Frankenstein: Or the modern Prometheus

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Ak1412
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Re: Frankenstein: Or the modern Prometheus

Post by Ak1412 »

This book was very well written but I hated all of the characters.
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PotatoScience
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Post by PotatoScience »

Spoilers:

I'm slightly confused about how Victor feels when he describes his father's remark of the works of Cornelius Agrippa:
"If, instead of this remark, my father had taken the pains to explain to me that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded, and that a modern system of science had been introduced, which possessed much greater powers than the ancient, because the powers of the latter were chimerical, while those of the former were real and practical; under such circumstances, I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside ... But the cursory glance my father had taken of my volume by no means assured me that he was acquainted with its contents; and I continued to read with the greatest avidity" (Mary Shelley)

Is Victor's tone sarcastic when he says "taken the pains"? Is he blaming his father in part for not stopping him from gaining interest in the field of science that will eventually doom him? Also, what does it mean that Agrippa's work was "entirely exploded"?
colorsparkle
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Post by colorsparkle »

I just read this and then followed it with the 1931 movie! What a shocking difference! It just reminded me how rich the book was with plot and emotions all the way to the end.
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brookee21
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Post by brookee21 »

This novel is truly deserving of the category as a classic. Even knowing its derivation alone helps to understand how amazing its themes are. A young Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, in competition with some of the most iconic writers of the time to create a horror store, creates a novel with not only an incredible plot, but deeply flawed characters and a consideration on humanity. Is the creature less human due to being created by a scientist or is the scientist himself less human because he left the creature to suffer in a solitary world after creating it? What is humanity? How is it developed? And, what are the lines that science can/should cross before immoral implications arise? Are we seeing these lines being crossed more in current times?
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DD129
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Post by DD129 »

I read a small section of the book a few years back. Although I knew the basics of the plot, nothing could've prepared me for the real thing. It was so much more than the simplified version I had been told about. Shelley's prose was just amazing. I might be a little biased since I do enjoy a flowery, descriptive style.
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Post by paulkinyuao+ »

I think this lies right there among the fantasies of all scientists.
Mankind was endowed with the power to become creators of their own. Frankenstein is a good place to start.
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Post by Leyla Ann »

I have read it once and it's definitely worth all the fame! This post made me want to reread it too lol.
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Post by sevencrows »

I was cold to the letter format, but the story itself was amazing. The Modern Prometheus is one of the coolest titles I've come across, and Mary Shelly is definitely a standout in gothic literature, as well as a pioneer of her genre!
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Lekimthaivy
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Post by Lekimthaivy »

This was a mandatory reading in my English class, but it soon became one of my favorites.

Remove the creation of basic, Hollywood-styled Frankenstein from your head, you will find this book a sweet tragic combination of the passion for beauty, benevolence and life, the the border between good and evil and the fight for the right to be what a "human" truly is .

There is no green skinned, aggressive and brainless Frankenstein, but only a poor, wretched creature who tries his ways to become more or less, a human.
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Jotrix27
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Post by Jotrix27 »

I read it and it's a wonderful story
Can make movie on this :techie-studyinggray:
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

It is a wonderful story and not at all like the movies. It is sad in a lot of ways: sad that Dr. Frankenstein "fails", sad that he and the monster, so-to-speak, don't get along. Touching, however, that they both seem to actually care about one another. It's kind of like Stephen Kings' Pet Semetary in its expression of the typical romantic theme of how things can go so wrong when men try to play god.
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Trixie_chan
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Post by Trixie_chan »

I have read it recently and it's absolutely amazing!

The story of Frankenstein and his monster will hook you into it and so will the way of narration.

I think Mary Shelley is a genius for having the story told by an outsider but through Victor's perspective at the same time.
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Claudiarbol
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Post by Claudiarbol »

I tried Frankenstein when I was 15 and I just couldn't finish it; now that I gave it a second chance and love it, I realize I probably wasn't really getting the plot.

As I said, I really enjoyed the book the second time and now I get why it is a classic. I have my opinions about Victor Frankenstein, and his monster just moved and tenderized my heart. I can't believe Victor didn't make himself responsible for his creation and that made me feel extremely angry and wanted to protect the monster even more (Yes, apparently I took this book a little too personally but I think that was the reason I enjoyed so much).

My favourite part was the monster's narration of his time alone, it just captured my attention a lot more than when Victor narrated.
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Duha Khan
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Post by Duha Khan »

I loved this book! I actually read it recently, during the winter breaks. It was sad and horrifying. I loved Victor and Henry but also felt bad for the monster. I had to write a made-up part in the book. It was fun. Mary Shelley sure did a great job with her book. And to think she was only sixteen when she wrote it and its become a classic.
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Post by Soumini Banerjee »

The original novel was always an inspiration for me, not because of the context of the novel, but because of Mary Shelly and her first take kn science fiction, making the genre of sci fi bloom in the field of literature. Being a woman, she stalwarted the idea of man and nature through the lens of science, which I think, is something worth thinking about.
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