The Greatest Stories Ever Told: XV

MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN

“The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine.”



“It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.”



“The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”

When I first encountered these words, I was a young boy, just discovering that there was a world and wealth of stories out there to hear, read, and see. This is one of the first that captured my imagination, and it has been with me ever since.

The first version of The Post-modern Prometheus that I owned was an audio tape, wherein an abridged version of the story was read by a man with a very deep voice. I can still hear his voice in my head, reading the words in the above paragraphs. And though the darkest parts of the story were either removed, reworked, or glossed over, it could not erase the intensity, terror, and tragedy of Victor Frankenstein and his creation.

I don’t know what happened to that tape, but I really hope it turns up at some point in the future. It’s one of those things that I can physically point to and say, “This made me want to be a writer.”

The first of what I consider to be the “classic, gothic trilogy” of novels – all three of which are on this list – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has impacted the societal mind in a way that few stories have throughout history, resonating with the primal core of mankind. The relationship displayed in the novel between the creator and his creation is a haunting tale, one that has spawned countless iterations, some good, some not so good, but none coming close to the original. There has not been a film, comic or re-telling of any kind that can do justice to the utter horror of Shelley’s story, and this is made all the more staggering by the fact that it was written by an eighteen-year-old girl in the early 1800’s.

Not only does this story prove that science fiction and fantasy has been around for far longer, and has a much richer history than most people realize, it proves that the science fiction and fantasy and horror genres can be just as timeless, compelling, literary and deep as any other.

One of the things I love about the story of Victor Frankenstein is that he is presented as the protagonist and the monster is taken for granted as the antagonist. Yet throughout the progression of the story these roles are slowly and subtly reversed, until the reader begins to sympathize with the monster and grows to detest Victor and his lack of responsibility to the very thing which he created.

Eventually, the reader begins to feel that perhaps the good doctor received what he deserved. Frankenstein’s impulse to tread in God’s territory has dire costs, and he tries to avoid paying them, but to no avail. Though the misfortune that befalls Victor is indeed tragic, the fates of his brother, his best friend, his wife and the rest of his family could have been avoided if only he had made a different choice.

And in the end, tears are shed not for Dr. Frankenstein, but for the tragedy of the creature himself, his isolation, his loneliness, and his simple desire to connect with another living thing.

A powerful story about the fascination with the darker parts of the universe and the calamity that ensues, Shelley – like all great story-tellers – taps into a fundamental and basic facet of what it means to be human. It just so happens she used a monster to do it. And – like all great stories – the reader is left questioning long after the story is over: Who is the real monster, the creator or the creature?




Quotes from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Images Copyright Bernie Wrightson

The Greatest Stories Ever Told: Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, over the next several weeks or months (however long this takes, I suppose) I will be counting down a list of the Greatest Stories Ever Told.
I invite you along, and I hope you enjoy it.

Now, before we dive into this list there are a few things I feel I need to clarify.

First, I had to be somewhat brutal with myself over this list. I originally had the idea for a “greatest stories” list, but then I second-guessed the idea and decided to split it into two separate and independent lists of “Greatest books” and “Greatest films”. This didn’t seem right to me, and here’s why:

When I began to think of what are, in my opinion, the greatest stories ever told, I realized that there is a certain quality that transcends the medium through which these stories are told, and therefore defy categorization and segregation. There are films absent from this list that are, indeed, some of my favorite films, and they would be included on a “Greatest films” list. Likewise, there are certain books that did not make the list, even though they are among the best novels I’ve ever read. For instance, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is not on this list, regardless of the fact that it is one of the most well-written and vivid books I’ve ever read. Being well-written is not enough. Likewise, excellent cinematography and great performances from the actors are not enough to merit a title of one of the greatest stories ever told. I had to step outside and take a look at these stories without the words and images and the medium through which they are told.

It may seem strange, but I found myself imagining that if there were no films, and there were no books, what were the stories that I’ve experienced that I would want to tell around a campfire, ringed by eager listeners? This is the kind of criteria I tried to use to get to the heart of the matter: stories that speak to the darkness and the light inside of every human being. Stories and characters that move us on more than one level, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. Stories that remind us of the hope of which we are capable, and the meaning that threads itself through our daily lives, sometimes invisible, yet ever-present.

Second, like anything, this is a fluid, ever-changing list. New stories come, a familiar story is told in a new, and perhaps better, way. And as we ourselves change and shift, so do the stories that speak to us the most. This is, according to me and who I am at this point in my life, the list of the stories that have spoken to me on the deepest level, moved me irrevocably, influenced and inspired me forever.

Top Ten Thoughts O' The Day (7-8-10)

10. Lyrics and melody written in my head at work - 8 hours. Music composed and arranged after work - 3 hours. Music and vocals recorded by bedtime - 4 hours. Completely new song - 1 day. This is a personal record.

9. New My Epic record - best yet. Inspiring.

8. Man, it's hot as balls in here. (At work, in the tin-box they call a factory)

7. I deserve a milkshake after the past couple days. What am I giving myself? A twenty minute run on the treadmill. I'm an idiot.

6. No Florida trip. Friggin' awesome.

5. It's been far too long sing I've gone swimming. Like, a year.

4. The Rev (of A7X) passes. Bob Briar (of MCR) leaves. Now Aaron Gillespie (of U/O) leaves. The curse of the drummers continues. Sheesh.

3. The 16th of July needs to hurry up and get here so I can watch Inception. It's been far too long since I've since a new Nolan film.

2. Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. Can't get enough.

1. I should've been a warrior monk. Fighting battles for honorable junk, females are a non-issue (not that I'm having female issues), and you spend your free time sitting around thinking about God and stuff. Sounds good to me.

Smashed: Thoughts on Drunkenness

I’m what you would call a casual drinker. I like my beer (Bud’s the one for me). I like my jack and coke (usually when I’m out at a restaurant or bar). However, I’ve never been drunk. I’ve been “buzzed” a couple times, whatever that means. The most memorable moment was when I had just driven five hours to D.C., hadn’t had anything to eat, went down to the hotel bar and while I waited for the rest of the group to arrive, had a jack and coke that was one part coke, seventeen parts jack. Even then I was completely coherent and in full control of my motor functions.

All of this is to say that I don’t see the point of getting wasted. I never have. I have no problem with drinking. I drink. I enjoy it. I enjoy having drinks with friends, and with family.

Here’s the thing: I have never heard a single story from anyone that involved getting drunk and something beneficial happening. Ever.

I’ve heard countless stories of drunken endeavors. People puking on themselves. People doing something stupid with a married person. Drunken hookups with strangers. Getting DUI’s after leaving a party to go to a bar. Getting lost and nearly getting raped. On and on and on I could go. Nothing good ever happens.

But that’s the stereotype, isn’t it? People have these nights, and then they tell their friends about them the next morning with these mixed tones of regret/pride. I think maybe that’s the thing I hate most about all these stories I hear: the fake tones of regret when really all these people are doing is bragging. They act like it was the dumbest night of their lives, but really they wear these stories like badges of honor, and then the next weekend they go out and do it all over again.

And it’s not just the stories I hear, it’s the things I see. On several occasions I’ve been out with friends and people in the group get wasted, and it’s not fun anymore. People get hurt, feelings get hurt, fights are started, relationships end over stupidity. You have the people who get crazy sensitive and inevitably something is said to hurt their feelings and they go sulk. You have the meat-heads, who are short on brains already; throw alcohol into the mix and you have a recipe for fights/cheating, which then creates a spin-off disaster of angry girlfriends and peripheral chicks. You have the people who can’t hold their liquor and get sick in random places and end up having to be dragged through the rest of the night.

In short, when people get drunk, it ruins the evening. It’s divisive.

I’m a pretty chill person. I like to relax, hang out, have a good time. I don’t mind things getting a little crazy, or loud, or spontaneous. That’s great. That’s what friends are for. But when people get pissed off/stupid/horny with the wrong person/angry/hurt, it’s a bad evening for everyone involved. Most of this could be avoided if people just didn’t feel the need to rely on booze to have a good time.

I have a great time with my friends and I don’t need to be out-of-my-mind plastered to do it. That’s not really friendship. I have nothing to prove. I don’t need to go home with a story about how hammered I got and the stupid things I did as a result. I’d much rather go home with my memory, friendships, and dignity intact. I can make memories with my friends without getting drunk, and at the end of the night, at the end of my life, those are the times I’m going to look back on fondly.

I have enough regrets as it is. Real regrets. Regrets that came naturally, not by stupid decisions due to being wasted. Hard-won regrets that came at a price and offered a lesson. Regrets of which I am not proud. I don’t need to create more by being stupid. My mistakes are real. They’re the stuff life is made of.

I’m not going to drink my weekends, my feelings, my friendships, or my life, away.

Top Ten Thoughts O' The Day (6-28-10)

10. Man, it's been awhile since I've done a Top Ten Thoughts post.

9. I'm not ready. It's ending all over again.

8. Currently reading The Passage by Justin Cronin. Not finished yet, but almost. Best book I've read in a long time.

7. Really looking forward to my three day weekend. Really looking forward to getting out of that factory, but that's a little farther away...

6. Peace Corps. Hmm....................

5. Can't wait for Florida in a couple weeks. I'm praying it works out.

4. Thinking of taking up leather-working. Like I don't have enough hobbies that take up my time.

3. Doubt is an excellent film. Only for people who like films, though.

2. I probably will never meet another person who is as obsessed with music as I am.

1. Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. Damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.
-Fight Club (film)

Pick of the day: .moneen. - The World I Want to Leave Behind

I discovered .moneen. while I was in college, and I remember liking them; but I think there's a phenomena that occurs for music lovers, wherein you're simply not ready to hear a certain band, or record, or song, because you haven't fully travelled down that specific path long enough to be prepared. And if you were to listen to that band, or record, or song before that time, you wouldn't like it. If this has happened to you, you know exactly what I mean. .moneen. is one of those bands for me. I listened to The World I Want to Leave Behind a few weeks ago, and it left me asking myself the question, "How can something I've never heard before make me feel nostalgic?" This record sounds like my late high school/early college days, even though it was released in 2009. If you like Jimmy Eat World, Cartel, or The Juliana Theory, do yourself a favor and listen to this record, particularly "The World I Want to Leave Behind", "Hold That Sound", and "The Glass House".

Pick of the day: Secret & Whisper - Teenage Fantasy

Huge, HUGE step up for this band. When I heard 2008's Great White Whale I was immediately intrigued, but not blown away. Whale had some great songs ("XOXOXO" being my favorite from that record), but Teenage Fantasy is better in every way. Better songwriting, thicker atmosphere, and more memorable and distinct melodies. "Warrior" is, by far, my favorite track on the record. Ear-candy.