Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Published by: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones (originally)

Published on: March 11, 1818

Page Count: 280

Genre: Gothic Fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook downloaded free during a Tantor Audio promotion

Audiobook Published by: Tantor Audio

Narrator: Simon Vance

Audiobook Length: 8 hours 30 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

My Review

When Tantor Audio offered Frankenstein as a free digital download in October, I didn’t hesitate taking advantage of the opportunity to hear Simon Vance read this classic. Having never read it before, I learned quickly that what I’ve seen in movies and in pop culture is vastly different from the book itself. I had been expecting spooky mad scientist’s mansion and villagers chasing after the monster with torches blazing. While Frankenstein did create his monster through science, the actual process was downplayed as it wasn’t the point. In his quest for knowledge, Frankenstein unleashed a beast into the world. The aftermath, both physical and psychological, is the story.

The first half of this novel had me glued to my car seat. You have the family tragedy followed by the story of how the monster acquired language and morality. While I enjoyed the novel as a whole, the second half was not as strong for me. Frankenstein spent so much time inside his head going over how he was the victim in this tragedy that I grew impatient with him. I think the way the story played out was for the best because he could never have been the husband and father his own father was. When one is constantly justifying oneself, there is little room left for love or sacrifice.

This audiobook was nothing short of incredible. Simon Vance brought his A game to this recording. He infused the novel with the perfect amount of emotion. While narrating the letter from Frankenstein’s father there was a point where I knew that if there was even another slight hint of a crack in his voice that I would start crying. I may sound like a broken record when it comes to reviewing Simon Vance’s narration, but what can I say? The man is talented. Happy are those who recognize and appreciate it.

I thank Tantor Audio for providing this delightful freebie during the month of October. What made this download even better was the eBook that accompanied it. I enjoy reading along from time to time and a copy in print always helps with spelling and reviewing what you’ve read.

I enjoyed Frankenstein more than I had imagined. It wasn’t just the stuff of monster movies and science fiction. While the nature of good and evil played a role, this novel played in the spaces in between: tenderness versus revenge and selfishness versus sacrifice. I fully understand why people love this story. It was a perfect fit for October, but anytime would be a good time to sit down and have a listen.

Warning (stolen from Carl): For those of you who are not reading the novel but want to, following along after the jump is something you do not want to do. Spoilers are present in abundance.

Here are my responses to this week’s questions:

1. The title of this book is The Lantern, and a lantern makes an appearance in both of the stories. In Benedicte’s past, it had a meaning, but what do you think the lantern signifies in her future and in Eve’s story?

It is so very interesting how Benedicte and Eve’s stories are coming together. I’m tempted to think that an item so meaningful to Benedicte being seen by Eve is a sign that Benedicte is trying very hard to have someone learn the truth about her family and about the farm. Eve is also allowing herself to live in the dark when it comes to Dom. While there are signs everywhere that she doesn’t belong with him, she never allows a harsh light to shine on the situation for long. If it’s not Benedicte, it is the universe trying to get her attention.

2. Carl mentioned scents in last weeks questions, but they have been addressed even more in these sections. What significance do you think scents have in this story overall?

I really wish that this book came with a scratch and sniff card. They talk about such wonderful sounding smells. Scent is very much a character in this book. Scent changes people’s lives. It’s what gave Marthe a break after she became blind. I would love to know what Marthe’s perfume smells like. It’s the clue to Eve that something’s not right. Is the scent that awakes her Marthe’s perfume or something else?

3. What do you think of the combining storyline of Marthe? She connects Benedicte, Eve, and Rachel. What do you think will be revealed about this connection in the next sections?

Although I assumed the stories had to intersect at some point, it was this connection that finally brought about my investment in the novel. This book got off to a slow start for me because the book was so atmospheric. The connection between the two woman added the spark of action and excitement In needed. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a matter of history repeating itself. Could Dom in some way be related to Pierre? I wouldn’t be surprised.

4. Now that things are beginning to move along, what do you think of the characters? Are any standing out for you? Do you particularly like any? Dislike any?

While I still don’t care for Eve, I like Benedicte even more than I did during the first two sections. Benedicte is a woman trying to make the best of the world into which she was born. She jumps at the chance to help Marthe, for example. She does seem to blame herself for everything. Even where Marthe might blame her, she’s not to blame.

Eve, on the other hand, annoys me. I want to like her, but it’s as if she prefers to live with her head buried in the sand. She’ll investigate Dom and Rachel, but only so far. When the truth is within reach, she calls it a night. I find that frustrating.

5. What do you think really happened to Marthe and Annette? What do you think the significance of the bones in the pool are to the story? Especially now that it has been revealed that Rachel is also dead.

I believe the bones beneath the pool are Marthe and Annette. Whether that happened while Benedicte was away or she only imagined them alive when she woke up, I’m not sure. I do not believe that Rachel died of cancer. Noting that I despise Dom, I think the pregnancy had something to do with it. Eve had better look out.

6. Do you have any other things you think are significant to talk about? Are there any other predictions to be made for the last two sections of the book?

I predict that Dom will not be happy when he discovers Eve’s pregnancy. That Rachel, Benedicte and Eve have/had been pregnant is interesting to me. There almost has to be something there or why would it have been mentioned in Benedicte’s story?

7. Lastly, what do you think of this book overall? Other than for the read-along, why are you reading it? Is it meeting your expectations?

I requested an ARC of this novel from Harper because I love Gothic fiction. The Lantern definitely fits the genre. I think I would like it as a whole more if it had more going on in the first two sections, but I’m enjoying it now. Can’t wait to get back to it.

The Listener

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Published on: December 2009

Page Count: 305

Genre: Fiction/Gothic

My Reading Format: Hardcover purchased from Powells

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Tossing a book on your DNF pile after 191 page is akin to giving up on a 20 year marriage.  On the one had, you’ve already been through so much with the book that it’s a shame to give up on it within  100ish pages of the end.  On the other, there’s no point in losing any more of your life to the book if you’re not happy. Sadly, but not regretfully, I decided to divorce myself from Shira Nayman’s novel about a the lead doctor at a mental institution in post WWII New York and an odd patient who seems to know so much about him and one of his former patients.

I had high hopes for the book.  It caught my eye in a copy of BookPage.  I love to read Gothic fiction, and what’s more Gothic than an insane asylum – well, other than a spooky British mansion?  I didn’t have any expectations that it would be as wonderful as Patrick McGrath’s Asylum, but I was expecting it to be interesting.  I found this book rather boring.  Even the scenes where Dr. Harrison is spying on others having sex weren’t enough to make me want to continue.  I’m sure that it was headed somewhere, but I just didn’t care.

I am still on the search for a new fabulous Gothic read. I think Kate Morton might be my next best choice.  In the meantime, I cannot recommend The Listener.

Other Voices

You’ve read what I have to say.  Why not check out this bloggers’ review?

Bibliophile By the Sea

Awhile back, I received a few comments on my review of The Angel’s Game by Ellie and Gabby.  They have quite a few questions about just who David was, who Corelli was, and just what happened in the novel.  I loved this book, but it’s been over a year since I’ve read it.  Ever since the questions have come in, I’ve been meaning to crack open my copy of the book for a refresher.  I just don’t feel as though I’m close enough to the story to provide any answers with any authority.  Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to delve back in to the The Cemetery of Forgotten Books yet.

Instead of keeping Ellie and Gabby waiting any longer, I thought I’d post the comments and questions here in hopes that some of my other readers might share their thoughts/opinions/answers.

I don’t really get why the book David wrote, caused the problems (Christina tried to burn it but couldn’t) or whether it was just Corelli.

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Who was Corelli? Was he part of David’s imagination as no one else saw him apart from Diego and David found out that he had died years ago?

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What was the significance of Grandes telling David that none of his story added up, i.e. the brain tumour etc… and did he actually have a brain tumour or was all of this a figment of David’s imagination?

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I think the brothel bit at the beginning was to plant doubt in the reader’s mind as to whether David was sane or not (i.e. he imagined it) but i’d be interested to know people’s thoughts.

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Who was the person that was set on fire and drowned 25 years ago because we know it wasn’t the police officer as his body was later found in the tower house and it obviously wasn’t Diego?

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What did the picture of Corelli holding up Christina under her arms when she was in the white dress (just after she died) that David saw in Corelli’s house mean?

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What was the significance of the pictue of Christina walking along the pier holding someone’s hand ( I asume Corelli’s but other people said it was David’s hand)

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When the police officer said about the angel’s brooch being on David’s lapel from the beginning, I took this to mean that maybe David is Corelli i.e. he had the brain tumour and therefore was hullicinating (there are other things to imply that Corelli isn’t real.

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Lastly the ending, who is little Christina and what really happening in the Epilogue?

Have you read The Angel’s Game?  What are your thoughts?  If you don’t have answers but have questions of your own, feel free to add them to our list!  I would really appreciate your input.

The House at Midnight

Published by: Random House Publishing

Published on: June, 2008

Page Count: 336

Genre: Gothic fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook purchased with a credit from Audible.com.

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

The House at Midnight tells the story of Joanna and her group of college friends. They are entering their later 20s and starting to get more settled into their adult lives. As the story begins, Lucas, Joanna’s best friend, inherits his Uncle Patrick’s estate after his suicide. Lucas adored Patrick, especially since he became like a father to him after his father’s apparent suicide decades earlier. Patrick was a wealthy and well respected art dealer. While Lucas never lacked for money growing up, his new-found wealth leaves him uncomfortable. He opens up the estate to their group of friends on the weekends as a place for them to come and relax after the weeks spend in London. The group was rounded out by Danny, Michael, Martha, Rachel, and Rachel’s boyfriend Greg. Joanna has always been attracted to Lucas, but their relationship never developed into anything more until they started meeting at Stoneborough Manor. Once their romantic relationship began, Danny, who had been Lucas’ boyhood friend, became increasingly hostile toward Joanna. Lucas didn’t see this change and at first Joanna tried to blow it all off due to the trouble’s Danny was having with his job. When Lucas decided to move to Stoneborough permanently with Danny, who lost his job, the situation became increasingly intolerable. The house even felt hostile and oppressive to her. When Joanna is forced to make a drastic decision about her future and her romantic life, Lucas, her career, and her friendships start to deteriorate.

I love Gothic novels set in old English manners. That is what first appealed to me when I selected this novel from Audible.com. Although The House at Midnight is set in current time, those places can be deliciously eiry and full of mystery. The Thirteenth Tale, The Sister, and The Little Stranger are all strong examples of what I love in stories of this genre.  Lucie Whitehouse’s first novel did not live up to my expectations.  Joanna’s narration about the house being somehow haunted was the only thing that really spoke to the house having any power at all.  I wouldn’t have come up with that on my own.  The triangle between Joanna, Lucas, and Danny had enough tension in and of itself.  This would have been enough on its own, especially if there had been payoff.  As it was, the house really got in the way.  The situation between the friends was more uncomfortable than the house.  Perhaps this is because there wasn’t any subtlety about it.

I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy The House at Midnight.  It had its moments.  I really got involved in the story when Joanna happens upon Rachel and Greg in a compromising position.  I wish that more had come of Danny’s knowledge of this incident than what did ultimately.  The ending held some surprises but some missed opportunities as well.  There was some great potential to make Danny in to one heck of an intriguing villain.  The proposed influence of the house took up too much energy.

The House at Midnight was narrated by Kate Reading.  As I started listening to this audiobook, I was trying to figure out where I had heard her voice before.  She was the female narrator in Chemistry for Beginners.  Although her male voices were  a bit strange, I got used to them rather quickly.  I would definitely listen to another of her audiobooks.  She does very well with the voice of contemporary British women.

My Final Thoughts

This book is definitely worth a try if you enjoy Gothic fiction.  If you do, I would rent it from the library instead of buying it.  I will be interested to see what Lucie Whitehouse writes next.

Other Voices

You know what I think.  Why not check out what other bloggers have to say?

Caribousmom

Welcome to the June 1st edition of Tuesday’s Temptation (yeah… I know it’s nearly Wednesday, but the holiday weekend has my days all messed up)!

Who?

The author of today’s Tuesday’s Temptation is Deborah Noyes.  As someone who loves both historical and Gothic fiction, her website caught my attention right away.  She is a photographer and all of her interests intertwine beautifully.  I absolutely adore the homepage!  In the past she’s edited an anthology of Gothic fiction for teens.  I know I’ve not yet read a word that she’s written, but when an author loves to read the same things you do, it’s a really good sign.  Upon further investigation, the books she’s been involved in have been really diverse.

What?

Why?

As a lover of historical fiction, I really enjoy reading about the past.  When a novel is about a subject or time completely new to me, I get really excited.  Captivity most definitely falls into that category.  It tells the story of the Fox sisters, young New York women who claimed to be able to converse with the dead in 1948.  Talking to dead people in 1948 = historical fiction with a Gothic twist.   I also happen to love the cover.  That never hurts.

Here is the synopsis from the publisher:

This masterful historical novel by Deborah Noyes, the lauded author of Angel & Apostle, The Ghosts of Kerfol, and Encyclopedia of the End (starred PW) is two stories:

The first centers upon the strange, true tale of the Fox Sisters, the enigmatic family of young women who, in upstate New York in 1848, proclaimed that they could converse with the dead. Doing so, they unwittingly (but artfully) gave birth to a religious movement that touched two continents: the American Spiritualists. Their followers included the famous and the rich, and their effect on American spirituality lasted a full generation. Still, there are echoes. The Fox Sisters’ is a story of ambition and playfulness, of illusion and fear, of indulgence, guilt and finally self-destruction.

The second story in Captivity is about loss and grief. It is the evocative tale of the bright promise that the Fox Sisters offer up to the skeptical Clara Gill, a reclusive woman of a certain age who long ago isolated herself with her paintings, following the scandalous loss of her beautiful young lover in London.

Lyrical and authentic—and more than a bit shadowy—Captivity is, finally, a tale about physical desire and the hope that even the thinnest faith can offer up to a darkening heart.

When?

I first heard about Deborah Noyes and Captivity when Caitlin from Unbridled Books brought it to my attention, believing it might be a great fit for my Historical Fiction Lover’s Book Club on Facebook.  I couldn’t say no.  I will definitely be reading it this month.

Where?

I recently cleared off a shelf on our entertainment center in our living room for the books I really want to read soon.  They are ordered by height alone.  I’m not sure why I’m OCD about that when I first set up a bookshelf.  As you may recall from my previous Tuesday’s Temptation posts, my bookshelves are more often than not double parked and double-deckered, so this organization isn’t meant to last for long. LOL!  Captivity is the third tallest book on that shelf, so it’s the third book from the left.

What’s tempting you today?

I’m taking part in a fun read-a-long of Wuthering Heights spearheaded by Jill from FizzyThoughts.  I don’t generally reread books. Not because I wouldn’t like to, but because I don’t read fast enough to insert a book I’ve already read into my schedule without impacting other things.  However, as part of my quest for reading deliberately, this is something I’d like to better plan into my reading routine.  Jill provided me with a most excellent opportunity and I jumped on it.

Here is a list of all the other readers taking part:

• Vivienne( Serendipidy)
• Messy Karen
• Victoria
• Jenny (Take Me Away)
• Ti (Book Chatter)
• Lisa – Lit And Life
• Dar@ Peeking Between the Pages
• J.C. Montgomery (The Biblio Blogazine)
• Whitney
• JoAnn (Lakeside Musing)
• Gentle Reader (Shelf Life)
• Amy at New Century Reading

Chapters 1 through 3

Synopsis (as stolen from Jill):

In the first three chapters we are introduced to Heathcliff, the master of Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is a moody grump, although our narrator, Lockwood, at first believes he is “in dress and manner a gentleman.” Lockwood initially likes Heathcliff, and feels he is a kindred spirit. However, Lockwood is a pest, and after he invites himself over for a return visit and is forced to spend the night due to a snowstorm, he revises his opinion of Heathcliff. Lockwood also meets the other inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. There’s Catherine (who Lockwood at first assumes is Heathcliff’s wife…wrong! She’s his daughter-in-law), Hareton Earnshaw (who Lockwood at first assumes is Heathcliff’s son…wrong! He’s his nephew. The son is dead.), Zillah (the housekeeper) and Joseph, the crotchety old servant.

These names can all be quiet confusing, both to Lockwood and the reader, since there appears to have been another Catherine (Lockwood meets her in a very bad dream) and another Hareton Earnshaw (his name is above the door mantel). After a haunted night at Wuthering Heights, Lockwood returns home confused, not to mention a little put out by the rudeness and inhospitableness of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights.

Of course, Lockwood also comes across as a bit of an ass, so can we really trust him as a narrator?

My Thoughts:

Have you ever had an experience where you’ve gotten in touch with an old friend you’ve not talked to in a long time and it feels like you were never apart?  Have you have had an experience where you’ve put on a pair of your favorite slippers after a long hot summer and they feel like home on your feet?  That’s what re-reading the first 3 chapters of Wuthering Heights feels like to me.  While I’m jealous of any of the participants who are reading this novel for the first time, there’s something to be said for knowing what’s going to happen and allowing the events to all unfold again before you anyway. Does that make sense?  Those are my thoughts on becoming reacquainted with Heathcliff, Catherine, Lockwood, and the complete awsomeness of Gothic manors.

If I enjoyed week 1, I know that the remaining weeks are going to get even better.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Published by: Algonquin Books

Published on: March 2009

Page Count: 291

Genre: Historical Fiction / Gothic Fiction

For Consideration: graphic sexuality

Format: paperback review copy from the publisher

Availability: hardcover, paperback, eBook, audio

Ralph Truitt, a man who is the virtual king of his small Wisconsin town, put an ad in the the paper looking for a “reliable wife.”  Although he has all of the wealth and power he could ever need, he can’t get away from his past.  He spent many years celibate and sober in hopes of making right the mistakes he made with the wife of his youth and their children.  Ralph, now at a distinguished age, wants to try a different tactic.  For that, he needs an honest, simple wife.  Catherine Land answers Ralph’s ad for her own reasons.  She uses deceit to get what she wants, believing that the transition from living in 1904′s Chicago to Ralph’s rural community worth the sacrifice to satisfy her needs and fulfill her fantasies.  Despite the best laid plans, things do not go as planned for Ralph or Catherine.  They both find that when you use someone to reach your own ends, things get messy.

A Reliable Wife is a book that requires discussion.  There are so many themes and topics ripe for conversation and debate.Thankfully I have been able to participate in a thoughtful Twitter book club as well talk about it in more depth with a friend.  I think I could be happy spending hours talking about the interplay between Ralph, Catherine, and Tony, the distinction between nature and nurture, and the role of weather, gardens, and dark sexuality.  As much as I want to dig down deep into every little crevice, the story is enjoyable and accessible at the surface level.

I couldn’t have been more than two chapters into A Reliable Wife when I wondered where it had been all my life.   I was drawn into the characters immediately and my interest never let up for a moment.  The writing was beautiful throughout and I consider its conclusion to be among the best I’ve read.  I relished every bit of this novel, finishing it with a sense of satisfaction that can only come from the knowledge that I will read it again many times over.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Dr. Faraday, a bachelor with meager beginnings, is a local family doctor. Normally his clients are from or near his own socioeconomic status, so he was somewhat surprised when he was called to an increasingly run down Hundreds Hall.  It is here where his mother worked as a maid in her early years.  Although he was called to tend to a maid when their usual doctor is unavailable and not one of the Ayres themselves, this  house call begins an ongoing association between him, the Ayres family, and Hundreds Hall.  These relationships change the course of his life and the lives of everyone associated with Hundreds Hall forever.

This novel has great Gothic atmosphere.  Hundreds Hall is such a wonderful setting for things that go bump in the night – or day.   Despite a few sections that seem long in retrospect, this novel had my attention throughout.  I wanted to know what would happen to the Ayres family, especially Roderick and Caroline.  That Caroline, born to a privileged family, is not stunning beauty was a relief.  This makes her more real and accessible.  The name Roderick itself set the tone for me.  Is there a more perfect name for a character in a Gothic novel?  I think not.  Best of all, he lived up to his name.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Sarah Waters.  The writing is spectacular and the characters are curious and fleshed out well.  The depth Waters gave to the characters and the house made the reading experience for me.  Once again, my go-to narrator, Simon Vance, hits the mark perfectly. I left this novel not at all sure what really happened in the end.  Sometimes that is exactly what is called for and I love it.  This time, it left me on the fence.  I will need to ponder it for a while.  It, along with The Thirteenth Tale and The Sister, has reignited my love of Gothic novels and prompted me to buy some similar novels, though.  Maybe I’m not so conflicted about The Little Stranger as I think I am.  I look forward to talking to others about this novel and I can easily see myself reading it again to pick up clues to puzzle through the ending.

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This book will be discussed by Nicole and Rebecca tomorrow night (1.12.10) at 8pm on Nicole’s Blog Talk Radio show, “That’s How I Blog.”  Be sure to tune in.  I know I will be.

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Other Voices

Regular Rumination
Asylum
Fleur Fisher reads
S. Krishna’s Books
literary license
1 more chapter
Medieval Bookworm
books i done read
A Garden Carried in the Pocket
A Bookworm’s Worlds
Shelf Love
Jenny’s Books
You’ve GOTTA Read This!
Farm Lane Books

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I purchased this audio book using one of my credits from Audible.com.

!!!!!!!! MY 200th REVIEW !!!!!!!!

since beginning my book blog!  What started as a goal to read a mere 52 books in 2007 is now so much more.  I thank all of my readers and fellow book bloggers for their recommendations and their support.  I do not think I would have read and reviewed as many books in such a short time (for me, not Swapna – LOL!) had it not been for this community of readers.

The Shadow of the Wind

I love Gothic literature.  When Daniel was taken into the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father, I knew that I would love this book as much as I loved The Angel’s Game.  My instincts were correct.  Daniel selected The Shadow of the wind by Julian Carax during that visit and thus began a love of reading and an unrelenting search for more books by Carax, which were nearly impossible to find because someone was systematically burning all of Carax’s books.  Daniel is prepared to do whatever is necessary uncover the mystery surrounding this book.  He finds that simply by having the book in his possession puts him and those with whom he is close in danger from sources he would never before have imagined.

I think that the Cemetery of Forgotten Books is one of my favorite literary locations.  It is a safe harbor for books that may otherwise be forgotten.  Who among us would not want to lose ourselves among seemingly endless corridors filled with books that are otherwise lost to the world?  Knowing you could save only one book to bring back with you into your life, how would you choose?  Once you’ve made your choice, imagine how much your heart would pound as you read it.  What book could be as special to you?  Imagine if someone tried to buy it from you.  Would you let them?  What if someone tried to  take it from you by force, if necessary, with the express purpose of destroying it?  Would you fight for it?  If so, you understand Daniel’s character and you’ll be invested in his story like no other.

Although Daniel is the main character and I enjoyed him very much, I loved Fermín Romero de Torres.  Fermín is the vagab0nd that Daniel saved from the street.  He is quirky and unreliable.  He could be Daniel’s salvation or Achilles heal.  He adds laughter mixed with anxiety.   Fermín is the reason why I could never watch a film adaption of this book.  If his character was marred in any way, I would be crushed.  He is one of my all-time favorite secondary characters in literature.  Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any other character to match his place in my reader’s heart.  He makes me glad to be human.

If ever there was a Gothic author who appealed to book enthusiasts, it is Carols Ruiz Zafón.  Both The Angel’s Game and The Shadow of the Wind are gripping Gothic mysteries.  Where David from The Angel’s Game is an author, Daniel is a reader.  For both, there is danger in every corner.  The peril in which they find themselves because of reading and writing amplifies the importance of both in this world.  If such things were without power, they would never be at risk from characters like Fumero or Andreas Corelli.  So, if I ever make my way to Barcelona, I will see the Barcelona of Daniel and David.  I, a woman who doesn’t normally give in to the supernatural or fantastical, will keep alert for the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  If I find it, I may never return.

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In case you’re not familiar with it, Fyrefly created a custom Google search of Book Blogs.  It is an invaluable too.  If you’re interested to see what book bloggers out there are saying about The Shadow of the Wind, click here for that exact search.  If  you’ve never used this tool and would like to take it for a test drive, here is the link to the search itself.

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To buy this book, click here.

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