The kids received a puzzle around Halloween and the answer was Frankenstein. The puzzle pointed out that Frankenstein is not the monster, but its creator. I was so intrigued by the fact that an 18-year-old Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when challenged to write a frightening tale at a dinner party. It is considered to be the very first book in the science fiction genre.
I checked the book out from the library, determined to read the classic a la A Thomas Jefferson Education. The particular version I got was from The Whole Story collection. I am crazy about this series because every page is beautifully illustrated (yes I’m 40 and I still like picture books!) and because all kinds of historical background information is provided in the margins. I bought a copy from Ebay, but there are several classics available in this series from Amazon.
At this point, you may be wondering if I have my holidays confused! Nope! I just finished reading this book and I loved it. I don’t even remember the movie, it’s been so long since I saw it. The story captivated me! The monster follows the once-prideful Frankenstein everywhere intent not on killing him, but on killing his joy and hope. Mary Shelley was an atheist, but she wrote a fictional work that could be my story and yours. We, too, are pursued by a monster who isn’t content with our death; he wants our faith, hope, and joy. Like Frankenstein, we create our own monsters and are then powerless to eliminate them. But praise be to God who delivers us from the enemy of our souls! This Christmas, we can celebrate having no reason to fear, but every reason to rejoice.
