Frankenstein is my new favorite classic novel. First of all, the story of the writer herself inspires me to better at my craft and to channel the stories of my life — even the bitter bits — into works of art. I loved every element of this book — science, the drive of the characters, the need for moral compass from oneself and loved ones, the gothic theme, the era, the manners of the people. This was what I was trying to achieve, and it strikes me that just as I was working into becoming the modern renaissance man, I decided to read this novel.

This is a great cautionary tale for me to stick to my moral compass whenever I get too blinded by ambition and drive. I needed to read this. However, I disagree with the character to avoid learning altogether. I believe that continuous learning is essential in this ever-changing world. However, we need to be careful and balance knowledge with compassion.

It also amazed me that I read this novel quite easily despite the language. Maybe it’s because I resonated well with Dr. Frankenstein. Regardless, the realness of the characters made it easy for me to relate with them. I also liked that there were no real good guy and the bad guy in this novel. This novel showed the people, their drive, their values as a whole. No single person is 100% good or bad, but everyone was created with a seed of goodness and benevolence.

I also liked how this story was told, with three different story tellers: Dr. Franskenstein, Walton, and the monster. It allowed the readers to understand each of them better, and to be more compassionate with the shortcomings of the characters.