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May 23, 2017rpavlacic rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book was required reading in my Grade 11 English class, and it absolutely grabbed me then. 200 years after it was written, Frankenstein retains its power to grip the reader. Part horror and part science fiction, it tells the story of a madman, Victor Frankenstein, who robs graves to create a giant human-like being only to watch in horror as the being, starting with good intentions, turns into a murderous monster. He offers a ceasefire to Frankenstein on condition the "doctor" creates a female companion. The inventor agrees but stops midway and destroys her, only resulting in the rampage increasing in violence. The way the story ends, although not with fury, is just as frightening as the carnage was. Mary Shelley was way ahead of her time with the story, although the novel was first published anonymously in 1818 and her true authorship not revealed until nearly five years later. This book should be on everyone's bucket list - compelling, and shocking to be sure, but not as unnerving as some might make it out.