Classics Club discussion

In this thread, feel free to post spoilers as everyone reading should be finished the book already.

I really enjoyed Frankenstein. I did not find it to be a story about a "monster", but rather a novel about the horrible ethics of Dr. Frankenstein. He was so obsessed with the idea of creating life and being god-like, that he never considered the consequences of his actions. To quote Jurrasic Park, "He was so busy wondering if he could, that he never stopped to think about whether he should". He created this being, and then abandoned him. Throughout the novel, you see how his actions shaped and moulded the temperment of his creation. A very thought-provoking and morally interesting novel. It makes you question which of them is truly the "monster".

i totally agree with u trisha.that dude created the so-called monster and just left it to die.the monster was also really stupid at times,but the main person to blame was surely dr.frankenstein

I've just finished reading-I also was quite taken aback by how quickly Dr Frankenstein rejects and abandons his creature. Even after hearing his pitiful tale of loneliness and rejection he cannot offer him the slightest crumb of sympathy or understanding. His blindness at not realizing what will happen when he marries is breathtaking in someone of his intellect.

I tried reading this in high school but I don't think I made it through chapter one. I recently read the entire book and was shocked at the intellect of the monster. The way he describes his misadventures in life is heartbreaking and demands some sympathy. Good ole Dr. Frankenstein manages to corrupt many lives along the way to creating life. In the end, I had no sympathy for him but lots for the monster.

Does anyone think there is a comment here on parents and how they sometimes react when their "creations" i.e. children don't turn out as they had hoped?

Also, I can almost understand Frankenstein's initial reaction to his creature if he was as horrifying as he describes, but I was shocked that he continued to hate him after the creature's long explanation in quite eloquent language of how he learned about life and developed such feelings for others. I really expected him to sympathize at that point and I am surprised that the narrator also does not comment on this.

Frances wrote: "Does anyone think there is a comment here on parents and how they sometimes react when their "creations" i.e. children don't turn out as they had hoped?

Also, I can almost understand Frankenstein'..."

i thought the same thing,but i guess since its a classic,it tends to be sort of unreasonable.people thought differently back than

Just finished it and first of all I was surprised over how different it was from the movie (1931), but I should have expected that. A few things that I found strange in lack of a better word are; How quickly the monster was assembled. I expected the collecting of body parts and the construction of the monster to be highly detailed, but it was not. And I found it funny how Dr.Frankenstein was so appaled of the monsters appearance, afterall he was the designer.

I agree that Frankensteins lack of understanding after the monster had told his tale was shocking, and the narrator too. And I also found myself sympathizing with the monster in the end.

I really loved this book and now I shall start reading the next one on my list, Dracula.