Archive Nostalgia: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Yesterday marked the birthday of Mary Shelley and the perfect time to bring her classic gothic tale, Frankenstein, back into the light... Victor Frankenstein is a scientist obsessed with the miracle of life. In an intricate but ghastly experiment, he endeavours to discover the nature of life itself by resurrecting a cobbled human corpse. The resulting creation haunts him from the secluded Scottish coastline to the breath-taking lakes of Switzerland, causing us to question the very nature of humanity.

The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron: Informative Yet Warm Insight into the Trait of High Sensitivity

Do you often find yourself over-stimulated when out in the world and long for the comfort of home? Are you strongly affected by other people's moods? Do you consciously avoid violent films, TV shows or books? If so, you may be what Elaine Aron calls an HSP (highly sensitive person). And you're not alone - apparently, we make up 20% of the population! Her book is aimed at helping HSPs to survive in a competitive, demanding world where sensitivity is often viewed as a weakness.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: Science Fiction with a Big Heart

Algernon is no ordinary lab mouse – scientists have performed a pioneering experiment to exponentially increase his intelligence. Charlie is a man with learning difficulties working as a cleaner in a bakery. He longs for a higher IQ, believing it will make him feel more equal to those around him and is to become the experiment’s first human test subject. It opens up a world previously closed to him, but Charlie soon learns that increasing IQ is too simplistic an approach to solve the complexities of human emotions and relationships. With Algernon’s behaviour also becoming more erratic, Charlie’s future looks increasingly uncertain… I have mentioned previously on Miscellany Pages my prejudice against science fiction. Too often, I find the genre crosses a line of “weirdness” that alienates me. However, a friend at book club was so enthusiastic about Flowers for Algernon that I felt I had no other choice but to put aside my snobby sci-fi misgivings. I am so glad I did.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Victor Frankenstein is a scientist obsessed with the miracle of life. In an intricate but ghastly experiment, he endeavours to discover the nature of life itself by resurrecting a cobbled human corpse. The resulting creation haunts him from the secluded Scottish coastline to the breath-taking lakes of Switzerland, causing us to question the very nature of humanity…