Mary Shelley is known for the Gothic Science Fiction masterpiece “Frankenstein”. And yet, many people find it too old or the language too intimidating to read. This fearful impression of reading Frankenstein has prevented so many from the deep and methodical storytelling Shelly presents. As such, everyone should read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at least once in their lifetime. 

Mary Shelley presents a story of creation and death as the reader follows the life of Victor Frankenstein. Victor is an ambitious, well-intending scientist with a desire to understand life and death. As the reader follows the story, themes of humiliation of knowledge, the effect our actions have on others ( =could be referred to as the butterfly effect), and the ups and downs of ambition. Despite the age of this book, these themes are present and of importance in today’s society. We are at a peak of knowledge, in terms of our access to knowledge and the amount of growth that we have made over the past few years. Only 30 years ago, computers were not only rare but not nearly as technologically advanced as they are today with smartphones and tablets everywhere you look. Well, Victor Frankenstein did not invent the iPhone, nor did he improve the makings and the technology of computers, but his knowledge and discoveries lie more within the limits of nature. We as humans have a tendency to push nature. To grasp ambition. To further our knowledge as far as it can stretch. and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein explores this beautifully. From a young age, Victor had a fascination with nature. A Fascination that lights deep in who, what, where, and why the Earth is the way it is today and what laws make it so. The very same law that we are constantly pushing today. Ambition has only grown as we are able to make new scientific discoveries that have a worldwide impact. While Victor’s ambition is great and foolhardy at times, it makes him an easy character to read and relate to. Everyone, at one moment in time or the other, has had a desire for greatness, to make their mark on the world. Just as Victor had. 

Not only do the themes presented by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein become relevant when readers apply them to today, but the imagery and story created make for an entertaining read. The story of Victor Frankenstein takes you through the Life and experiences of Victor as he experiences great Triumph and grief. The story puts you as a spectator in the life of Victor, as you see him deal with the creation of the creature, the death of loved ones and strangers alike, and the consequences of his actions. Mary Shelley describes Everything in such a detailed way that it is easy to put yourself in the courtroom with Justine and Victor. You can almost feel the terror of the village family as they discover the creature watching them. You can almost feel and see the dread of Victor as he realizes that all of the grief in trouble that he has ever gone through could have been avoided if he had just respected the laws of nature. As a reader, you, yourself go through emotions as you watch characters grow from hateable to loveable. Readers become attached to characters without even realizing it. Mary Shelley never fails to make you want to read more, keeping readers enticed. The emotional experience that Mary Shelley brings alone, is enough of a reason to read Frankenstein.