Welcome to Quill Quotes Book Club and the final discussion for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley! We hope you enjoyed the read! Note this discussion covers the full book and will contain spoilers, so if you haven’t finished reading yet you may want to go back to the Frankenstein Book Club Summary Page for the previous discussions.
Brooke’s Thoughts
I either love or hate classics and there is no in between. I LOVED Frankenstein. The part that really got me was hearing Frankenstein’s monster’s desire for companionship. Mary Shelley really made me feel for him and made it difficult to decide who the bad guy was. I really enjoyed this book and I am leaning towards 5 stars for this one!
Favorite Quote
‘Cursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of your’s, more horrid from its very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and detested.’
– Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Kevin’s Thoughts
I enjoyed Frankenstein and gave it 4 stars! It’s a pretty sad story though with neither Frankenstein or his creation really getting closure. Frankenstein’s monster regretting his actions and wishing he could have just found a companion to enjoy life with and Frankenstein pursuing him to his death is heartbreaking. There was really no need for the rivalry and I think they could have been friends if not for the inability of humans to see past Frankenstein’s monsters appearance. That being said, I do think Frankenstein made the right decision in declining to make a female creature. There’s no guarantee that she would have been agreeable to the plan and may have hated both humanity and Frankenstein’s first creation.
Favorite Quote
“Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me?”
– Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Vote
Last Week’s Vote
This Week’s Question – Rate Frankenstein
Sorry, this vote is now closed. The average rating was 4.5/5 stars!
Frankenstein Final Discussion Prompts/Questions
Feel free to comment on whatever thoughts and questions you have! But if you aren’t sure where to start, consider some of the prompts/questions below:
- Would you have made Frankenstein a wife to possibly save your family? Or do you agree the risk to humanity was too high?
- Who is the really the monster or the worst? Frankenstein or his creation?
- Do you think Frankenstein’s monster was really regretful of his actions?
- Were you surprised Frankenstein still encouraged Captain Walton to keep going North while the crew implored him to turn back if the ice cleared? Do you think this was just so he could continue pursuing his own goal of killing his creation or did he learn nothing from his blind pursuit of science?
- Share a favorite quote.
Commenting
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We hope you enjoy this discussion and join us again next month!
I am sorry that I haven’t written something before this. I must say I didn’t think I would like this book but once I got interested I was astonished to find I could put it down, All though it was hard to concentrate because of two cataract surgery I was able to finish. Victor wanted to created another life, like his hero who was a scientist who was interested into the occult. I believe that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and as a result he lost his connection to his family and when the monster wanted a companion Victor was losing his family and as result , Victor denied Monster a family . Most of the book’s horror and sufferings is caused by the Victor and Monster losing a connection to family or not having a family.
The Monster says “my protectors had departed and ha broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred fills my bosom” His murders only increased his alienation. In life the idea that alienation from other people is caused by the root, by alienation from oneself.
The ships Captain Walton is as ambitious as Victor but unlike Victor Walton chooses to abandon his ambition out of duty to his crew.
I believe Frankenstein’s real mistake and crime is that he places his ambition above his responsibilities to other people. I think they are both responsible for their actions but they don’t realize it,
Wow, I hadn’t made the connection to family bonds but now that you pointed it out, it makes sense. I’d been thinking of it more in the context of species/race and human prejudice. From the way you said “Victor denied Monster a family,” I’m guessing you think he should have made a companion creature? From the first Monster’s standpoint, I think a companion would have been good but there’s no telling whether she would have agreed or had a similar disposition to the first creation. Therefore, I think Frankenstein made the right choice in destroying his second creation.
That quote was heartbreaking when the neighbor family departed after encountering Frankenstein’s creation. I wish we would have heard from that family’s father after the children drove the Monster away. The children couldn’t see past his appearance but I feel like their blind father could have accepted the Monster with a bit more conversation.
I was surprised that Frankenstein encouraged Captain Walton to continue heading North. At that point, I guess he’d lost everything and couldn’t see past his need to pursue his creation to the ends of the Earth for revenge. I’m glad Walton was able to make his own decision for the sake of his crew. I don’t know if ambition was Frankenstein’s downfall in the beginning, though. He certainly neglected his family for a time while creating the Monster, but after his creation, I think his biggest mistake was abandoning the Monster.
It’s okay! We are glad you were able to join and that your cataract surgeries went well!
I highlighted so many quotes when Frankenstein’s creation tells his side of the story. It was so heartbreaking! I agree with Kevin about that quote, I would have like to see if he could have persuaded the blind father to be his friend. I also agree with you that alienation from others is caused by being alienated from oneself.
Frankenstein was the problem in this fiction. Three people would be alive if he had not put together the monster. Why did he think he could marry for happiness after destroying the woman that was to be the monsters partner? It is only fiction but I really got into the story line.
I would rate this 4.5 stars. A time or two the story drug on but not so much that I still enjoyed this read.
Can’t wait for the next book selection.
I agree! I probably would have gone after him before I got married especially since he threatened to be there on his wedding day. I also enjoyed the quote said about Frankenstein when he was in jail, “He may be innocent of the murder, but he has certainly a bad conscience.”
I am so glad you ended up really enjoying it! Book selection will be out tomorrow and I can’t wait to see what gets picked!
If Frankenstein would have created a companion for his ceation he might have made him happy and not been so lonely and would have left Frankenstein alone. His creation might have wanted more, like children or more companions so might have never ended so Frankenstein was probably right in not making a companion.
Frankenstein should have helped his creation in the beginning so he wasn’t so angry towards him.
I do believe his creation was regretful in the end. He wanted his maker to feel as much pain as he felt.
I was surprised Frankenstein told the captain to keep going north I thought he would have learned from experience on when to stop. I think Frankenstein did still want to find his creation so wanted to go as far as he could.
My favorite quote
I cannot believe that I am the same creature whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions of the beauty and the majesty of goodness. But it is even so; the fallen angel becomes a malignant devel. Yet even the enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone. Mary Shelly Frankenstein
This was a great classic to read. I already knew the story but never understood how much turmoil Frankenstein went through. Movies can never get in the minds of the characters like a book.
I did think at one point what if Frankenstein’s creation’s companion thought he was a monster too and didn’t want to be with him. Or like they said there was no way to know that his next creation wouldn’t be murderous. But I didn’t think about them wanting more companions or “kids” and then the kids wanting kids. It probably would have been a never-ending cycle especially if he keeps threatening you and your family.
That’s a great quote! I love the “I am alone” at the end.
I agree books are almost always better than movies. I want to try to find the movie now because I’m not sure I have ever seen it all the way through. Glad you enjoyed it!
I really like that quote too and feel like it summarizes the story pretty well! I agree that Frankenstein should have helped his creation in the beginning. If they were friends there would never have been a need for another companion to be requested/created. Frankenstein’s creation must have been truly horrifying for everyone to shun him on sight as they did. At the same time, his treatment and resulting hatred of humanity could be applied to any prejudice/racism.