Do you know how some people’s parents compare their kids to other kids? Sometimes you might even catch yourself comparing your own accomplishments to others. It can be difficult to avoid the pitfall of assuming you’re falling behind when you see others your age doing well. It’s important to remember that everyone is running a different race, and that comparison is the thief of joy. Ultimately, it’s never too late to pursue your dreams and improve your skills.
Unless you compare yourself to Mary Shelley, who started writing “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” when she was 18, and published her novel at the age of 20. It’s over. The time to accomplish anything has passed and we have been left behind in Shelley’s wake.
This book is good. Really good; not in any way you might expect. Frankenstein’s monster has been so utterly mistranslated into popular media that it genuinely baffles me how we got to where we are right now. A giant, green, groaning monster that’s afraid of fire is nothing like the monster of the book. He is eloquent in his speech, philosophizing on the need for a companion in a world so hateful of his mere existence. At times, he is coldly logistic, and at others, he is maddeningly emotional.
Victor Frankenstein, too, bears a depth that has remained untouched in mass media. He is an absolute genius when concerning the sciences and resurrecting the dead. He cannot, however, realize how utterly selfish he is — to the point of stupidity — when it comes to dealing with the monster or the conflicts of his family. Every time he lets his ego go unchecked, he and those he cares about suffer for it.
Themes of God’s relationship and duty in creating mankind are questioned and explored, as well as the dangers of what is perceived as innate sin in the monster — a stand-in for humanity. Will creating a companion for the monster put an end to his dangerous tendencies, or will a companion only double the harm?
It’s a shame that all of this is lost in almost all adaptations of “Frankenstein,” but maybe by reading the original, we can have a better chance of seeing Shelley’s work being brought to life once again.
“Under the (Hard) Covers is an opinion column by Ethan Reisler — a published author, satirist, and journalist — reviewing modern and classic novels alike for their craft, storytelling, and general enjoyability.”