Book Review

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) is a timeless blend of gothic horror and philosophical inquiry, haunting readers with its stark warning about ambition and responsibility. When scientist Victor Frankenstein arrogantly creates a creature from cadaverous parts, he recoils in disgust at his own handiwork, abandoning the being to a world that rejects it for its grotesque appearance. The creature’s desperate longing for connection—denied by both creator and society—twists into vengeance, unraveling Victor’s life and exposing the destructive cost of playing God. At its heart, the novel拷问 humanity’s hubris: Victor’s obsession with “mastering nature” ignores the moral duty to nurture what he has made, mirroring dangers of unchecked progress even in today’s age of AI and genetic engineering. The creature, though physically monstrous, embodies a tragic humanity in his yearning for love—a poignant contrast to Victor’s cold abandonment, which reveals the real “monster” as human arrogance and neglect. Shelley’s prose weaves horror with pathos, forcing readers to confront a timeless truth: creation without compassion is a curse. Frankenstein remains a chilling reminder that power without responsibility destroys not just its victims, but the souls of those who wield it.