Book Report Monday: Monster by David Zeltserman

Title: Monster: A Novel of Frankenstein

Author: Dave Zelsterman

Genre: Horror

Synopsis: Friedrich Hoffman, the so-called monster, recounts how he was falsely accused of killing his fiancee, tortured and executed for his 'crime', and awoke hideously deformed on the lab table of Victor Frankenstein. He embarks on a single-minded quest for vengeance; but at what cost to the remnants of his humanity? Intense and chillingly supernatural, Monster depicts nineteenth-century Europe in a blaze of depravity, from inside the mind of the man forever remembered as Frankenstein's creature, in an ingenious tribute to one of literature's greatest works. (from Goodreads)

Why did I pick it up?: A retelling where the original villain is actually the hero, sounds like the Wicked version of Frankenstein. I couldn't pass that up.

My Review: First, let me say I didn't feel that this was scary-Stephen-King-book-in-the-freezer-horror. The character of Victor Frankenstein is creepy and sadistic but the way it was presented by the narrator, in matter-of-fact manner, softened the shock of Frankenstein's actions. Perhaps it was also that Frankenstein is simply a man and as a man is repulsive but I was not frightened of him. So don't be put off by the genre alone. It was a fast read and I enjoyed the story. As something of a Frankenstein nerd myself, I could tell and appreciate that Zelsterman did his research.

When Mary Shelley was writing Frankenstein, it was common practice for men of science to acquire the corpses of condemned criminals. This was preferred over dealing with resurrectionists, men who sold corpses that were at best stolen from their graves and at worst murdered for the profit. Sometimes there would be an autopsy performed before an audience, a horrible fate which was included in the sentencing as an added punishment. It makes perfect sense for Victor Frankenstein to have acquired the brain for his creation from a criminal. It's also possible that the brain would hold on to its former memories.

The story is a plausible alternate telling of Shelley's novel, it achieves this by claiming Victor Frankenstein's account was a lie. Though there is no explanation as to why he would make up such an elaborate tale on his deathbed in the frozen arctic sea. Zeltserman's character is nothing like Mary Shelley's, which was hard for me to accept. This may have been why I wasn't scared of him, I had a hard time believing he could be real.

Despite having been a man originally, Friedrich Hoffman (the monster) struggles with the same crisis of identity as the monster in Frankenstein. Was he made to be a monster or was the darkness instilled in him after? How can one find peace when craving vengeance? Can justice be achieved without losing his humanity? Will there ever be a place for him in the world? Friedrich is ostracized for what he is though he did not ask to be resurrected any more than the nameless creation in Frankenstein asked to be brought to life.

My Recommendation: Good for curling up with on a dark, stormy night. Obviously any Frankenstein fans should check it out.

For Next Time: Ash by Malindo Lo

Book Report Monday: 'Salem's Lot

Title: 'Salem's Lot

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Horror

Synopsis: 'Salem's Lot is a small New England town with white clapboard houses, tree-lined streets, and solid church steeples. That summer in 'Salem's Lot was a summer of home-coming and return; spring burned out and the land lying dry, crackling underfoot. Late that summer, Ben Mears returned to 'Salem's Lot hoping to cast out his own devils... and found instead a new unspeakable horror.

A stranger had also come to the Lot, a stranger with a secret as old as evil, a secret that would wreak irreparable harm on those he touched and in turn on those they loved.

All would be changed forever—Susan, whose love for Ben could not protect her; Father Callahan, the bad priest who put his eroded faith to one last test; and Mark, a young boy who sees his fantasy world become reality and ironically proves the best equipped to handle the relentless nightmare of 'Salem's Lot.

(from Goodreads)

Why did I pick it up?: At the urging of my friend Jason, I gave King another try. I love him, but he scares me-Stephen King, I mean, not Jason. Also, I like vampire stories.

Favorite Line: "The world is coming down around our ears and you're sticking at a few vampires."

My Review: I was worried that I'd be too afraid to read the whole thing, as sometimes happens with me and Stephen King, but it was just the right amount of scary for me. Of course, maybe I'm growing immune to vampires because 'Salem's Lot made me jump and cringe when I read it late at night but I never considered putting the book in the freezer. Or putting it down at all.

The delivery of back story was well-timed and spaced out perfectly. Ben Mears, the main character who returns to the town he once lived in (albeit for a short time) as a kid. Now a semi-successful novelist Mears plans to write a story about 'Salem's Lot and the mysterious Marsten House where as a boy he experienced a moment of pure terror, which may have been nothing more than an overactive imagination but this is Stephen King were talking about so you know you can't assume that.

The history of Mears, the Lot and its residents is alluded to when necessary and explained just enough without being boring or excessive. By the time you get the full story you are eager to know it. It even got to the point where I was ready for some scary vampire attacks, which for me is a pretty big deal.

The Lot, as the town is commonly referred to by its inhabitants, is full of characters that keep the story focused on what's happening to everyone rather than just Ben Mears. Some of the characters, like young Mark Petrie-a Van Helsing in training, I adored immediately. While others, like the abusive mother, are impossible to pity even when vampires are on the loose. Small town police with no desire to protect and serve when that extends to fighting dark forces. The bored priest with something to prove. The Van Helsing-esque English teacher at the local high school, Matt, is so cool and clever it's hard not to note that 'Salem's Lot began as a re-imagining of Bram Stoker's Dracula while King was a high school English teacher himself.


Recommendation: A great example of King's books if you haven't read much from him. Good for anyone who likes their vamps undead and unsexy.

For Next Week: Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

A Literary Pilgrimage

Hey, where'd those mountains go?

The best day of my trip to Switzerland began with a grey dawn and a cool dampness in the thin mountain air. Unfettered, I dressed in layers and marched to the station. The only train that stops there is called the Mountain Train. I took it down the mountain to a larger station with more options, including service to Geneva.

The total journey took about 2 hours and for much of it, I had pretty views of the lake.

I spent the ride reading and thinking about Mary Shelley. Switzerland, and more precisely Lake Geneva, interested me ever since I first read Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus a decade ago. 

Going to the place where the book was written and where the title character, Victor Frankenstein, grew up just felt like something I should do. 

Jet d'eau

When I arrived I made my way down to the water to get my bearings. I'd looked at a map online (millions of times) beforehand, so I knew that the Jet d'eau (a giant spout of water in the corner of the lake) would have to be on my left while I walked about 40 minutes (thanks Google) around the lake to Cologny.

No sooner had I stepped onto the paved path that hugs the lake than the clouds dispersed. A bright yellow sun sparkled down. The steel colored lake turned to diamonds. 

Perfect weather for exploring Switzerland on foot. 

Joggers, walkers, and moms with strollers went by with many bonjours. I got to pet dogs.

In June of 1816 Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley visited Lord Byron at Villa Belle Rive in Cologny, a suburb of Geneva. It's the Beverly Hills of Geneva, full of expensive mansions with tall privacy gates.

They make it so easy.

Making the pilgrimage was the main reason I went on this trip yet at no point was I concerned it would be a disappointment. The Serendipitous Swiss Vibes wouldn't allow for negativity. And you'll be pleased to know they didn't steer me wrong. Not once.

Plaque on the main house.

I simply followed the lake until I saw signs for Cologny. Then I climbed up steep hills until I reached the thoroughfare of Cologny. There I found the above map. It very clearly showed where I was and where Villa Diodati was. I noted the two turns I'd  need to make and continued on.

I walked the streets Mary Shelley walked, though they are much smoother and easier on the feet now. If you can ignore the security cameras and the water jet added to the lake in 1886, you can imagine what she saw. I cannot explain why I wanted to do that so badly, but I wasn't disappointed.

Front Entrance

Today, the house they occupied is called Villa Diodati and it's owned by a private resident who 

does not-at this time-allow visitors or tours of the home. Not even for very polite American writers traveling alone and who have a purely scholastic interest in seeing where one of her favorite written works was born.

Sign explaining the history of the house.

Though I couldn't get into the house itself, they have a large public park right next to the gated and tree surrounded estate. The park allowed the traveling American writer girl to mildly stalk the place where Frankenstein came to life. 

View of the Villa from my park bench.

It may be hard to believe a dark tale of horror, unchecked obsession and revenge was conceived there. Seriously, butterflies flitted around the flower bushes while a girl sat in her boyfriend's lap laughing on a bench not far from mine. 

But it was a dismal rainy period which plagued Mary Shelley and her companions. The bad weather forced them indoors and they decided to make up ghost stories to entertain each other.

Writers.

View of Lake Geneva from the same bench.

Of course, I had my favorite copy of Frankenstein in my bag and I did read some of it but I spent most of my time writing. 

I wrote 1,500 words on that bench. It was only hunger and wanting to make the train leaving at seven which finally got me to stop.

Back entrance

I took a different route when I left, which was lucky. I found a great spot for not-so-obstructed pictures. 

View from the lake.

I still have my fingers crossed that someday the current owner of Villa Diodati will allow tours. Maybe for the 200 anniversary of the events of 1816 or of Frankenstein's publication in 1818. 

Until then I'll settle for this. 

The lake was beyond anything my camera in all of its purple glory could hope to capture. I took my time walking back. Stopped for a scoop of Swiss Ice Cream. And I felt I understood why Mary Shelley chose it as Victor Frankenstein's home. His was an ideal childhood. His parents were affectionate, happy and wealthy. He was so spoiled they even adopted a pretty blonde girl for him to marry.

As you can see from these pictures growing up in proximity to Lake Geneva was definitely a factor.

Lake Geneva

On My Writing Playlist: Pearl Jam

"Alive" by Pearl Jam captures what could end up being the main theme of my current writing endeavor. I can never be sure where the story will take me until I've already arrived and take an investigative look around. However, I am certain the question asked in this song will be at the least one of several major themes.

Whether someone is deserving life or not is prevalent in my story, I am of the mind (and I believe Mr. Vedder is in agreement with me on this) that it's not the answer but the person answering who is more intriguing. Who decides if someone is or isn't worthy to be alive? A jury of peers? A dark figure in a littered alleyway? A doctor holding defibrillator paddles?

Furthermore, what happens when knowledge and circumstance deliver us beyond preserving or ending life but creating it? What responsibilities come with that power?

Book Report Monday: The Goddess Test

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:  EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS...

(from Goodreads)

Why did I pick it up?: I heard a lot of buzz about Goddess Interrupted the sequel to The Goddess Test and as a fan of re-workings of Greek myths I had to check it out.

My Review: The Goddess Test is not a retelling but a continuation of a myth. All the Gods and Goddesses have taken new names, something Carter says they do every so often. I guess after so many millennia they want to switch it up. It will make the story easier for younger teens who won't have to stumble over Greek pronunciations, but I found myself translating Henry to Hades when reading.

In the original myth Hades, god of the Underworld,  kidnapped Persephone and took her as his wife. The other gods intervened but she was forced to return to the Underworld for 6 months a year. The Goddess Test begins after Persephone escaped the Underworld for good and Hades, now called Henry, needs to find a replacement. Fast.

With the clock ticking down to Spring Kate is tested  during the 6 months of fall and winter she spends with Henry. Of course, someone in Henry's mansion wants to kill Kate, but overall she doesn't seem to consider that a serious threat and in turn I wasn't very concerned for her life. For me the best part of the story was the relationship that grows between Henry and Kate. It comes off as genuine and kind of adorable.

In the end, I was hoping for more about the other gods and goddesses. But the sequel, which I will definitely pick up soon, sounds like it will be more mythologically focused.

Recommendation: Quick summer read for anyone who loves Young Adult and is interested in Greek mythology.

Next Week: Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin

Book Report Monday: Beastly by Alex Finn

Title: Beastly

Author: Alex Finn

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Retelling

Why did I pick it up?: I love this story it's a tale as old as time...yeah I just said that.

Synopsis: I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly.

Favorite Lines: "I wished I had an opera house. I wished I had a cathedral."

My Review: Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies. That's pretty obvious. Belle's a brunette, bibliophile who is totally able to take care of herself. Yeah the Beast saves her, but she totally saves him too and who knows, she may have recalled some survival tactic and escaped those ferocious wolves without his help. So I was happy when I realized that this retelling stayed very close to the Disney version.

As per the synopsis, the story is told by the popular boy turned Beast. Kyle is a total jerk. You don't have any sympathy for him at least not for a while. He's Beastly before the story begins and only after he's forced by the witch to examine his behavior and inner flaws does he become likable. It's fun to follow his journey and to watch the relationship between him and Beauty develop.

Fairy tale retellings are tricky. I mean, you already are familiar with the story, you already know the ending. But Finn creates her own cast of characters that all help make the story feel new. I enjoyed the role the roses played.

Kyle joins an Internet group for people in situations like his. It's all these people stuck in fairy tale situations chatting about how to break the spells on them. In my opinion those were the funniest conversations to read.

There are quite a few discussions about books. Personally, I rejoiced to know that the handsome pampered high school prince turned hideous beast was reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and Frankenstein. But there was nothing given away about those stories. However certain parts of Jane Eyre and The Hunchback of Notre Dame may be ruined if you haven't read them yet.

One complaint is the movie tie-in cover and the movie which I haven't seen yet. They depict the Beast as a human but covered in scars and ancient tattoo like markings. In the book, he's a Beast. Furry with sharp teeth and claws. That's how I prefer my Beasts. Yeah, they shed more but they're so snuggly.

Recommendation: It's a fast, light read perfect for anyone who loves fairy tales or Young Adult Romance.

Next Week: The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

I saw X-Men First Class. For the record, I loved it. I went with my friend, who never watched the cartoons or read the comics or even saw the other four movies until I forced her. She had a lot of questions, and I found myself unable to answer them. Between the movies, comics, and cartoons there is no clear cut answer. Each retelling adds and subtracts and becomes a stand alone story.

The same is true for other popular heroes including Batman, Superman, and Spider Man. We love these stories and characters so much, we want new versions every few years.

Here are a few retellings I am excited about.

There is a new dark Red Riding Hood movie, with a big bad werewolf.


Amanda Seyfried is Red Riding Hood



Alex Finn's Beastly, is in my to-read pile. Where a witch turns an attractive, popular, high school bully into a Beast. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is also set to be a movie.

Gregory Maguire, has written six novels that are all loose retellings of The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Cinderella, A Christmas Carol and the Tooth Fairy.



The (not-so) Wicked Witch

 The possibilities are endless. And I doubt anyone wants them to end. There is something wonderful about experiencing the same story in a new way, a different setting, a different time, a different character's point of view.

What are some recycled stories you love?

Are there any retellings you would love to write?