Rating: 4 STARS The Villa Diodati, on the shore of Lake Geneva, 1816: the Year without Summer. As Byron, Polidori, and Mr and Mrs Shelley shelter from the unexpected weather, old ghost stories are read and new ghost stories imagined. Born by the twin brains of the Shelleys is Frankenstein, one of the most influential tales of horror of all time. In a remote mountain house, high in the French Alps, an author broods on Shelley's creation. Reality and perception merge, fuelled by poisoned thoughts. Humankind makes monsters; but who really creates who? This is a book about reason, the imagination, and the creative act of reading and writing. Marcus Sedgwick's ghostly, menacing novel celebrates the legacy of Mary Shelley's literary debut in its bicentenary year. Let's start with a confession: I chose this book because of the cover, and can you blame me? The illustrations inside are beautifully done and alongside the formatting make this book an immersive experience.
So, going into this book I had literally no clue what to expect only that it was supernatural fiction, and I only know that because it was one of the books featured on the supernatural panel at the NYALitFest. Whilst the genre on Goodreads categorises this as a horror, I wouldn't particularly agree, although it is a gripping ghost story. I opened this book on a whim and quickly fell in love with the prose, the rhythm and flow of the words, and the poetry-esque format, so much so that I couldn't put it down. I devoured this book in just two hours. I quickly fell under the writers spell, his voice swept me up immediately and plunged me into the story, the setting, the mystery. I had a hard time actually figuring out whether it was fiction or non-fiction, and I love that it made me doubt reality (or at least my reality) for a little while. This book spoke volumes to me, maybe because I’m working on my own writing, my own creations. However, it isn't without it's faults. The fact that the main premise of the book centres around a man expressing his hatred for the work of a woman and then that very woman asking him for help to 'fix' or help people to better understand her creation, seems more than a little arrogant. There were also times when I felt as though I was 'missing' something. As if the story was only meant for those who had read the author's other books (which I haven't) and so I almost felt as though I'd skipped a step, not able to fully understand certain parts of it. That aside, I can't deny that I did enjoy the ghost story itself. I experienced moments of humour, fear, trepidation, awe and beauty in this book and I would highly recommend it to readers and writers of fiction alike. "For fiction is not about life; it's about the troubles in life. That is why we read it. To understand, to grow, to know, to believe, to hope. That all the troubles one faces in life can be overcome, eventually." Comments are closed.
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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