I completely forgot the creature's speech after Victor died, and I cried so hard that I had to take a break and eat some ice cream before writing this review. My annotation on the end page just says, "Let me give him a hug!" lol
Mary Shelley writes grief like no other. When I first read this book, I hadn't looked into her past. Now I know she had a son named William who died very young, and it really colored this reading experience in a new light. This book was her chance to raise the child she never could. In the creature, she explored the stages of child development, from babbling and groaning to learning the intricacies of speech and writing. He even learns to share when he realizes that taking food from the cottagers means they have less. Victor had such a pure soul, and he fucking corrupted him by being a selfish asshole. So many times I wanted to jump through the pages and punch him in the face. So many times I wished those pages were a window that I could climb through and give the creature a reassuring hug. Mary Shelley's writing is the best. My only wish is that the creature could have had a happier ending, but I suppose it wouldn't have been as impactful then.
While reading, I also highlighted things that Guillermo Del Toro's film accurately depicted, or, in some cases, improved on. That moment when the creature stands at the foot of Victor's bed. When he finds the cloak in the forest. There's a passage early on that describes Elizabeth as happy like a summer insect. The creature collects massive piles of firewood and leaves them for the family every day. When the creature first speaks to De Lacey alone, the old man's words are almost identical. The cottagers call him a forest spirit. Felix gives a child a white daisy, which was altered in the film, but I enjoyed both versions. Victor says he will not make another creature so wicked and deformed. The creature even says, in a few more words, that he and his companion can be monsters together.
So many people are adamant that Guillermo's movie did not capture the heart of the novel, and I'd just like to ask them, where? I think Mary Shelley would have loved this adaptation. Especially since William gets much more screen time. I didn't know Jacob Elordi existed before this movie, but I hope he gets all the best roles in the future. Mary Shelley would have loved him.
by shapedbydreams