The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-05-20
MAN WITHOUT A SOUL
The Uncanny Creation of Mary
Goodwin Shelley.
MONSTER OF FRANkENSTEIN.

The Interesting History of an Earlier
Day Novel That is Frequently Al
luded to In Literature and at Times
Quoted Incorrectly
Everybody, or nearly everybody, has
heard of the novel of "Frankenstein,'
though 1t is no; probable that many
persons read it nowadays. There are
SO many illusions TO ii in our litera
ture. however, that one absorbs some
help knowing that 1t is weird AMI
CHASTITY story about a monster bu.
whether or not Frankenstein Is the
monster even well Informed people dc
not always know, showing that they
never read the story.
Sometimes we hear illusions to
"Frankenstein's monster" as In one of
Charles Summers orations where he
speaks of the "soulless monster of
Frankenstein the wretched creation Of
mortal science without God" and some
times the reference is to Frankenstein
only, as il he were the monster. or
course Sumner. who was very partieu-
lar In his use of figures of speech, was
right. When Mrs. Deland in her novel
of Sidney" makes Major Lee say that
"Christianity Is Frankenstein" she
suffers the major to talk nonsense.
The story of this weird novel and the
circumstances under which 1t came to
be written are decidedly interesting
and may be told in few words. The
facts are as follows:
In 1916 Mary Goodwin, afterward
Mrs Shelley, eloped with Shelley, and
they took up their residence near Ge-
neva, In Switzerland They had Lord
Byron for neighbor. and the three
passed much time together Their con-
versation frequently ran on the occult
and the mysterious, and Byron one day
proposed that each should write a
ghost story. All agreed and went to
work, but 1t was not long before the
two poets gave it up as hopeless
task. They could write poetry. but
they could not write stories
Mary perseyered and completed her
tale In the spring of 1917. When BY
ron and Shelley heard 1t read they
were surprised and delighted. 1t was
bound to be the novel of the century,
The name of ii was "Erankensteln: or,
The Modern Prometheus" Ii was I'm
medlately sent to London for pnbliea-
ton and met with Il great success.
Frankenstein Is Swiss youth. a
student at the University of Ingol-
stadt. deeply interested in the study OF
chemistry and natural philosophy. He
resolves to penetrate the mysteries of
life and death and wrest from nature
the secret of creation. After prolong.
ed study he succeeds and discovers
ton TO lifeless matter
He then resolves to mold n colossal
man, making him beautiful In form
and feature and Undue him with life.
lie carries on his work in studio far
from the habitations OF man, labors
long and secretly, and at last the WORK
Is completed. There In the great room
lies the form and semblance of hu.
man being, perfect in ali his proper.
1T was on n dreary night In Noyem.
Der that ] beheld the accomplishment
of my tolls. With an anxiety that al
most amounted TO agony | collected
the instruments of life around me that
might infuse Il spark of being into
the lifeless thing that lay ut my feet
1T was already o'clock In the
tk., n.
against the window panes and my
candle was nearly burned out when
10y the gllmmer of the half cxtiuguish
ed light, l saw the duh yellow eye OF
the creature open. 1t breathed hard
and Il convulslye motion agitated its
limbs"
Slowly the immense creature arose
and the artist. frightened at his own
work, fled away Then he returns to
lind his creation possessed OF life and
every attribute of humanity except a
soul. Nowhere can 1t find human sym
pathy. It Is out of harmony with all
Thugs about 1t, and after searching
the world In pursuit OF happiness II
returns again TO Frankenstein and dc.
mands that he make Il companion with
whom 1t can live In sympathy and
love
Frankenstein declines, and thence
forth the monster pursues him with
hatred aud revenge. Ii Stays his broth
ers and sister, his friend and his bride
1t follows him TO Russia, to Siberia
and into the Arctic ocean, and there
creature and artist perish together 1t
is most uncanny story To read o
nights.
Sir Walter Scott reviewed the novel
In the Quarterly. but while admitting
Its power, confessed he did not like It.
our taste and our judgment revolt at
this kind of writing All the critics
agreed rs 10 lis daring originality
ExphupUn