Frankenstein! The Monster

We have just started a new novel in my APEL (AP English Literature) class, and its Frankenstein! I am so excited for this novel, due to this book being one of the first mix between science fiction and horror. Now, since the creation of Frankenstein the novel readers and critics always reference it as an amazing book. Due to its popularity, people have even made scary urban legends about Frankenstein’s Creature. They even made facts just in case you meet Frankenstein’s creature, since it won’t die of old age and last time it was seen was when it left. Here is what most say:
Frankenstein’s Monster
Unbelievably Tall
Impervious to gunshot damage
As long as you don’t try to hurt it, it will leave you alone
Wound with fire
Last scene leaving Frankenstein’s Castle

The total amount of influence one book from the 1800s gave birth to an urban legend. It shows how much the influence of books and our minds can lead to new thrills and monsters. I can’t wait to actually read the novel and see how the actual monster stacks up to its legend.

The “Killer” End of Hamlet

FINALLY~! My APEL class has finally finished the Shakespearian novel Hamlet. I have to say, the end of the novel was quite interesting for me, with the main cast all dying (besides Horatio). My take on the end? It gave us a solid end to the story of revenge and betrayal, no disappointment that Prince Hamlet never got to marry Ophelia, no question on how the Queen would react with the death of her new husband and her son, and no ongoing continuation with the appearance of Fortenbras. In a sense, the ending scene gave us a fitting how all humans end up…dead.

I have to say though, the end of the story reminded me of many of Shakespeare’s other plays such as Othello and Romeo and Juliet. It almost seems to me he has a habit of killing off his main characters. This itself makes the novels he wrote different from today’s novels. Most of the time, it is always a happy end, or at least a ending with the protagonists surviving. Shakespeare’s novel represent TO ME of a era where death is a common thing at a young age, and shows how different our society (and our standards in writing) are different today.

Prince Hamlet, New favorite Shakespeare character

My English class has just recently gone further into the Shakespeare novel, “Hamlet”. I had always thought those “classic” novels tend to be boring and tend to have confusing characters, so when we started reading “Hamlet” in class I already predicted how I would feel…I was proven wrong today. True it was a bit boring at first, but now that we have gotten to the meat of the novel I must say I was surprised with how Prince Hamlet was…for the better of course.

First off, I love how Prince Hamlet isn’t portrayed as one of those “always be good” type of characters. This is shown by how he acts towards Ophelia after she breaks up with him, like a jerk. But in a way, Shakespeare makes Prince Hamlet easier to relate to and humanizes him. Add the fact Prince Hamlet is willing to get revenge and make the King suffer for killing his father makes him seem much more realistic and dark. For those reasons, Prince Hamlet will be one of my most favorite characters in Shakespeare’s novels.