A Bit Bookish

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mary Shelley combined science and the supernatural in this book to write the world's first science fiction novel. It began as a fireside ghost story and turned into a worldwide phenomenon. And, this is the 200th anniversary of its publication. The story was written during the year without a summer when the eruption of Mount Tambora released vast amounts of ash and rock and sulfuric dust into the air--which dramatically lowered temperatures across many areas of the globe the following year. The bizarre weather left its mark on the culture and the literature. The popularity of the story has only grown over time. I first read this book many years ago (when I was much younger), so I had forgotten a lot of it. This time around I found it so sad. I don't remember feeling that the first time around, but as an adult you can't help but pick up on that. Still, I did enjoy reading it again and find all the supplementary information surrounding it quite fascinating.


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