Review of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, With Book Club Discussion Questions

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The last novel my book club finished was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I won't lie, it was a tougher read than our previous selections. Several of our members opted out of this one. It was, after all, first published in 1818. So the language is a bit  more difficult, and the dictionary function on my Kindle got a lot of use. I enjoy the challenge of classic literature, but it's not for everyone. Our group decided that in the future, we'll stick with more modern book selections. However, if Frankenstein is something you are truly interested in reading, please note that the first three or four chapters are kind of hard to get through, but the book gets much more interesting after that - and in effect, easier and more compelling to read. The hard work of struggling to understand the language is definitely worth it.

The concept of the character Frankenstein is so confusing. Most people think of him as a green, scary monster who was created in a lab and has very few truly human qualities. The truth is that Frankenstein is the doctor who created the "monster," who remains unnamed throughout the entire book. I put "monster" in quotes because one might argue that Dr. Victor Frankenstein is actually the monster, while his creation struggles to be a good person. The "monster" seems to have more of a moral backbone than his creator. Various movie versions of Frankenstein have repeatedly been marketed as horror films, but the book is not frightening in the scary movie kind of way. It is, however, terrifying in the god complex kind of way.

 
I would recommend this book, but with caution. It had been on my "to-read" list for quite awhile, so I was thrilled when my friend suggested it as a book club choice. I never considered giving up on it, partly because there is just something in me that has to see a book through to the end once I start it. But the beginning did drag. Just keep that in mind, remember that it gets better, and don't be intimidated by the language. The dictionary is your friend.

Here are some questions you might want to consider for discussion. There might be a few spoilers amongst them, so it's probably best to finish the book before you continue reading.

1. What do you think Victor's original intention was for creating the "monster"? Was it just to prove to himself that he could do it, or was there something more that compelled him to complete this experiment?
2. Do you think Victor accurately portrays himself as the ideal son, brother, and friend in his life before he became obsessed with creating life? Or do you think it's possible that he was actually a very different person than he made himself out to be?
3. Why does Victor get so sick every time anything bad happens in his life?
4. Shelley's full title of the book was Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus. Prometheus was a character in Greek mythology, charged with the job of creating mankind. He was a kind and sympathetic creator, who gave man gifts important to survival. That said, do you think "modern Prometheus" is an accurate description of Victor?
5. How would the monster's life had been different if Victor had shown him the slightest kindness or act of friendship? 
6. Even when events get terribly out of control, Victor can never seem to take responsibility for his actions, or admit that it was wrong to abandon his creation. Why do you think that is?
7. Do you think it is possible that Victor suffers from mental illness?
8. Is society's rejection of the monster inevitable and justified? Why or why not? How does this reflect upon mankind as a whole?

If you've read Frankenstein, I'd love to hear your take. Do you have any other suggestions for discussion questions?

Monday Fun Days

A few weeks ago, some friends and I started a Monday morning book club. Talk about a cure for the Monday morning doldrums! I used to dread the end of the weekend, and now I'm excited on Sunday nights because I have something fun to look forward to. We meet at my friend Aimee's house and take turns bringing something to munch on. We have established a few loose rules, but we're pretty flexible.

• No books any of us have already read. (We already broke this one, but made an exception because it had been a really long time since they had read it).
• No books in a series.
• Spoiler alert! If you didn't read the book, you're still welcome to come to the meetings - just be forewarned that we aren't putting off the discussion.
• Let everybody talk.
• Kids are welcome.

Aimee created a Facebook page for us so that we can post questions in between meetings, and also discuss other books.

So far this is what we've done.




Discussed The Hunger Games, and how the movie compared to the book.

Read and discussed The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.



 



Read and discussed The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinksi






In the process of reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.







A few points I'd like to make:

• Don't discount the Young Adult genre (otherwise we'd have missed out on The Hunger Games and The Fault in Our Stars).
• Sometimes homework assignments are fun. When we read The Next Thing on My List, we each made a bucket list and shared it at our meeting.
• Don't discount classic literature, but acknowledge that reading it at a slower pace is probably beneficial.
• Take advantage of the internet for discussion inspiration.

 We plan on having a movie night when we're done reading Frankenstein, to see how the movie compares to the book. I'll host that in our basement since we have a home theater set up.

Being in a book club is so right up my alley, I don't know how I waited until the age of 37 to finally be a part of one. I love reading and discussing books. I love being with like-minded people. I love having something to look forward to on Monday mornings, and catching up with my friends. We're just getting started, but already I'm hoping this book club becomes a long standing tradition. Although we'll have to make some adjustments in the summer because most of our kids are in school right now, and I think our combined 18 (almost 19) children might be a tad distracting. Not to mention a bit of a stretch on Aimee's hospitality limits.

Are you in a book club? How does your book club operate? What have you read as a group?