End of the Summer & Mary Shelley

Hello, my Blog Freinds. Summer is nearly over and that's somewhat distressing and also thrilling since Fall is upon us. I wanted to blog one last time before September to let everyone know I'm alive. Summer sped by so fast, it hardly felt like a break.

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Not much excitement happened to me other I visited family in Texas. What an amazing trip! The state is positively larger than life and the residents tend to beam with such pride and joy it's infectious. You gotta love it. If any of you have visited Texas or have lived there give me a shout out and tell me where.

Since returning from that trip, I jumped back into the grind and got my kids off to school. This year I have two kids in middle school which is equal parts frightening and exciting. It's nice when both kids are at one school which means less driving and more productivity.

Happy Birthday, Mary Shelley!

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Anyway, for those of you who don't know Mary Shelley's birthday is today. It's not surprising that after all this time, she is still relevant and still an original. Amazing, huh? I wonder what she'd think of her fans, and how her notoriety and cult following continues to grow. It's simply amazing. I've read Frankenstein several times and may have to do so again for inspiration. If you haven't had a chance to read it, check out my review. Such a wonderful book and treasure.

According to Biography, she defied convention even before she wrote her classic horror tale. She ran away with Percy Shelley who was a poet and already married. Yikes, that must have been a scandal to be sure. The article mentions how her father didn't speak to her for some time after that which is kind of sad. She was very young when she fell in love and ran away. *Sigh* Oh, young love. She had a somewhat tragic life with the death of her mother when she was young and then a tumultuous marriage. Shelley endured the deaths of two of her children (only one survived) and was also widowed at the age of 24. Very sad, indeed. She was an incredible woman in her day and gave birth to one of the greatest literary masterpieces of our time. What an icon! To learn more about her background, click here. Happy Birthday, Mary.

Favorite Quote:

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” 

― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Hope you enjoyed your Summer!

Mina Burrows

A-Z: Classic Monsters: Edward Scissorhands & Frankenstein

Today I am featuring two special monsters in my A-Z Challenge post for Classic Monsters.  Please welcome the only Edward I'd swoon for, Edward Scissorhands and the original Monster, Frankenstein.

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E is for Edward Scissorhands

Although Edward may not be a monster per say, he is indeed a classic.  He debuted back in 1990, spawned by the brilliant Tim Burton.  I must say he is rather beautiful, isn't he?  He's has a bit of Frankenstein in him too, huh?  Anyway in the spirit of keeping these posts brief, I've decided to list five words (using the letter E) that I believe best describe our monster classic.  

Exceptional  * Exemplary  * Endearing  *  Enigmatic  * Entertaining

What words did you come up with?  How much do you love Edward?

F is for Frankenstein

For my "B" post I talked about the Bride of Frankenstein and how incredibility cool she was.  Today I wanted to briefly mention one of my favorite classic monsters, Frankenstein.  The book aside, the monster is killer.  The movie catapults his image though, thanks to Boris Karloff.  The classic horror actor demonizes him on one scene and humanizes him in the next.  When I rewatched the film there were parts that were dull or outdated.  But I promise you, nearly every scene with our Monster hero (Karloff) was sheer brilliance.  Even after all this time, he still captivates the audience with this sensational portrayal.  If you've watched it, then you know what I mean.  The scene alone is a classic.

How did my E & F posts measure up?  Do you have any monsters you think would have been better to feature?

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Fredenstein

Hey, minions. I wanted to post Fred in his Halloween costume today.  Frankenstein was the mask of choice since its one of the Creepy Classics I reviewed and it's one of the more popular posts. I'm not sure if you've had a chance to read it, but it's well worth it and the timing couldn't be better.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend.

Can you see Fred's eyes?

Don't forget that my Spooktacular Book Hop runs until October 31st (eod) so be sure and stop by to enter to win.  For this book blog hop, I'm giving away Andrea Cremer's Wolfsbane! Wahoo! 

Be sure and check out Schatze over at Mary’s BookHounds too.

Mina B.

A Creepy Classic Review: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

What can I say about a classic like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?  Brilliant, methodical, soul-searching... yes, all of these and more.  With fevered intensity, Victor Frankenstein conspired to wield the hand of God.  Shelley artfully described Victor’s outlandish beliefs and passion for the impossible, and I found it inspiring to read, to say the least.  Such dedication to one’s plight to forgo relationships, food, sleep to the point that one's life becomes a hodge-podge of research testing and theorizing.

Salvaging spare dead body parts to create life, Frankenstein was a man obsessed.  At first, he believed he’s done what he so passionately strove to do, create a living, breathing being.  When he wakes from his one night’s slumber, he realizes the thing is wretched and horrible to view.  In a mad dash, he leaves, retreating in his mind, conspiring on his next moves.  In doing so, he stumbles upon an old friend and feels inclined to bring him back to him home.  This next part was "laugh out loud" funny. Frankenstein’s a character.  He believes the monster’s in his home and won’t let his friend in see his place.  Once he realizes the beast is gone, he joyfully invites his friend in for refreshments. Oh, joy!  Like I said, he’s a character.

Moments later, Frankenstein faints, succumbing to vicious fever.  Finally reviving from his debilitating condition, he thinks he’s imagined the monster – and that he doesn’t really exist.  Two years later, he spies the creature and suspects the wretched thing actually does.  In his mind, he traces it back to that fevered night.  “Alas, I had turned loose into the world a depraved wretch…”  Despair swallows him once he believes the monster is the murderer of a beloved brother, William.  Is Frankenstein’s plight all in vain and his monster retaliating, an eye for an eye?  Or in the beast’s case, with my life, I give you death?

Frankenstein finally meets the monster.  And the beast speaks too and quite eloquently I might add. He’s lived the last two-year experiencing life, learning emotions, absorbing every nuance of detail…and for what?  To hear the monster describe his short-time living among humans and thereafter, the sorrows and dejection that rob his mind was gut-wrenching.  One can’t help but feel sorry for the beast.  And now he wants a companion.  A female one too. Can you blame him?

The story morosely unfolds from there, delving deeper into the challenge that Victor has.  Can he concede to the demands of a wretched beast?  What guilt besieges him in creating life in the first place?  And now he must do it again?  Can he?  What about his own life?  What’s it worth at this point?  I won’t say anymore you’ll have to read it yourself.

Shelley was so ahead of her time with her gothic, gloomy tale, it confounds me.  In embarking on this novel, she created an eternal stamp in the literary world of monsters we crave so much today.  And her discussions on life – living it and the attempts to create it – well, just look at the world we live in now.  Amazing.  Mary Shelley was amazing and so is her classic, Frankenstein. I give it a 5, hands down.

Now you have no excuse. Go get this book and get it now.

Until next time…looking for something to read…try a Creepy Classic, try Frankenstein.

Mina B.