Frankenstein

 by Mary Shellley

I read the book at the recommendation of Christian.  I found the first part of the book really slow to get started.  It starts with a young man, on an exploration mission in a ship writing to his sister, writing letters to his sister about a man they rescue and the story he tells.

The book eventually gets around to describe the happy life of Victor Frankenstein, including a girl adopted into his family.  As a young man he get interested in some strange pseudo science and ideas.  When he goes away to university his interests are discounted by the profs.  He studies and eventually gets interested in trying to create a human and he is able to do so.  He is terrified of the huge ugly creature he has created and falls into sickness.  The creature disappears.

Eventually a friend of his comes to him and nurses him back to health.   The man is saddened to learn that his young brother has been killed.  He later finds out that it was his creature who killed the brother.  The creature is angry that the man is appalled by his existence.  The creature evenutally finds shelter in a barn attached to a house.  By watching and listening to the family, a blind father and his two children, the creature learns the language.  He watches them for months and one day decides to drop in to see the father.  When the children return they are shocked at the monsters appearance and he runs away.  The family decide to leave their rental accommodation and after they leave the monster burns the house down.

He eventually reconncts with Frankenstein and asks him to create a woman companion for him.  If he is rejected by society because of his appearance at least he would have a companion.  He says that if Frankenstein doesn't do this he will harm his family.  Frankenstein initially refuses but finally agrees.  He goes away to an island and starts to work on a mate but can't do it.  Shortly after a body is found near the island, it is the body of Frankenstein's best friend.  Frankenstein is arrested and jailed for the murder.  

He evetually gets out of jail and marries the woman who was adopted into his family. They set off on their honeymoon and his bride is murdered on their wedding night by the monster.  The monster had hinted at this.

The man then sets off to find the monster and kill him which swings back to the start of the book.

The book certainly wasn't like movies about Frankenstein.  The book was very sympathetic towards the creature.  He was lonely, sad that he was rejected by people.  All he wanted was to be loved.  He seemed to be a thoughtful being and only committed his violence because of his frustration at being rejected.