A Brief Essay On The Unessesary Decimation Of Literary Milestone's and The Effective Homogenization for Popular Visual Consumption.

OR....
How to screw up a perfectly good book.
Just to prove I am not ALL about films, TV and Afflek-bashing!
Further reason to love and appreciate my wife.  Ever since she ushered me into the technological new age by way of Android phones I have been taking the time (as with this rain I have A LOT of free time) to explore it's many applications.  Each time I find something new and yesterday I took a step into something previously considered sacrilege!  The "on-line book reader"!  I am bred from literary stock.  My Mother, Father and Sister are voracious readers and I myself have been known to pick up a volume or two now and then.  That is to say I used to.  With a household of distractions the availability of quality quiet time to read is nigh on improbable.  Last night however, while having a conversation with Logan regarding Role Playing games the subject somehow shifted to H.P Lovecraft and Cuthulu .   When he asked me what that was, I used the phone to call up an artist rendering of the creature and in the process stumbled upon my phones app for a reader.  After the conversation broke up (as Lego's now dominated the landscape) I continued poking, and amongst the downloads were the "free" ones.  My favorite price.  Lo and behold I stumbled upon Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.  Much to my personal shame I have never read this masterpiece of Gothic/romantic fiction, or so labeled.  Personally it reads very much as the very first work of "science-fiction"
And I would have to admit that within my lifetime I befell the same fate of many and was ill-informed as to the true nature of this genius work having been introduced to it through the slick packaged incarnations on the silver screen. 
Of the films I have seen, they are all woefully inaccurate of the majesty of this story.  With a silent nod of acceptance that I had stumbled upon something engaging, Angela allow me the after bed-time to devour the story.  Gradually I became aware that the story of the lumbering abomination was much more then it's films counterpart.  The Script itself takes on the form of a Matryoshka Doll, a story, within a story within a story.  What I had always been led to believe was the tale of a Mad Scientist playing God through the "evils" of science was in fact much, much more!  I have read some reviews and interpretations of the story which even still reflected upon the "deranged" scientist, and "playing God" even the toying with the then misunderstood applications of electricity.  Yes, back in the 1800's there was much conjecture as to the life giving properties of electricity as when applied to corpses they would make them "move, as if renewed of vigor" But there is one problem, although there is reference to the inspiration of electricity on a young Victor as he witnessed the  destructive force of a lightning bolt the actual construction of the creature and it's eventual reanimation is left particularly vague. Given the length of the story it only comprises a few pages of text.  And electricity is never mentioned.  In fact it is pointed out that his obsessive  lab work conducted in his attic takes place by candlelight?  Earlier in the story his original adherence to more fantastical and archaic scientific texts is dismissed by his professors and they introduce him to the newer thoughts of science, anatomy and chemistry.  Unless I missed something I am wholly convinced it was through a mixture of chemistry and alchemy that the creature was in fact constructed  (no bolts in this creatures neck!).  BUT, therein ends the brief focus on science.  The book to me reads more of a commentary on the contradictory nature of man.  A social commentary on the evils of perhaps science (honestly the best comparison or relevance to science I could impose on this story would be the utter sense of self loathing and regret that Victor felt must have been more then familiar to Oppenheimer himself)  but more so on the evils of societal norms, the justice system (a very painful example of how public opinion and fear prior to any real "evidence" can shape the verdict in a most grotesque and publicized crime)  religion, class systems, bureaucracy.  How shivery, honor and duty can be at the same time both respectful and evil.  The beauty of her work is exemplified in the pleading of the creature upon encountering Victor in the mountains to hear his story.  I found myself re-reading his diatribe, even lending a flair of dramatics to his eloquent discourse on his right to exist.  His story of self discovery unfolds and we learn of his desire to integrate into society only to be violently repelled by the village folk upon witnessing his countenance.  He resides himself to shelter himself in an encloser near a pauper families cottage.  As he is covertly exposed to their comings and goings he learns not only the complexity of humanity but through close observation learns how to communicate.  With the arrival of Felix's Arabian love we learn even more of the poor families history and through a pair of alien eyes, both the monsters and the foreign beauty (with little understanding of European ways or language) the conflicting world concepts of what is considered honorable and norm are brought into stark contrast. 
And that's where at about 2.00 in the morning I had to get some sleep. 
But I have no doubt I will finish devouring it tonight!

See ya soon!

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