Frankenstein

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Mary Shelley
Format: Paperback
Pages: 215 (mine was a different edition then that of the cover shown)
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Thanks Goodreads): Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

My Thoughts: Poor Frankenstein. I really feel bad for the guy. Talk about one mistake ruining the rest of your life. That said, maybe he should have spent a little bit more time thinking about what he was planning to do. Did it really seem like that good of an idea? I mean, if you really sat down with it, did it? Probably not. People are stupid, I guess.

I didn't really understand the connection between the letters and the story. I think that part could have been done in many different ways but the author gets final say, she must have liked it just the way it was. It seems really important, how it begins, but it's not really. I focused too much on it at the time. It's not the real meat of the story. It's more foreshadowing what happens to Frankenstein than anything else. The beginning of this novel really didn't lend itself to a good climax though. The reader already knows whats going to happen to the poor guy. I feel that this points to a different kind of reader. Mary Shelley wrote this for the people of her time and I think between the lack of really high point and vocabulary (did I mention I love classics for the vocabulary? I love learning big words) we can learn what that reader must have liked. 

Speaking of Mary Shelley, I read A Vindication for the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft which was a major bore-fest in an English class. Imagine my surprise upon finding out that these Marys were in fact the same Mary. After knowing this, I really didn't want to read Frankenstein. Thank god the two works were nothing a like.

There are many different TV versions of the same story. Of course, there is the movie and its subsequent remakes and spoofs as well as the Once Upon a Time version which is nothing like the real story. All of these confused versions made it so that I had no idea what the real story was about. I'm glad that I took the time to find out what the real story actually is. With so many versions and references about it out in the world, how could you not take a couple hours and read this novel over?

To End:  Luckily, this wasn't a very long novel. You can take your time reading it and still not take too long to get through it. Classics fans will enjoy this addition to their collection. You should really check out the real story behind all the remakes and allusions. 

Favourite Movie Version:

So it's not really right from this book but I really enjoy Young Frankenstein. It's a spoof of the novel but really entertaining. If you aren't looking for a carbon copy you should check out this movie. It's old and in black and white (it's not that old, it's just for fun) but it's worth a watch. Enjoy it. It's all for fun.

The Diviners

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Libba Bray
Format: Paperback
Pages: 578
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Bless Goodreads): Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

My Thoughts: This novel definitely gave me the heeby-geebies like it tried too. I have this little problem of reading at night and I'm sure that didn't help me in this case. I enjoyed the thought behind this story. I'm all for magic and people having strange gifts/talents so this book was totally my thing. I'm so glad that I kept on reading; I almost put it back on the shelf to read later. Anyway, creep factor was an eight. That's pretty good. The author has a great way of describing things to the reader. I also loved the point of view, it added to the story so much because even though most chapters followed a certain character and their thoughts, you also got the other characters thoughts. The end of some chapters shot around to give updates on minor characters or strangers to the story. I didn't understand them at first but I realized that they give us more background to the world and to how other people are seeing what was happening. It was very useful. 

I also need to give this author massive props for doing all the research necessary for this novel. It takes place in the twenties so not only did the author have to research landmarks from this time period but also how people acted, dressed, and spoke. I cannot even imagine the work that needed to be done for that. She mentions it all in the Author's Notes and Acknowledgements (always read these in books! They are often very funny and lend extra insight to the story. You get a feel for the author and can find out their thoughts on the subject. I love knowing the background to the story and how it came about. You always forget how much work goes into the books you're reading.). Plus, the author clearly has a thesaurus on hand. She uses excellent vocabulary with the except of the pos-i-tutly's and stuff that Evie sometimes says. That drive me nuts! Thought, in the end she says it less and you can see how she has grown.

The characters were solid and all very different but there were just too many of them. They don't all get the same time as the focus and, in the beginning, they are hard to keep straight. It doesn't help that soon they are all interacting. It's that fun six degrees of separation thing but it was rough until I figured out all the connections. Lots of characters die too. Keeping all those deaths is difficult too. They repeat thing enough to be able to figure it all out before the reader goes crazy or gives up. Try to hang in there. 

When I first chose the book I kept thinking how big it was but it went quickly once I got into the story. It wasn't so long as to get bored but it also needed to be that long to explain everything clearly. There were some parts of the book that I felt were just for fun, as in they could have been taken out, yet they made everything relate-able and showed time passing so I take that back. A warning: this book is, I believe, the beginning of a series so if you aren't looking for a series then steer away from this book, unless you don't need a solid ending. The ending of this story leads into something more.

So: I really enjoyed this book. I would read it again. I loved the idea behind the story and I think that the author has a brilliant way of writing (I've read her in the past). This book involves many different genres from action to love with spooky stuff thrown in the middle. Beware that it's the start of series but it's really good.

Fun Quotes (I love sassy writing but it's not as funny without context!):
- "Charity begins at home." "So does mental illness!"
- "What's wrong with Anna Karenina?" "Everything from A to enina." (I agree with this one completely)
- "I salute your spunk, but I question your sanity."

Basically...read the darn book!