Frankenstein's Monster was Actually VERY literate

A short while ago I had decided to take it upon myself to read the 'greats'. You know, the supposed literary giants of the modern world. My journey began with Charles Dickens, traveled across space and time with Frank Herbert's Dune, and then back again to The Brontë's. Last year I read for the first time Bram Stoker's Dracula, and gained a new appreciation for the form of horror writing. Before Stephen King became the 'king' of horror and before Guillermo del Toro was Stoker. Before Stoker was the Queen of Horror: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

I started reading it, having in the back of my mind exactly what I thought Frankenstein was about. I expected to be hit with a tale of black and white. I expected the line "It's alive" and a secret laboratory and a gothic castle with lightning and a scientist hell bent on proving his genius to the world.

I expected a hulking mammoth of a man, who was little in the way of words- bolts sticking out of his neck and a giant forehead.

If you've only concerned yourself with the film version of this story you may be surprised to find that Frankenstein's monster's first words to his creator are not 'ughhngngn'

Before we get to what he first says, I want to give you a bit of background on the actual description of the monster himself. Long flowing black hair, yellowing skin stretched over mass of muscle and bone, teeth pearly white and lips black and straight. Watery eyes the color of the surrounding skin. The features themselves beautiful but together they make a menagerie of horror when breathed with new life. Nothing in there about a giant forehead.

This creature escapes his master's abode and lives on his own for the first part of his own journey. He is spurned by human kind at every turn. More hated than the hunchback of Notre Dame or the Phantom of the Opera no one can even stomach the appearance of him.

His first words to his creator after meeting again are as follows:

I expected this reception,” said the dæmon. “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.

Yeah.

I was not expecting him to be so eloquent. Shelley writes an entire history of the monster's journey through the hills and highlands of Germany as the monster effectively teaches himself French and bits and pieces of Arabic and German.

How does he teach himself these things? In the space of one year he just listens to a family talk and teach a young woman French. He teaches himself to read and to write by reading Milton's Paradise lost, portions of Plutarch's lives, and Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther.

Like. I haven't read those.

So why is the movie adaptation so different?

I have two hypothesis one that is echoed across google searches and one that I hold to be closer to the truth.

1st is that that movie would've sold more poorly in the 30s market.

This is what a lot of people seem to suggest on a few of the varied google searches that I've done, with very little evidence to support this hypothesis. They just say, hollywood wanted a dumb monster, and an Igor (who didn't exist in the book either btw), they want the giant laboratory with a lightning strike and the doctor saying "IT'S ALIVE."

This theory may hold some water, but was America really so starved for a cheesy horror film? Did they even think it was that scary?

2nd and what I think is probably more likely: An intelligent monster that is created by man with thought and feeling and motive would be difficult to produce.

Aside from the cosmetics that might be used, the idea of an monster possessed of extreme intelligence and unrealistic strength who is able to argue and persuade - that's horror. A 'beautiful' creation that turns against their master and humanity, who is capable of surviving in detestable conditions and of rational thought? One who is capable of exacting thorough and precise revenge that isn't based on a thirst of blood, but of knowing the intricacies of the victim's life? That's truly terrifying. And much harder to put into film.

We have yet to see a proper film adaptation of the Mary Shelley original which is an absolute shame to the horror genre, and if you've never done yourself the favor go ahead and read it. It's honestly not just a 'masterpiece' for it's time, but a moving depiction of artificial intelligence given a powerful and bewildering form.

In 1818 Mary Shelley wrote a book that should be read by every horror lover - Long live the queen.

Edit:

While writing this someone pointed out that a 'faithful-ish' adaptation of Frankenstein's monster exists in season one of Penny Dreadful, so maybe add that to your watch list?