Title: Monster: A Novel of Frankenstein
Author: Dave Zeltserman
Date of First Publication: 2012
Place of Publication: The Overlook Press
Type: Novel
Characters: Victor Frankenstein; The Creature; Elizabeth Frankenstein; Justine Moritz
Themes: ANDROID; BYRONIC HERO; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER; POSTHUMAN
Critical Summary: Monster: A Novel of Frankenstein tells the story of Friedrich Hoffmann, a man who was accused for the murder of his soon to be wife. After being tortured and left for dead, he awakens to Victor Frankenstein and finds that his new host is turning him into a monster. Upon waking up from his first night with the mad doctor, Friedrich meets a disembodied head named Sophie, whose real name is actually Charlotte; at first, he is repulsed and horrified by her. As days pass he comes to find company in Charlotte. They communicate to one another, which is difficult since, Friedrich cannot initially speak and is usually unable to keep his eyes open. After Charlotte is taken from him and his capturer stops making an appearance, the Creature decides that he must break free and confront his tormentor. Along the way, Friedrich meets many other horrors, such as vampires and an evil cult. On top of all of the evil already present, Friedrich finds that Victor Frankenstein has also been working with the Marquis de Sade, a real life figure known for his viscious sexual acts towards women. Even with all the gruesome events that Friedrich sees, he is still able to find beauty that exists in the world. Unlike the original Frankenstein, this story takes place through the eyes of the “monster” and not the creator. Through these new eyes, the reader follows the Creature on his quest for revenge against Victor Frankenstein, and tomake right what his creator has done to him and to others.
This work obviously retells Frankenstein with a changed point of view. Other than the obvious link between the names of the two novels, both stories share common characters in Victor Frankenstein and a monster that victor creates. In both stories, Victor creates a monster that he soon abandons, and thus, has the Creature seeks revenge on his creator. The difference between these two stories though is the reader not only follows the monster but gets to know who he was before the experimentation. This allows the reader to easily side with the Creature and feel sorry for him as we learn about his previous wife and life story. Like in the Mary Shelley story, this makes the monster sympathetic. Friedrich was just an average man accused for a murder and left for dead because of it. He then gets taken in by a mad doctor and has his body altered to be a monstrosity. His revenge, while fueled by anger and confusion, is still justified because Victor is really the monster in both stories and needs to be stopped before he causes harm to any other people.
Administrative Notes: Brian Murashie, CSUF; Dr. David Sandner, CSUF (editing)