The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Summary (from the publisher): The premise of this emotionally wrenching novel is that Elizabeth (an orphan) and Victor Frankenstein were raised from early childhood by Victor's mother to fulfill her dream of an alchemic union that would promote the cause of "feminine" magic in a world where "masculine" science rears its arrogant head. But her plans go catastrophically awry. This is a story of extraordinary depth--respectful to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, packed with scenes of mystic rituals and sexual explorations, and above all, filled with the voice of a strong, complex woman in devastating circumstances. (And you'll love the new perspective on the monster.)


Review: The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein follows in the footsteps of Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea and Alexander Ripley's Scarlett - it is a sequel to a classic written by a different author. Unlike Rhys and Ripley, this novel is less than a compelling continuation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 


The premise of Roszak's novel is that Robert Walton, the narrator of Shelley's novel, continued researching Frankenstein's tale and found the diary and letters of Elizabeth Frankenstein, the bride that died on her wedding night at the monster's hands. I found the idea of telling Elizabeth's story intriguing. It's curious that despite the fact that Frankenstein was written by a female, the only female voice is told through a male lens. However, it's curious that a man was the one that ultimately decided to give Elizabeth voice in this novel. 


Aside from the fact that Roszak left out key characters from the original story including Henry Clerval and Justine Moritz, who were both murdered by the monster, I was grossly disappointed with Roszak's take on the novel. Roszak decided to make Frankenstein's mother a practicer of feminine magic who adopts Elizabeth to train her in the arts and create a spiritual union with Victor.  This feminine magic involves numerous sordid sexual acts. I was disturbed by the many lurid elements of the novel and I refuse to believe that Shelley would have agreed with Roszak's version, and in fact, would have been appalled.  I almost stopped reading this numerous times, but kept hoping the story would improve. It didn't. The structure of the novel and the quality of writing was not to blame. But the content was less than enjoyable. 


Stars: 2