Customer Reviews

The Bride of Frankenstein

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a longtime fan of Elizabeth Hand's writing, and eagerly anticipated her take on the Bride of Frankenstein. I wasn't disappointed. The book is gruesome in parts (corpses, creepy little homunculi, and a flesh-eating, fire-breathing horse) but also a lot of fun as the Bride journeys through the apocalyptic landscape of pre-WWII Germany to foil a nefarious scheme by one of the scientists who created her. In her travels she encounters characters from classic German films like Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and The Blue Angel, as well as historical figures like W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood. The surreal shenanigans are mixed with sexual politics and just a little bit of romance. Hand's writing is beautiful as always, even in a piece of pop culture fun like this.

A well written, fun read and ultimately a little frustrating. As an officially sanctioned sequel to the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN film, the author explores and expands on some of the film's great characters in some creative and surprising ways. But I personally felt that the characters of Henry Frankenstein and his wife Elizabeth were done a great injustice and radically altered without any believable explaination. Overall, if you love the film, you will enjoy reading this book just to see where it all goes. The author exploits jazz-age, pre-Nazi Berlin and it's interesting to catch the numerous passing references and characters from the era's German cinema and literature!

Every few years, Universal Studios comes out with some officiated product, which not only helps keep the monsters as "properties" active, it also slakes the thirst of us fans.

The last couple of years have seen a novel each about the big four or five -- Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy, Big Frankie, and this one, The Bride of Frankenstein: Pandora's Bride, by Elizabeth Hand. All are published by Dark Horse Press.

What's good: the idea of the female creature, who takes the name Pandora, learning about the world and making allies and enemies. The idea of interaction with other fictional people -- people from other fictions, I mean. The idea of her again meeting the Monster and becoming friends (he can grow and learn, too).

What's bad: The choice of good guys and bad guys. In this tale, Dr Pretorius is like a New Ager's idea of God -- he's charming, whimsical, well-wishing, and powerless, except to create imperfect beings who outgrow him.

In this tale, Henry Frankenstein isn't the pathetic, neurotic genius seen in the films -- a man torn by self-doubt. No, he's an evil, endlessly rich fanatical genius who desires to enslave all women as domestic robots, because (in Hand's view), THAT'S WHAT MEN WANT.

This either says a lot about misanthropy on Hand's part, or tells us Too Much Information about her formative years.

Then we find out that Henry Frankenstein, that mean ol' slimy devil, isn't even the REAL Mad Genius behind it all.

No, the ultimate villain is a character so marginal that in the two films (Frankenstein and Bride ) they were played by two different performers!

What's fun anyway: Mixing it up with characters from M , Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari , and other fictions. Somebody tell me, who are Wykstan and Christopher? Are any of the night-club types characters from Caberet?

This book is set in Germany, between WWI and WWII. Another book in the series featuring the male Monster, Frankenstein: The Shadow of Frankenstein by Stefan Petrucha, also includes Baron Frankenstein and his creation, but is set in the 1880s. Chronology impairment much?

This tells us that the editors of this series couldn't care less about any internal whatchamacallit, they just wanted to sell some books to fanboys.

Oops! I bought one.

Anyway, if you are a Psycho Nut Completist like me, or merely somebody who believes that a "Y" chromosome denotes evil, feel free to read this book.

Elizabeth Hand's The Bride of Frankenstein Pandora's Bride is a really fun read for classic black and white horror film aficionados. The bride, actually more of a runaway bride, escapes the explosion ending James Whale's horror/comic 1935 masterpiece and has some very interesting adventures with various characters from Germany's expressionistic 1920 films.

I was hooked from the first page when Pandora, the female creation of Doctors Frankenstein and Pretorius, saves one of her creators from the flames of the climatic explosion in the tower. We follow her adventures from the wilds of the German countryside to Big City Berlin of the 1920s. The first person narrative from the living dead beauty is very touching. You genuinely feel for her plight, and want her to triumph over her enemies:a country rotting from the inside, a crazed Henry Frankenstein, stupid, bigoted peasants and hedonistic Berliners.

Along the way you will recognize characters from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis, Pandora's Box, M and The Blue Angel, sans Lola Lola. Even Tod Browning's Freaks is given a representation. All of this is interesting for anyone knowledgable about horror films from this period, but if you just want a good, macabre escape the book will entertain as well. The writing is descriptive and fast paced. Most of the main characters are interesting. The only fly is that Henry Frankenstein is not only turned into a murderous psychopath (which he clearly was not in the Universal movies), but is only sketchily drawn. His part is used as a plot device rather than a true character. Also, the story is so riviting that I hated to see it end so soon.

Purist may object to these disparate plot elements, but give Mz. Hand this, Universal did some pretty crazy stories in all of their original Frankenstein sequels after Bride... too. They were not models of consistant characterizations. They got so ridiculous Abbot and Costello eventually took first billing over the monster. Hand keeps the so-called Monsters' dignity intact. It's nearly Halloween, start ordering! :)

Rarely does a novel enthrall as this succesor to the 1935 film classic. Enjoy the horrors of the Bride of Frankenstein as she attempts survival in a world she never made. Any fan of the Universal classics will love this book. It begins where the movie ends and you find yourself on a roller coaster of events that will leave you pleading for a sequel!

as other reviewers have mentioned, this book contains excellent references to other classic films, while exploring in greater depth the fictional universe created by james whale.
also i was touched by the bride's gradual acceptance of her mate, as is only becoming of such an intelligent woman as she is portrayed to be. however having read stephen petrucha's excellent frankenstein novel, several glaring inconcistencies became apparent: when did the male creature learn to speak so fluently? why did it require english lessons after being in london (in petrucha's novel) and supposedly able to reclaim speech despite mental difficulties? also the explanation provided here for the bride's trademark hairdo is blurred. imagine if you can , the bride wandering about with this towering arrangement yet drawing so little comment!
but far more importantly, what happened to the henry frankenstein a-la-colin-clive, so successfully captured by petrucha in his book? unfortunately for no discernable reason the author chose to turn him into a literal goon all throughout. elisabeth's development is equally far-fetched. if anything, she was able to point to henry how wrong is his treatment of both creature and bride!
wether all this arises from technical requirements or a desire to revolutionise the concept is unclear. to me it seemed, that the two creatures set out after the fire in the film not only on two separate tracks but into two separate universes. wether miss hand and mr.petrucha will collaborate on a future book that fills in the gaps is unclear, but until that happens i will give five stars for originality if not clarity. the series as a whole must continue. that's how good it is.

"Pandora's Bride" is an outstanding book. Elizabeth Hand has captured the literary feel of the Victorian era "Fankenstein" to sheer perfection. Not only does she build on the Universal Films extension of the original novel, but she also ties the offshoot to the `legend' in a wholly remarkable way.

`The more things change, the more they stay the same' could almost be said of "Pandora's Bride." But, as dis-similar as the end and beginning are, the path to a frightening journey to escape one mans' mania is taut and compelling. The `monster' (Mr Smith, Frankenstein), and the `lady' (Pandora) recoil at the merest thought of being husband and wife which sends Pandora into the labyrinth of Dr Pretious and the zoo of mis-shapen, surviving experiments after being presumed lost. Pretorious, Pandora, and Thea (Caesare's sister), flee after being accused of murdering children through a tunnel, and towards Berlin on a fire breathing, carnivorous Schattengiest. As bizarre as the menagerie is, the traveling freak show is even more so, yet it plays to good crowds, providing food and lodging for the group. Dr Frankenstein appears at one of the `shows', and Thea/Pandora escape into the wild where they meet the Wild Boys led by Wendigo. Primal nature is exemplified by Pandora and Wendigo. Survival is paramount, and as Wendigo is inspired by Zane Grey (Men of the Wild) to live in the wilderness. Still trekking to Berlin, Thea and Pandora encounter Dr Henry Frankenstein and Septimus Pretorius as one `harvests' the streets and another seeks to stop the slaughter.

Nature or nurture? Innate or learned? Alive or dead? Who is truly living-the created or the creators? Is beauty really skin deep? Is free will truly free? Great themes resonate through the book as philosophy meets science and a fanatical devotion to the re-creation of life without a soul. How far will Dr Frankenstein go to meet his ends, and how far with Septimus and the brutish creations go to stop him?

I was very impressed with "Pandora's Bride", both in the far reaching scope of the book, and the entertaining style Ms Hand writes with. This is no monster fodder, but rather a quasi intellectual discussion/adventure of the Universal kind.

[...]

Tim Lasiuta

It seems whenever anyone in the last twenty years wants to tell the story of the Bride of Frankenstein they just turn it into a feminist parable.
Why?
I dunno....and neither does this author.
The film is referenced but largely discarded as characters remain VERY inconsistent.
Dr.Pratorius,the insane professor from the film, is made into a loveable father figure here,none too convincingly.
As is Henry Frankenstein,who is a megalomaniac,and hardly the guilt ridden,neurotic from the films.
He is a chauvinistic stereotype who wants all women to be robots....if that sounds stupid,it is.
The bride is an independant,and cuts her hair into a flapper style,calls herself "Pandora" and goes to Berlin.
The whole point is she's a "free woman"....or something.
Her character was largely apathetic,and the forced feminism and demonizing of virtually ALL male characters was somewhat disheartening.
The book relies alot on stereotypes....how about the villainous turn offered Frankenstein's wife?
Even the Monster is changed,becoming in a way,a cross between Shelly's conception and the male protagonist in a bad romantic novel.
If there is anything to praise in this book it's the fun references to so many german expressionist classics....even though there is almost nothing from Universal's OWN mythology.
It's nice to see the Bride and the Monster actually hook up,too...though in a very,contrived sort of way.
Alot of it dosen't work,and like the rest of the books in this series,has more of a taste for outrageousness,rather than gothic horror,that it falls very flat.
The general misanthropy that runs through the story is one of it's big killers,really.
You'll love this book if you hate the male population and find them all useless,but everyone else that's on planet Earth,would be best finding a more intelligent(and fun) read.
Not reccomended.

When I first read the line "What are the 39 steps?" I was HOOKED! References to "Three Penny Opera", "m" " Metropolis" " I Am A Camera"!
Etc, Etc.! I plan on reading it again immediately just to pick up on all of them!
I haven't had this much fun with a book in YEARS!!!
Well worth the wait!
Now I have to see all those movies again!!

Elizabeth Hand is the author of this work, which is meant to be a direct sequel to 'The Bride of Frankenstein." Unfortunately Ms.Hand has either never seen the original film or has chosen to largely ignore the chracters' personalities and motivations; Colin Clive's reluctant, guilt-ridden Henry Frankenstein has been inexplicably transformed into a muderous lunatic while the villanous Dr. Praetorius is portrayed as a compassionate god/father figure. Whatever Hand's agenda for this work, it is certainly not true to the characters, tone or story she is ostensibly furthering and as such this book is best served consigned to the rubble it was born from.