Posted by Bel. The time is 4:13pm here in Wellington, NZ.
After just referring to her, I realised I never actually blogged my book review of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" - i.e. the book by Mary Wollstonecraft's daughter. I know!! Funny old world aye.This was mostly a good read because it changed so many of my perceptions of Frankenstein - i.e. the ye olde movie monster with bolts staggering around moaning!!
This book is a story within a story within a story, ultimately revealing the monster as an eloquent and misunderstood creation, whose murderous misdeeds are very nearly redeemed by his sufferings.
I thought there were similarities to Hamlet - both the inability of the lead character to take decisive action and in the weird borderline incestuous relationships that took place - tho I guess back then it was thought of as ok to marry your cousin who was brought up with you as a sister!
I did find myself skim-reading a lot of the old-fashioned prose, but I was stunned when I went back and read the introduction and learnt that Mary Shelley had written this at age 18 - a year after eloping with the (married to someone else) poet Shelley and then miscarrying his child.
Hence the need for some biographical research. No insult intended, but sounds like it would be faaar more interesting.
(Except that, of course, I can't read any books that aren't on 'The List'. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was #7).
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