The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Theodore Roszak

Near the end of this book, Roszak writes, “Horror . . . has little to do with haunted castles and graveyards. True horror is compounded of human intentions; it arises from a soul depraved.” In brief, this book, a retelling of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein from Elizabeth Lavenza’s point of view, did not live up to even the author’s standards, according to his own description. This book had plenty of dark, mysterious rooms and towers in the Frankenstein château, as well as dark, mysterious forests and churchyards with the ever-present ‘spirits’ that come from Mother Earth, according to Elizabeth and the women who become her tutors. What this book did not have, were clear motivations for many of the characters. They seemed to be arriving to point B from point A only because Roszak had to fit his story into the outline already made by Shelley’s immortal tale. Roszak rambled on and on about Elizabeth’s education, and how her adoptive mother (Lady Caroline Frankenstein) had destined for she (Elizabeth) and Victor to marry as intellectual equals. This concept/desire is juxtaposed against Baron Frankenstein’s wish that Victor be a product of the Enlightenment, and learn all about the new-fangled electricity and medical advances, while Elizabeth should content herself with painting and gardening. (And I’d like to add that I find it extremely strange that Lady Caroline’s second and youngest son, Ernest is completely forgotten and not mentioned again before the book is even halfway through. No mention of his death - indeed a preface indicates that the character lived long after the rest of his family died. Odd.). I kept hoping for true elements of horror all the way up to the end of the book, at which point I finally gave up. Nothing in this book made me scared, or even worried for the future of mankind, save for the fact that such a disappointing and (yes) crappy book could be accepted and even published by Random House.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following suggestions :

Fiction Recommendation : Frankenstein or A Post-Modern Prometheus By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. As mentioned before, Roszak’s book is but another version of Shelley’s immortal tale.

Fiction Recommendation : Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Roszak’s book is similar in style and pacing as Brontë’s, but the tone and plot are much different. And that’s a good thing.

Nonfiction Recommendation : Frankenstein : Penetrating the secrets of Nature edited by Susan E. Lederer. As science penetrates the secrets of nature, with each discovery generating new questions, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will sound its note of warning. Many scientific developments have provoked references to Frankenstein, a story that, for nearly two centuries, has gripped our imaginations and haunted our nightmares. How can society balance the benefits of medical discoveries against the ethical or spiritual questions posed?

Movie Recommendation : Mary Shelley's Frankenstein directed by Kenneth Branagh. This movie, like the book I reviewed, does not envoke any horror. It is, however, a bloody mess (in both artistry and gore-level).