BOOK: Frankenstein

Frankenstein was published in 1818, but its fame lives on to this day. The book was originally published anonymously and it was only later that it came to be known that Mary Shelley was the author.

In this book Shelley's incredible intellectual capacity is clearly reflected, something highly unusual for people her age ' she was just 21 when Frankenstein was published! Since her parents were intellectuals, she reflected the influences that the simulating environment of her early years had on her.

Her basic inspiration for this story came from a disturbing dream that kept on haunting her in her early years.

The story starts with Robert Walton who has left the north coast of Russia and is heading towards the Arctic Ocean.

Walton is writing letters to his sister in London telling stories of how one day he saw a monster fleeing across the ice. A few days later, Walter rescues Frankenstein from hypothermia and starvation. Frankenstein then relates to Walter his creation of the monster who he considers responsible for some deaths in his family.

When Frankenstein again runs into the monster, the monster threatens him with further violence unless his demands are met: he wants a bride, similar in nature to himself. Will Frankenstein succumb to the monster's request?

All this is unveiled by Shelley in this book. Shelley's novel is considered a pioneer that set the stage for all future 'mad scientist' novels. The storyline is seeped in Shelley's rich use of vocabulary with a romantic air about it, containing descriptions of things like dark laboratories, full moon and a monster that is a product of those laboratories.

The novel also reflects an emotional element as the monster runs from place to place in search of love and acceptance among people. It remains one of the best fictional novels to this day.

There is a haunting quality about Frankenstein, which is why readers even today are fascinated by it. Unfortunately, Shelley's other novels did not attain as much fame as this one. Frankenstein surely represented the peak creation of her life