Sam M’s Reviews > Frankenstein: The 1818 Text > Status Update

ch13! the creature’s fixation upon the cottagers. i enjoy reading about his insatiable desire for knowledge, just like his creator Victor.

ch11! the creature’s journey begins! he retells his early days of life, describing a weird, near-cosmic recounting of birth, remnants of the past allowing the creature to learn enough to survive. ends with the creature sorrowfully watching a girl and her family

ch10! Victor has finally reunited with his creation, a creature full of sorrow who is remarkably well-spoken. Victor’s journeys led him to the creature’s dwelling in the ice. i love the matryoska aspect of the story: starts with letters, then recounts a tale told to the author of the letters, before (presumably) moving into a tale told by the creature.

ch8+9!
after William’s death, the servant/nanny Justine was tried and falsely accused of his murder. Victor and Elizabeth were the only people to believe her, granting her little reassurance as she died. this event, since William was killed by Victor’s creation, sends Victor into a spiral. he eventually sets off on a reinvigorating journey, ending up at Chamounix. i wonder where his creation is?

ch7! RIP William!!! Not much happened besides his death, but Victor (imagined??) he saw the creature, on his way home (specifically when he visited his brother’s location of death). anyways, he home. everyone’s sad!!

i will say, it makes sense as to his obsession w reanimation considering the loss in his life

ch6! already (over) 1/4 through the book, this chapter seems to be the calm before the storm—Henry has helped Victor recover and they now plan to embark on a farewell hike through ingolstadt. Elizabeth is still in Geneva, taking care of the Frankenstein family, worried for Victor. interested to see if perhaps the men run into Frankenstein’s creation.

ch5! Victor discovers reanimation and one chapter later, the “monster” is alive. i love the description of the monster, and it makes sense now as to why every adaptation has Frankenstein’s creation as a hulking character.
good ol’ Henry Clerval visits Ingolstadt, caring for Victor after his breakdown because of his creation. maybe Elizabeth will visit in ch6?

ch4! Frankenstein has discovered the power of reanimation, cautiously gearing up to recount the incident that eventually left him stranded in the antarctic.

love it so far! now after the letters, we are “listening” to Frankenstein’s story. i love how compassionate and gentle the people in Frankenstein’s (and Walton’s) life are; either choosing their companions carefully or by the grace of “God”. the passage about grief after his mother, Caroline, dies is incredible and nearly made me cry!