Mary Shelley wrote 'Frankenstein' when she was only eighteen, and it's incredible how modern it feels. It's told as a story within a story, with an explorer in the Arctic named Robert Walton writing letters home about a strange, dying man he rescues: Victor Frankenstein.

The Story

Victor tells Walton his tragic tale. Obsessed with science, he learns how to create life and builds a man from collected body parts. When he brings the Creature to life, he's immediately terrified by its appearance and flees. The Creature, intelligent and sensitive, is left completely alone. He learns to speak and read by secretly observing a kind family, but when he finally tries to connect with people, he's attacked and driven away purely because of how he looks. Full of rage and loneliness, he finds Victor and makes a desperate demand: create a female companion for him, or he will destroy everything Victor loves. Victor agrees, but then destroys the half-finished bride, fearing what a race of monsters might do. What follows is a devastating cycle of revenge, as the Creature systematically kills everyone close to Victor, leading them both on a final, frozen chase toward destruction.

Why You Should Read It

This book sticks with you because it's so human. Victor isn't a mad scientist in a lab coat; he's a gifted kid who gets in way over his head and makes a catastrophic, cowardly mistake. The Creature is one of literature's most tragic figures. He quotes poetry and pleads for understanding, but the world only sees a monster. Shelley makes you feel for them both, even as their actions become unforgivable. It's a powerful look at ambition, parental neglect, and the consequences of playing god. Are we responsible for the things we create? What happens when society rejects someone without giving them a chance? These questions are just as urgent now as they were in 1818.

Final Verdict

This is the perfect book for anyone who loves a story that makes you think. It's for fans of gothic atmosphere, tragic characters, and philosophical debates wrapped in a page-turning adventure. If you enjoy sci-fi about the ethics of creation, or dramas about broken families and outsides, this is the granddaddy of them all. Don't let the 'classic' label scare you off—it's a surprisingly fast, gripping, and emotionally raw read. Just be prepared: the image of the lonely Creature in the woods might haunt you long after you finish the last page.