As Guillermo del Toro begins shooting his adaptation of Frankenstein for Netflix, I’m asking the world’s remaining readers if they’re as studious as the Creature himself.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Creature seeks refuge at a cottage in Germany, after being “abandoned” by Victor Frankenstein. While observing the De Lacey family, he reads THREE books, all of which teach him something about humanity as he begins to develop a deeper level of consciousness and a better understanding of language.
No Biff, Chip and Kipper required on this phonics journey…
Many scholars assume he reads these editions in English, because they’re written in the language used to instruct Safie, another visitor to the cottages. That said, he tells De Lacey he’s only familiar with French, which suggests the Creature is not bilingual!
The first of these three formative texts is Johann von Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther, another nested narrative which looks at obsession, love and social norms. The eponymous Werther falls for the beautiful and unattainable Lotte, ultimately leading to his demise. The Creature claims the book taught him “lofty sentiments and feelings” and that he “wept” at Werther’s eventual suicide.
Plutarch’s Lives is the second “book” the Creature claims to read in Mary Shelley’s novel. Considering Plutarch’s series of biographies covers fifty-two figures from ancient history, it’s likely the Creature is referring just to the first volume.
Of Plutarch, the Creature says:
‘Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me above the wretched sphere of my own reflections, to admire and love the heroes of past ages. Many things I read surpassed my understanding and experience. I had a very confused knowledge of kingdoms, wide extents of country, mighty rivers, and boundless seas. But I was perfectly unacquainted with towns and large assemblages of men. The cottage of my protectors had been the only school in which I had studied human nature, but this book developed new and mightier scenes of action. I read of men concerned in public affairs, governing or massacring their species. I felt the greatest ardour for virtue rise within me, and abhorrence for vice, as far as I understood the signification of those terms, relative as they were, as I applied them, to pleasure and pain alone. Induced by these feelings, I was of course led to admire peaceable lawgivers, Numa, Solon, and Lycurgus, in preference to Romulus and Theseus.’
1758 edition of Plutarch’s Lives - with spredges!
Paradise Lost by John Milton is the third, final and arguably the best book the Creature reads at the cottage. This ten-volume epic poem gives an account of the fall of man, and is the source of Mary Shelley’s epigraph for Frankenstein:
“Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me Man, did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?”
Again, the Creature is struck by feelings of wonder and awe. But this time, he experiences envy and rage too, which soon inspires a desire for revenge:
‘Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with and acquire knowledge from beings of a superior nature, but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition, for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me.’
So, what do you think? Will you be adding these books to your TBR pile, or maybe revisiting Frankenstein in October? If you do dust off your edition, be sure to share your #frankensteincoverart over on Instagram and feel free to tag me: estella_rua_writer
Ah, so she returns hither way! - welcome back, E. I'll be sure to recommend you. Also, you knoweth already I possess such books, and that this is the perfect reminder for me to revisit Frankenstein; forever tainted by you, to me, but alas, lass.