“The whole series of my life appeared to me as a dream; I sometimes doubted if indeed it were all true, for it never presented itself to my mind with the force of reality.”

A dark, gothic, sinister, and—sometimes—unintentionally hilarious tale of a scientist and his monster. Frankenstein is the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who seeks greater knowledge to unfold the mysteries of creation, only that the life he made was a wretchedly grotesque monster who would bring him to demise.

This book is so beautifully written that reading it was an experience. Mary Shelley’s writing was so descriptive that I found myself in immense terror as the events of Frankenstein’s monster’s creation unfolded and what came after. Interestingly, I find this book captivating because the agony, hope, and desperation of the monster are vividly described you cannot help but be moved and sympathize with his struggles as he navigates the world he was ‘born’ in without the guidance of his creator. It was also striking how the author captures the mental torment that Frankenstein goes through, evident through the manic episodes that he experiences as well as the time jumps that could go on for months, which could indicate that there might be mental suppression due to the terror felt by the character.

There were several things that the reader will be left to ponder throughout the story. But I think what left me in awe with Shelley’s ideas is the fact that Frankenstein mirrors reality. It is a relatable story in the way that humans tend to be greedy—in Victor Frankenstein’s case, he was desperate to contribute to science—to the point of failure in seeing the aftermath of one’s actions until it’s too late.

Overall, Frankenstein is a classic masterpiece exploring the juxtaposing concepts of creation and destruction. Centuries have passed, but this work of an eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley will continuously impact the world of literature and art.