SoBros Book Club: Frankenstein

Check out Stoney's review of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' on the latest SoBros Book Club.

Share This Post

Good day to you all, SoBros Network Patreon subscribers. Welcome to the SoBros Book Club, on which I will share some book recommendations for those of you who enjoy taking in the written word. Today, we’re discussing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

I’ve always had a bit of an affinity for the old timey creepy stories, especially at this time of the year. Be it Dracula, The Wolf Man, or Frankenstein, I’m all in on the nostalgia. But, truth be told, despite having to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for a lit class back in the day, I don’t remember a damn thing about it. I wanted to change that, and it all started way back in December of 2022 when Rooster and I did an episode of Phone It In on the life and times of Shelley.

In short, she was a real bad bitch. She sounded awesome. I was fascinated by her, and then fascinated all over again when I realized that what is often regarded as the first science fiction novel in literary history was actually the result of a challenge from Lord Byron to finish a story on one summer holiday weekend. How impressive is that? I remember thinking after that episode, “man, I need to go back and read that because I don’t remember a thing about it.” Finally, we’re here. I got around to reading it, and knew immediately it was one I’d have to write about.

Courtesy of Goodreads

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a combination of Gothic novel and science fiction. It unfolds the story of a scientist Victor Frankenstein who creates a hideous monster from pieces of corpses and brings it to life. But the monster eventually becomes the source of his misery and demise. The plot of the novel is epistolary. The story is narrated through the first-person accounts of Captain Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster himself.

So, the way I framed my feelings on this book was “holy shit – that was the best book I’ve ever read that I would never recommend to anyone else.” To put it diplomatically, I think you’d have to have a real passion for the written word to truly appreciate it. Keep in mind that this joint was written in 1816. It’s not Shelley’s fault that throughout the years, her creation has been morphed into a much more simplistic version of the source material. Most people don’t know that the monster in the story is quite eloquent. That’s a pretty jarring thing for someone who has been conditioned to believe the monster is just a groaning zombie for all these years. 

But, while the prose is certainly clean and beautiful, it can be hard to keep track of. I admit I had to stop reading several times to look up what a particular term might’ve meant in 1816. And, Frankenstein is much more social commentary than I remembered. The scary part is that a lot of what Shelley touches upon is still relevant today. Makes you wonder, huh? She writes in a way that feels like it borders on profound poetry, and the human elements of the story are at the forefront more so than the spooky vibes. 

That’s why I say I would caution people to read it. You just know that people are going into it expecting some horror story that lines up with what they know about the character as it was portrayed in pop culture throughout the years. But, that’s really not it. I didn’t find the book scary at all, really. There were a few moments that were creepy because of Shelley’s effectiveness in setting a scene, but otherwise, I’m not even sure I’d call this “horror.” 

Frankenstein plays well as an eloquently written tale of moral dilemma and societal expectations. While it became an instant classic in my mind, I can certainly understand why some call this a real chore to get through. 

Other SoBros Book Club Features

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

SoBros Network and Stacking The Inbox have teamed up for the greatest premium content collaboration in the history of Nashville. Get all of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft coverage you need on top of premium SoBros Network content such as The Movie Review Rewind Podcast, Sports Punch, and much more! Only $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers! Sign up on Substack today!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore