Shelley - Frankenstein

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Shelley, Mary
Year: 1819
B's Stars: 8 of 10

Plot:
A brilliant and driven doctor uses body parts from various corpses to bring a dead man back to life. The 'monster' is an outcast because of his physical appearance. The monster asks the doctor to create a companion for him, since there is no way he can exist in society. The doctor refuses, he does not want to repeat his mistake of making a monster. The monster, feeling abandoned - vows revenge on the doctor and then kills the doctor's best friend and wife on their wedding night. The doctor then vows to kill his monster - and goes on a vendetta hunt after him.

Review:
This is a fantastic book. The first third of the book is the doctor at school and is slow. After that, this book is amazing. Shelley was way ahead of her time in her look at what is science's moral responsibility when pushing forward. Michael Crieton does a lot worse with this theme in Jurassic Park. What makes this book truly special is the complexity of the characters. The monster is a sympathetic character because the doctor did create and abandon him, giving him no chance to fit into society. But, his vow and subsequent murder of the doctor's friends and family is hard to justify. Similarly, the doctor's choice not to repeat his mistake of creating another monster is appluadable, but can be blamed for creating a life then leaving it without support. If you have not read this book - you should. Just be prepared for a slow start, plow through it - it's worth it.