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Jun 14, 2016
Dread, defined as to anticipate with great fear or apprehension. It is the single feeling that overshadows the entirety of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The original version of the novel was published in 1816. Despite the passing of two-hundred years, Shelley’s words still manage to inspire fear in the heart of the reader. Shelley’s tale is a chilling inquiry into the very meaning of humanity. With it comes examinations of self-awareness, of fanaticism, and of horror. The creature is perhaps one of the best known figures, but the novel is a far cry from the character plastered on Halloween decorations. Within the pages, the reader finds, not a monster driven by innate bloodlust, but a sentient, pained being. The creature speaks eloquently, albeit malevolently. His sole desire is revenge upon his creator. In contrast lies Victor Frankenstein. At first he is shown as nothing more than a happy, wealthy youth stepping out into the world. But as he leaves the peaceful, sunlit valleys of his home, Victor begins to transform. His interests drive him to solitude and his passion to anxiety. Then, in the moment that he steps back to admire his work, he sees his own crazed nightmares materialized. It is that split-second change that leads to the slaughter of so many innocent people. Enter the Gothic world of 1816 and explore Frankenstein’s Europe, from rural Germany to the misty shores of Ireland. Find determination in the stark ice of Russia and turmoil in the chalky cliffs of Scotland. At the center lies Geneva, Switzerland, nestled in the serenity of the mountains. This captivating read has entranced readers for centuries. It is a novel one remembers for years afterwards. Regardless of the obscure beginning and the occasional slowness in the middle, Frankenstein is a truly chilling novel and worth the attention.