✔Henry – a good man, a pure man, the only man we’ve ever trusted. ✔Justine – the more naive, or stereotypically ladylike, lady character in this novel, and yet is treated just as well by the story as Elizabeth and Mary. I have no evidence for this she’s just gay. she is so deeply morally ambiguous yet so sympathetic to the audience and also, the narrative agency. ✔Elizabeth – one of the most interesting and developed narrators I have had the pleasure of reading about this year. Their group is so fantastic and I absolutely loved the importance of the various character relationships within the book rather than being driven by romance, Elizabeth is primarily driven by her relationship with Justine and, to some extent later, Henry and Mary. I don’t think you can talk about this book without talking about the characters, because they really do star. I do not think I expected one of the best books I read this year to be a retelling of Frankenstein where it’s not just about the nature of monstrousness, but about the power of women working together and escaping an abusive relationship, with intoxicating writing and a morally grey lady as the protagonist. You are mine, Elizabeth Lavenza, and nothing will take you from me. I think White might have answered that question.īlog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube The original Frankenstein calls into question what it really means to be a monster and, indeed, who the real monsters are. It's smart how Kiersten White has managed to keep a lot the same, while also creating a bigger and very different-looking picture. This story largely fills in gaps in the original tale, while shedding a completely new light on it. In fact, it made those mysterious dark shadows all the creepier. What has Victor been up to? Knowing the truth didn't take anything away from reading. Her investigation leads her down dark paths to charnel houses and secret laboratories. When Victor goes missing in Ingolstadt and writes no letters, Elizabeth begins to track him down. It was so easy for a woman to be dismissed as whiny or silly, or worse- mad. ![]() The stifling constraints placed on women and their ambitions are palpable as the story unfolds. Through her eyes, the tortured genius of Victor becomes a sometimes frightening thing, and yet nothing is as terrifying as being a woman in 18th Century Europe. And if she lingers in Victor's shadow, then that's because she knows that's where she needs to be to get what she wants. In this book, Elizabeth becomes an ever more complex character. It's hard to appreciate some of the clever twists the author takes without knowing what it's based on. I think this book will work much better for those familiar with the original as it gives a lot of nods to the story. ![]() The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is, essentially, a retelling of Frankenstein from the perspective of Elizabeth - an orphan taken in by the Frankenstein family and later the fiancée of Victor. But it is in the final third when this book goes from pretty good to excellent. Frankenstein is one of my favourite books, and I like it when authors give a voice - and different perspective - to a side character. Sometimes we were strangers even to ourselves.įor the first two thirds, I thought this book was pretty good.
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