Finished: Frankenstein (Shelley). Well, I can't say that Frankenstein was my cup of tea, but I can say it was very well written. I couldn't really fathom why it would be in the top 100 books for so many lists, and I still don't think I'd put it there, but hey, I'm just a reader and not a literary expert, lol. The tale is just so convoluted that I couldn't really let myself get lost in the book and feel for the characters. Barely any explanation is given as to how the very young college student, Victor Frankenstein, actually brings life to the demon monster creation of his. He tells the person he's relating his story to that he'd never want anyone else to be able to create another abomination like his, so he'll never tell. Of course, if Frankenstein had shown his demon monster creation the slightest bit of compassion when he brought him to life instead of yelling at him, shrinking in horror and running away for the next few days...maybe the monster would not have grown into being what it did. Now that I've read the book, I think I can say that I've never seen a Frankenstein movie....just maybe bits and pieces...but never a whole movie...well, except for Young Frankenstein, but I don't think that counts. :-) So, the demon monster creation runs off in his newborn ignorance and spends two years living by night and sleeping by day and spying on different human beings until he learns what his feelings and sensations mean, and even learns how to read and speak. If he ever shows his face to human beings, though, they throw things at him and shoot at him and call him a monster. He meets compassion no where. This drives him to hate mankind, even though he truly wants to love mankind and have them love him. He finds out where his creator is from and goes there and murders his little brother, who is a small boy. The demon monster creation then takes something of the small boy's and plants it in a sleeping girl's pocket so she'll be blamed. Of course, the sleeping girl is a dear friend of the Frankenstein family. When Victor hears of the two tragedies, he immediately knows in his heart that his evil creation has committed the murder of his brother, and is responsible for the girl being put to death. He vows to kill the creature. The demon monster creation has other ideas, though. Oh, and he's now very well read...having found some books and read Goethe's heartbreaking, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Milton's epic tale of Adam and Eve, Paradise Lost, and the ancient famous person biography book, Plutarch's Lives. Pretty impressive reading for a two year old. Of course, we never learn where Frankenstein got the brain, so maybe it's possible! Anyway, after murdering the brother and setting up the friend, the demon monster creation confronts his creator, Frankenstein, and forces him to listen to everything he's been through for the past two years. His storytelling and vocabulary surpass, I'm quite certain, that perfect 800 on the SAT. He tells Frankenstein that if he'll just create for him a woman monster like himself as a companion, they'll go away and live far away from any other human beings forever. If he doesn't create her, then he will continue to kill Frankenstein's loved ones. Frankenstein, by this time near mad with grief and worried about his father and his lady love, agrees to create her. Right before he's about to flip the switch and bring her to life, though, he realizes that he'll just be creating another monster that might not even LIKE the original! With no guarantee of the cessation of bloodshed, Frankenstein destroys the female creation. Demon monster creation then sticks true to his word and murders Frankenstein's dearest friend since childhood, and then also his beloved new wife. Frankenstein's father dies of terrible grief. (His mother had died years before the monster was created.) So, all Frankenstein has left to do is chase the monster down and fight to the death. He does this by chasing him across the frozen north, almost to the North Pole. When Frankenstein succumbs to death from his treacherous journey, the demon monster creation comes to briefly mourn over him and then promises that his killing days are now pointless and over since he can no longer bring pain to his creator. He will drag himself as far north as he can, create a huge fire and throw himself on it. The end.

Gosh, I'm just not sure what to say. I can see where this was a unique story back in the day, but I honestly don't get its high critical praises and place on the top 100 list. On the other hand, it did keep my attention and I read it pretty fast. I will definitely, one of these days, come out with my own top 100 list. I have a bit more reading to do first though. :-)