The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
In Kiersten White’s book, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, she manages to clarify a key element of the classic story: the real monster in Frankenstein is indeed Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein follows the struggles of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s wife. Elizabeth is brought from a life of pain and poverty into the Frankenstein household to be Victor’s friend. At a young age, she learns how to manage the strange boy and becomes dependent on him for a safe and secure future. As the pair grows older, their dependency increases to the point of obsession, especially on Victor’s part.
One of the main themes in White’s book is family. Elizabeth is an orphan who knows nothing of her parents except the make-believe story her abusive caregiver made up to get her into the Frankenstein household. Once with the Frankensteins, Elizabeth clings to Victor. His friendship offers her the only safety and comfort she knows. She never views his family as her own, but she eventually creates a family with Justine, the Frankenstein’s governess who Elizabeth rescued from an abusive mother and brought into the Frankenstein household.
Later, after things fall apart with Victor and she loses what little family she has, Elizabeth finds a new family of misfits like her. She is happiest and safest with Mary, a bookseller’s niece, and Victor’s monster, self-named Adam. My heart was so full at the end of The Dark Descent when Elizabeth was with her true family.
I liked the way White showed Elizabeth’s strength. Elizabeth was willing to do whatever it took to survive, even if it meant being complacent in Victor’s dark dealings. She knew what it meant to go hungry, to be out on the street, and she wasn’t willing to lose her only chance at a secure future. But Elizabeth’s strength also shone through when she escaped Victor’s clutches and went to extreme lengths to make him pay for his crimes.
As any lover of the original Frankenstein knows, the monster is not named Frankenstein. In The Dark Descent, White shows Victor Frankenstein is a troubled young man with sociopathic, murderous tendencies and he is the true monster of this tale. His need to control everything, especially Elizabeth, leads to his ultimate demise. But as far as I’m concerned, no punishment would be too light for someone as dangerous as Victor Frankenstein.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a story I didn’t know I needed about a woman I wish I read about sooner. For any Mary Shelley lover, I highly recommend you sit down with this short, juicy story.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein Rating: ★★★★★
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein follows the struggles of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s wife. Elizabeth is brought from a life of pain and poverty into the Frankenstein household to be Victor’s friend. At a young age, she learns how to manage the strange boy and becomes dependent on him for a safe and secure future. As the pair grows older, their dependency increases to the point of obsession, especially on Victor’s part.
One of the main themes in White’s book is family. Elizabeth is an orphan who knows nothing of her parents except the make-believe story her abusive caregiver made up to get her into the Frankenstein household. Once with the Frankensteins, Elizabeth clings to Victor. His friendship offers her the only safety and comfort she knows. She never views his family as her own, but she eventually creates a family with Justine, the Frankenstein’s governess who Elizabeth rescued from an abusive mother and brought into the Frankenstein household.
Later, after things fall apart with Victor and she loses what little family she has, Elizabeth finds a new family of misfits like her. She is happiest and safest with Mary, a bookseller’s niece, and Victor’s monster, self-named Adam. My heart was so full at the end of The Dark Descent when Elizabeth was with her true family.
I liked the way White showed Elizabeth’s strength. Elizabeth was willing to do whatever it took to survive, even if it meant being complacent in Victor’s dark dealings. She knew what it meant to go hungry, to be out on the street, and she wasn’t willing to lose her only chance at a secure future. But Elizabeth’s strength also shone through when she escaped Victor’s clutches and went to extreme lengths to make him pay for his crimes.
As any lover of the original Frankenstein knows, the monster is not named Frankenstein. In The Dark Descent, White shows Victor Frankenstein is a troubled young man with sociopathic, murderous tendencies and he is the true monster of this tale. His need to control everything, especially Elizabeth, leads to his ultimate demise. But as far as I’m concerned, no punishment would be too light for someone as dangerous as Victor Frankenstein.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a story I didn’t know I needed about a woman I wish I read about sooner. For any Mary Shelley lover, I highly recommend you sit down with this short, juicy story.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein Rating: ★★★★★