Frankenstein

[scottman]

I've just been assigned to read Frankenstein. I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on it. Is there anything I should know about the book before going in? Is it any good? I think it was written in the 1800s, is it still outdated or do you think its managed to stay relevant through the centuries? Lemme know whatever comes to mind.

[Kotro]

The book might feel a bit dated, especially regarding plot structure and the characters voices. It's general theme, of untamed ambition, is still pretty much up to date, in my view. There are certainly better works out there from that age, but it is still a great read. As for the story, personally I still prefer it to any other version of Frankenstein made since.

[MyDigitalpoint]

Since I love 19th century literature and my very, very favorite is Bram Stoker's Dracula, saying that Frankenstein is another great reading of the classic Victorian literature might not be an unbiased comment.

However if this is an assignment you must simply let the reading embraces you and try to get your mind tuned with the century it was written to understand better the plot of this novel.

[SpiralArchitect]

Frankenstein holds up even to this day. Something written that long back will definitely feel dated in terms of writing style but the themes and story still feels fresh. I'd say it is one of those classics that'll not feel completely outdated even 100 years from now.

[rodserd]

There's a movie based on Frankenstein that I just saw a preview of.  By "based on" I mean that they have a guy in it stitched together from corpses called Frankenstein....that's about it.

More on topic, Frankenstein can get pretty deep.  It is very much an examination of the human spirit, including the darkest parts of it, and often the monster is more human than Dr. Frankenstein (Victor?  I want to call him Victor).  One way to read it is to think of the Dr and the monster as the same person, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde style.  Doesn't work all the way through, but it is interesting from a psychological standpoint.

[Eudora13]

Frankenstein may seem dated because of its setting, but the issues laid in the novel hold true even today. If it has been assigned to you I'd suggest you plunge head on without any preconceived notions. The best way to kill your appetite is to know snippets of the work from external sources. It's a classic, and for good reason. All I can say is that it won't be a relaxed read if you really want to get into it. But it will give you an insight into the workings of the human mind. All the best.