*whispers quietly* I’m not enjoying Frankenstein that much. I am also behind on the reading for Hot Frank Summer. If you’re reading it right now, how are you finding it?
Advertise here with Carbon Ads
This site is made possible by member support. ❤️
Big thanks to Arcustech for hosting the site and offering amazing tech support.
When you buy through links on kottke.org, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks for supporting the site!
kottke.org. home of fine hypertext products since 1998.
Comments 17
thread
latest
popular
I'm a little behind too. It's been...fine. Glad I'm finally reading it, but I've been distracted by Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain which is a far more gripping read.
This is not my first time reading it so I’m *progressing* better than before, though I hesitate to say I’m *enjoying* it more. Knowing how things come together is helpful to keep me going, at least. It’s one of those pieces of media that must have been mind-blowing upon release and, with so much built off of it since then, it loses its original bite. But, hey, there’s like a third of the book left (per the schedule) so my socks could still fly across the room.
I also stalled out again! But want to finish
Assigned reading, the perennial enemy of reading joy! I liked Frankenstein but I read it, gosh, fifteen years ago or more?
I’ve tried-and-failed to read Frankenstein many times. One of these days I’ll make it through it. As far as classic monster novels go, I love Dracula and have re-read that one more than once. I currently have both H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on my reading list. There are nice free digital editions of both at https://standardebooks.org/
Doesn't the monster just feel like an insufferable incel? No one owes you a girlfriend, my dude!
The only character I like is Safie. More of her would be nice.
Ha! YES. Here I was, finding the initially sensitive monster a huge relief after the hubristic narratives of Walton and Frankenstein and then he went and ruined it.
“Once you have made me a Stacy,” he said. “I will be like the Chads.”
Glad I'm finally reading it, but eh. Frankenstein has inspired pop culture for a couple hundred years. It couldn't possibly live up to the hype, could it?
It strikes me as a little weird in a book that otherwise centers intimate male friendships the monster is convinced that a woman will solve all his problems. Why not just give him a bestie, Mary?
I liked the beginning, but once the monster started telling his story it became a slog. I finished Team of Rivals yesterday and now I'm gonna start a reread of Lincoln in the Bardo, which will probably work to further hinder my motivation to read Frankenstein.
Have you ever listened to the audio version of Lincoln in the Bardo? It’s a delight.
Alas, I think I have failed at Hot Frank Summer.
I bought the book, I had good intentions, but there it sits, mocking me, unread, unopened even, on my coffee table.
You are not alone. I stopped reading after the first three letters! Hoping to get back into it.
I know what you mean, but I'm also laughing imagining that the first three letters of the book (like, abc) failed to grip you. 😂
"The—" Nope, I'm out!
This amused me greatly!
I actually read it for the first time a little earlier this year, before I heard of Hot Frank Summer. I didn't really know what to expect. I liked the monster being an articulate being and hearing his perspective. But Viktor's endless descriptions of how miserable he is were quite tiresome. Neither Viktor nor the monster were particularly sympathetic characters. It was OK. I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't read it again or even recommend it.
I had a strange serendipity of a week on leave, and finishing my previous read just as this read-along got started. I got way ahead of the read-along and as a result, finished the book. I was surprised by how the language stood up, but couldn’t really stomach the story, certainly couldn’t fathom Frankenstein’s decision making…
Hello! In order to comment or fave, you need to be a current kottke.org member. If you'd like to sign up for a membership to support the site and join the conversation, you can explore your options here.
Existing members can sign in here. If you're a former member, you can renew your membership.
Note: If you are a member and tried to log in, it didn't work, and now you're stuck in a neverending login loop of death, try disabling any ad blockers or extensions that you have installed on your browser...sometimes they can interfere with the Memberful links. Still having trouble? Email me!
In order to comment or fave, you need to be a current kottke.org member. Check out your options for renewal.
This is the name that'll be displayed next to comments you make on kottke.org; your email will not be displayed publicly. I'd encourage you to use your real name (or at least your first name and last initial) but you can also pick something that you go by when you participate in communities online. Choose something durable and reasonably unique (not "Me" or "anon"). Please don't change this often. No impersonation.
Note: I'm letting folks change their display names because the membership service that kottke.org uses collects full names and I thought some people might not want their names displayed publicly here. If it gets abused, I might disable this feature.
If you feel like this comment goes against the grain of the community guidelines or is otherwise inappropriate, please let me know and I will take a look at it.
Hello! In order to leave a comment, you need to be a current kottke.org member. If you'd like to sign up for a membership to support the site and join the conversation, you can explore your options here.
Existing members can sign in here. If you're a former member, you can renew your membership.
Note: If you are a member and tried to log in, it didn't work, and now you're stuck in a neverending login loop of death, try disabling any ad blockers or extensions that you have installed on your browser...sometimes they can interfere with the Memberful links. Still having trouble? Email me!