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A review by mxhermit
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
5.0
CW: abuse (parental/care giver; spousal), unwillingly restraint, death of a child, violence
Frankenstein is one of my favorite stories, but not because of the titular character. He is, in fact, one of the characters I most despise in literature. Originally I based this opinion on film portrayals, but ever since reading Mary Shelley's book last year, I've realized his character really does go back to his birth on the page and reach forward in time through every iteration I've seen since.
What, then, would interest me in The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein? Elizabeth's character is underutilized in Shelley's book and could've offered so much, a potential which is fully realized under Kiersten White's powerful writing acumen.
Elizabeth is a fascinating character. Her survival instincts and adaptability to her situation, even at a young age, is tragic but interesting. The way her mind works as she grows form her into someone that is not quite lovable, exactly, but intriguing.
Her journey was a difficult one because it was easy to see how much of herself she was putting out there for others, whether it was Victor, Madame Frankenstein, Henry, or anyone else. Whenever a choice came up, when she would have to reflect on all the hard work she'd done up to that point to survive, it was difficult to figure out who Elizabeth really was. Was there a real Elizabeth or was there just a series of them depending on who she was with? There were times when that realization hurt, but that realization came with the acknowledgement that it was necessary in order for her to remain alive and comfortable, rather than cast aside and possibly back in the abusive household or similar of her childhood.
Her machinations, whether simple or more intricate, were in turns innocent and dark, as the title suggests. Considering both the time period and the circumstances of her birth & living situation, both before & and during the Frankenstein household, these actions are understandable, if not entirely pardonable (for example: a scene with Ernest Frankenstein, his nursemaid, Victor, and the scissors).
Victor was built upon in this story to become someone even more loathsome and terrifying that he was in the original story. While he was allowed much leeway to disguise his nature in that story, Elizabeth saw more of his true nature in this book and was able to interpret that for the reader. It was hard to imagine whether she knew, though, with all the things she does to protect Victor and the effort she puts into protecting her future, how much she also puts at risk such as her own sense of self, what little she has of her own life to love wholeheartedly and without cause to fear it being snatched away.
Allowing Victor to contain his multitude of secrets, which the reader will discover in this eerie, dark story, and the abilities & depravity that lead Victor to enacting these secrets it, so that she could continue to love him, whatever that means to her...that is part of Elizabeth's own darkness, though perhaps not the whole and extent of it.
What I and anyone who endeavors to read this fascinating story, perfect of the atmosphere of Halloween will find out, is that there are multitudes to the darkness. Turn the page and find out how far down that path Elizabeth is going to go to find hers.
Frankenstein is one of my favorite stories, but not because of the titular character. He is, in fact, one of the characters I most despise in literature. Originally I based this opinion on film portrayals, but ever since reading Mary Shelley's book last year, I've realized his character really does go back to his birth on the page and reach forward in time through every iteration I've seen since.
What, then, would interest me in The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein? Elizabeth's character is underutilized in Shelley's book and could've offered so much, a potential which is fully realized under Kiersten White's powerful writing acumen.
Elizabeth is a fascinating character. Her survival instincts and adaptability to her situation, even at a young age, is tragic but interesting. The way her mind works as she grows form her into someone that is not quite lovable, exactly, but intriguing.
Her journey was a difficult one because it was easy to see how much of herself she was putting out there for others, whether it was Victor, Madame Frankenstein, Henry, or anyone else. Whenever a choice came up, when she would have to reflect on all the hard work she'd done up to that point to survive, it was difficult to figure out who Elizabeth really was. Was there a real Elizabeth or was there just a series of them depending on who she was with? There were times when that realization hurt, but that realization came with the acknowledgement that it was necessary in order for her to remain alive and comfortable, rather than cast aside and possibly back in the abusive household or similar of her childhood.
Her machinations, whether simple or more intricate, were in turns innocent and dark, as the title suggests. Considering both the time period and the circumstances of her birth & living situation, both before & and during the Frankenstein household, these actions are understandable, if not entirely pardonable (for example: a scene with Ernest Frankenstein, his nursemaid, Victor, and the scissors).
Victor was built upon in this story to become someone even more loathsome and terrifying that he was in the original story. While he was allowed much leeway to disguise his nature in that story, Elizabeth saw more of his true nature in this book and was able to interpret that for the reader. It was hard to imagine whether she knew, though, with all the things she does to protect Victor and the effort she puts into protecting her future, how much she also puts at risk such as her own sense of self, what little she has of her own life to love wholeheartedly and without cause to fear it being snatched away.
Allowing Victor to contain his multitude of secrets, which the reader will discover in this eerie, dark story, and the abilities & depravity that lead Victor to enacting these secrets it, so that she could continue to love him, whatever that means to her...that is part of Elizabeth's own darkness, though perhaps not the whole and extent of it.
What I and anyone who endeavors to read this fascinating story, perfect of the atmosphere of Halloween will find out, is that there are multitudes to the darkness. Turn the page and find out how far down that path Elizabeth is going to go to find hers.