Horror Annotation

TITLE: Frankenstein

AUTHOR: Mary Shelley

PUBLISHING: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mayor, and Jones, London (1818)

TOTAL PAGES: 280

ISBN: 9781977841438
GOODREADS: https://tinyurl.com/u7u54rn

SYNOPSIS: Victor Frankenstein is a bright young man with an ambition to create life where there was none. Using alchemy, chemistry, and electricity to reanimate bits and pieces of his “monster”, he brings to life a being he is wholly unprepared for. He flees from the creatures, despite its pursuit. It longs for someone, even writes to Victor to ask that he make a mate for him. He refuses and disowns him. Thus begins the monster’s rampage after being denied the basics of humanity.

CHARACTERISTICS THAT FIT INTO THIS GENRE:

“A nightmare tone dominates these novels and creates a feeling of menace, evoking a strong emotional response from the reader.” (Saricks, 2019, p. 238)

Through the novel, there is a sense of stalking, longing, desperation, lonesomeness, and pursuit. This does not end with the end of the novel.

“Monsters of some kind frame these stories, along with supernatural and paranormal phenomena.” (Saricks, 2019, p. 238)

Frankenstein’s monster is the pivotal character of this novel, a horrific complement to Victor’s failing mental state.

“Endings are unresolved. Although it may be beaten down temporarily, the horror lives on.” (Saricks, 2019, p. 238)

It would bring some sort of solace to the reader should the end of the novel have some sort of compromise or happy ending for at least Victor or the monster. Neither is achieved.

READ-ALIKES: 

Doctor Faustus - Christopher Marlowe (dark arts, abandonment, regrets, unhappy ending)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (empathy, creations, artificial life, morality, humanity)

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro (artificial life, artificial creation, dignity, humanity, autonomy)

REFERENCES

Saricks, J. G. (2019) The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. (3rd ed., p. 238) Chicago, IL. ALA Editions.