Title: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein
Author: Peter Ackroyd
Date of First Publication: 2008
Place of Publication: Chatto & Windus
Type: Novel
Characters: Victor Frankenstein; The Creature; Elizabeth Frankenstein; Mary Shelley; Lord Byron; Percy Shelley
Themes: ANDROID; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; BYRONIC HERO; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER
Critical Summary: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein offers a unique experience for readers to catch a glimpse into the life of Victor Frankenstein, in the lead up to and creation of his Creature. The novel begins with the introduction of Victor and Percy Shelley, living simultaneously, both serving as a background to Mary Shelley’s novel. In the beginning, Frankenstein begins his collegiate career looking to pursue the field of natural philosophy when he comes to know the pure-spirit poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Frankenstein forms a bond with the Percy Shelley, and they become good friends. Shelley presses back against Frankenstein’s understandings and faith, prompting him to become curious and question his own beliefs. One of Frankenstein’s professors even accuses him of spending too much time with Shelley when he questions what the breath of life that God gave man was made of. Frankenstein begins his research into the reanimation of dead matter and the creation of new life. He begins testing on animals in order to come to the understanding that the workings of the body were interdependent and every aspect vital for life. His interest is intensified when he discovers he is not repulsed by the gory bodies on display at an institution for the recognition of dead bodies.
Not long after the death of his sister, Elizabeth, and his father, Frankenstein begins to intensify his study of reanimation and the body. He found that he was able to send electricity through a human body and the muscles responded with quick jerks and could even allow the eyes and mouth to open. His work was made possible using cadavers that the coroner would bring to him; however, he believed most had been dead for far too long and could not be rejuvenated. Frankenstein’s studies aroused some suspicion amongst his professors, as his experiments did not consider the soul, so he left Oxford to pursue other methods of continuing his research and experiments. Soon after, he comes in contact with a group known as the “resurrection men” who are able to provide him with cadavers of better quality than the coroner had. His initial experiments with these bodies proved to be a terrifying success, Frankenstein was able to create a severe enough current to allow the dead body to move freely and even scream in agony before lying still once more. Soon enough, Frankenstein creates his most successful experiment of all, performing his electrifying method on a young body that rapidly changes through all stages of decomposition before returning to life again. His fear of what he created allows the Creature to get away, but later the Creature seeks its maker. During his search for Frankenstein, the Creature is spotted by a young Mary Shelley, and the moment becomes the inspiration for her classic novel. In the end, the monster wishes for death and repents for his sins of killing innocent people; only Frankenstein is unable to kill him. He cannot kill him because the Creature had only ever existed within his mind. The monster had always been Frankenstein.
The connection between both novels stems from the inclusion of several main characters in the world of Frankenstein, and in Mary Shelley’s own life, allowing readers an inside look at what life would have been like if the original science fiction work wasn’t fiction after all, but a delusion. Several themes remain in place, including the ideas of Androids, Mad Scientists and Frankenstein Monsters, and the Byronic Hero.
Administrative Notes: Cassandra Duquette, CSUF; Dr. David Sandner, CSUF (editing); Sam Drake, CSUF (editing)