Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Silvio Antunha

Frankenstein

Maria Otero

heather

"I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace, or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell."

That was a ride... I was not expecting myself to like this book but... Mary Shelley popped off.

eliz

by way of starting the book through the perspective of Robert Walton, an explorer who eventually meets the doctor in the middle of nowhere, has been such a strong point, until the seafarer's role briskly fades in order to reveal the story behind this depressed stranger — frankenstein.

the letter's for his sister filled me with gaiety, although short and served only as an introduction to our main story.
p. 1 "Its productions and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes."
p. 2 "I also became a poet, and for one year lived in a paradise of my own creation;"
p. 7 "The winter has been dreadfully severe; but the spring promises well,"

Walton mentioned that "the tale was quickly told", no, it wasn't. the moment Victor discovers the significance of knowledge, we begin from that, his early days, his discoveries, his explorations, jumping from a branch of science to another. also my favourite part. how he cherished these experiences and considered them treasures of his life.

p. 30 *limitless discovery of information (still applicable up to this day) "It seemed to me as if nothing would or could ever be known."

the story unfolds as we ride into the coaster and mix of doubts and hopes in succeeding in this study and creation (of the monster). 

p. 41 "Darkness had no effect upon my fancy; and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life, which, from being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm."
p. 44 "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world."

beautiful. love how Victor continuously piled up these countless imaginative possibilities and also how he considers both life & death as similar matters, similarly dark. however, it is still unclear to me what is it he truly desires to accomplish: is it immortality or just the immunity to pain or natural decay...?

he did this project for years and came to realization only after being placed in front of his own creation. suddenly he wanted it gone. even ran away from it. did he not think about this possibility all throughout those years? maybe, possible. (it was pleasant to hear that he blamed the selfishness of his passion, not the monster, though. the regrets just happened way too fast.)

the monster's pov, on the other hand, kept me entertained. that part when the creature voices out the feeling of not non-belonging but unworthiness as a being was sad. the confrontation also blew my mind. what a philosophical monster.

despite my mixed feelings about this literature, I realized how most of my disliked parts usually centers only on Victor and his constant self-hate on top of another. and yet another chapter and here he goes again entering another journey he's already aware of the possible consequences it may bring his life and the people around him. what irks me is how it's always shown how he's scared more with his creation, rather than himself. most of the time he's just playing fool, idk.

Frankenstein

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