Mary Shelley wrote 'Frankenstein' when she was just eighteen, and it feels like a story born from a powerful, restless dream. It's told through letters from a sea captain who finds a nearly frozen Victor Frankenstein chasing a giant figure across the Arctic ice.

The Story

Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the secret of life. In his university lab, he builds a man from old body parts and brings it to life. The moment the Creature opens its eyes, Victor is horrified by what he's done and abandons it. The Creature, intelligent and sensitive, is left alone to face a world that hates him for his appearance. After being rejected again and again, he turns his pain into rage, swearing revenge on the man who made him and then left him utterly alone.

Why You Should Read It

This book stunned me. It's so easy to see the Creature as just a monster, but Shelley makes you feel his loneliness. His chapters are some of the most moving in the book. You end up feeling terrible for both of them—the creator haunted by his ambition, and the creation destroyed by a lack of love. It asks huge questions we still wrestle with: What do we owe the things we create? How much of our behavior comes from how we're treated?

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves a story that sticks with you long after you finish it. If you enjoy gothic atmosphere, complex characters, and big ideas wrapped in a tragic adventure, this is your classic. Don't let its age fool you; the emotions in 'Frankenstein' are raw, modern, and deeply human.