much as I love the novel itself. Even after my 3rd or 4th time reading it, it's kind of classic that allows you to see something new and intriguing (even minutely) every time you read it.

Mary weaves a tale of intricate morality so great that we don't recognize there are actually two antagonists in the novel until the very end. Sympathy and emotion are key factors which allow us to see that monsters aren't born; they're made through countless hardships and self-destruction.

She asks us how far we will go in our path of wretchedness until we discover we must alter course, daring us to examine our own lives to see that, in our pursuit of happiness, we won't lose our humanity. And it beautifully captures the concept of brevity by packing such a profound punch in a short 166 pages.

If there was an area where I felt it lacks, it'd probably be in the creation's narration. I felt there could have been more to be explored, really driving home the need for companionship. Frankenstein’s motivation was there but not fully developed. I think if someone were to do a retelling of this novel today that they might want to explore that.

I'd recommend this novel to anyone because it should be read by all. Not only because it’s a classic but because it’s still relevant to today.