Customer Reviews

Father of Frankenstein

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Christopher Bram delivers an awe-inspiring portrait of the acclaimed Hollywood director James Whale in his book Father of Frankenstein. Above all an interesting and intriguing exploration of the mystery that surrounded the last days of James Whale, through to his inevitable tragic end, bringing in to his life the handsome yardman, Clayton Boone and expressively detailing his relationship with his maid, Maria.

If you have seen the film, a marvelous adaptation of the book, it may have left you feeling lugubrious and oddly empty; what stoked Boones' loyalty to Whale even after his ad-hoc rape attempt? Why did Whale do it? What is it he wanted from Boone? These were, at least, the questions the film raised in my mind, so I eagerly sought the book. Bram does not disappoint. He goes to great lenghts to explain the above questions and more. With eloquent and thorough ferocity he writes an all-enthralling account of the renowned eccentric James Whale. He opens each character with such delicacy and depth that you almost feel you know them, as you become intrigued as to how the paradox of human emotion Bram uses will climax.

In spite of the autonomy Bram gives the characters, you are still left wanting to know more; how Boone and Maria will carry on after Whales' death, do they keep in touch, but therein lies the books enchantment. Bram delivers an exciting and often times intensley erotic story, detailing all we need know about the intricacies of Whales' life and the blandness of Boones. The book encompasses both attributes with astounding reality and leaves you wanting to read on, past the back cover, to keep the characters and their relationships alive, one of the many reasons this book will haunt all who read it. A fact James Whale would undoubtedly be proud of himself.

A truly amazing book.

I have not yet seen Gods and Monsters, but now that I've finally read Father of Frankenstein, I want to see how this elegant and poignant novel translates onto the silver screen. Christopher Bram really is a master writer. His writing style is delicate, simple, and strong--a perfect match for the distinct personalities of feature characters James Whale and Clayton Boone.

Father of Frankenstein is an elegant and poignant tale about the hidden gay side of Hollywood, war stories, and dementia. Like the Frankenstein movies of James Whale, the book begins with a dark and stormy night, only not in the cliched terms of 19th-century hack Paul Clifford. Nonetheless, I drew an instant parallel with Paul Clifford's words: "It was a dark and stormy night . . . and the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."

In its own way, Father of Frankenstein is based off these words. James Whale, famous director of the movies he'd rather not be remembered for, had a stormy life beginning somewhere around London. Somewhere between his inauspicious beginnings as a impoverished child in a factory and his mysterious demise near Hollywood, he lived a full and colourful life. The book begins at the end, really, after James Whale is an old and shattered man. He's recovering from a stroke. Well, he'd like to believe he's recovering, but his worsening mental state disabuses him of that notion rather quickly. His damaged mind dwells more and more on the past until he can scarcely differentiate between the present and events forty years past.

And then there's Clayton Boone. He's a moody loner, a presager to James Dean, I suppose. Young, muscular, virile, and not too bright, he's everything James Whale looked for in a monster. But like Frankenstein's monster, Clayton Boone won't do what his creator wants him to do.

In "Father of Frankenstein" author Christopher Bram presents a mesmerizing account of the last days of Hollywood (and British) film director James Whale. Bram's book provided the basis of "Gods and Monsters," a 1998 film which drew critical praise as well.

Bram provides us with an insider's view of Whale's life--itself something of a horror story. His turbulent life--and lifestyle--haunted him until his death in 1957 (an "apparent" suicide). Of course, such things that Whale suffered

were never publicized--or much acknowledged--while he was still alive. In this biography Bram seems to pull no punches, as he deftly presents the life of Whale that few outside Hollywood knew (his homosexuality, for instance), especially his background growing up in England, his experiences in World War I, and so on.

Whether a fan of Whale (the classic films "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein" still have a following!) or not, the reader can expect a mesmerizing

read--something out of "Time" magazine and not the "National Inquirer"! At times, however, it does resemble "People" magazine a bit, but Bram does not resort to bitchy sensationalism to carry the book. He gives us a very interesting--but not altogether revealing--look at Hollywood in the Thirties. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Although I found neither "Gods and Monsters" nor "Father of Frankenstein" particularly compelling titles (I was hesitant to see the film despite positive reviews), I was very surprised and impressed with both the film and novel and recommend both. Quite pleasingly, the film is a faithful adaptation of the book, with most of the bon mots coming straight off the pages. Having never heard of him before, I enjoyed Christopher Bram's writing style, pacing and storytelling. I found his characterizations very thought provoking and I spent time pondering Whale's desire for death and why he so wanted Clay to be the instrument. I also thought about Clay's desire for something to happen in his life which drew him to Whale. "He wants to have passed through an extraordinary experience, combat, a love affair, a harrowing adventure, even a crime... a gread drama that would take him out of his dead-end life and justify his existence." That seems to be the desire of many young men and a very resonent theme in American literature. Readers should also take note of the film's ending, an epiloge which gives a happy ending to Clay's story and shows how this experience did lead him to a better existence. Enjoy!

I'm surprised there aren't any reviews here. Given that this novel has now become an exceptional film (Gods & Monsters) I was sure gay guys would rush and read what they missed two years ago. This was real good stuff. Bram has a knack for evoking the longings of the homosexual man better than any young gay writer today - who often mistake graphic sexual decriptions for eroticism. I also liked the insights into the homoerotic jokes that got by the censors in the Frankenstein films.

Christopher Bram does it again with yet another brilliant novel. The depth and the intelligence of this book and his ability to bring the characters so alive shows his ability as a novelist. If you only read one or a couple of books a year make it this one.
Highly Recommended indeed.

Bram brilliantly creates a sense of place, time, and states of mind, as he weaves a piece of luminous fiction that is spookily believable and profound. Time in this work is a fluid commodity, ranging from the 1950's to the turn of the century, reflecting the dreamy fugues produced by James Whale's stroke-affected brain, where memory has gone berserk. Nota Bene: Hollywood in the 30's has never been so beautifully captured in all its marzipan unreality as in this novel. Not incidentially, Bram's creation of Clayton Boone is a stunning achievement (just as Frankenstein is Whale's stunning achievement)--we explore the dark glass from inside and out, with all the foreboding, humor, and compassion that Whale put into his horror films. This work is a marvel and not to be missed! Just as a side note: Bram's use of the present tense in this slippery time travel is nothing short of a technical tour de force.

Also published as Gods and Monsters, the latter publication has some interesting comments by the author about the writing of the book and the creation of the film.
Based on the real life of Hollywood director James Whale, a gay man in his sixties who has recently had a stroke and is living alone with his maid, Maria. Clay, an homophobic ex-marine, is the yardman (gardener) for Whale and agrees reluctantly to pose for Whale, an amateur artist. The novel revolves around Whale reminiscing over various events in his life: growing up in a working class family in the Midlands, UK, in the trenches in the first World War, in an English touring theatrical group in the 1920's and Hollywood in the 1930's. The interaction between Whale and Clay is well written and creates a wonderful contrast between a gay man suffering from memory loss and frailty and the fit 25 year old homophobic Clay. Bram is a self-confessed film buff and this book would have greater appeal if I was too but this is an entertaining account of life in Hollywood during the 30's to the 50's.

"Father of Frankenstein" is a well written and engaging book with interesting characters and a uniquely compelling premise--what would happen if a once famous but now rather obscure filmmaker decided to orchestrate his own death by seducing an unwitting young "monster" into killing him? As a work of speculative fictional biography, this novel calls to mind Isherwood's "A Single Man" (which I read fairly recently) since both novels are meditations on the end of a life--the life of a lonely, older British gay man living in California, to be more precise. I'm not quite sure two novels constitute a genre, but I'm curious whether more novels like these exist--and whether they're as good as these two are. Oddly enough, they have both been adapted into excellent films, each one earning their respective male leads (Colin Firth for "A Single Man" and Ian McKellan for "Gods and Monsters") an Oscar nomination. Bill Condon's adaptation of this novel won him a screenwriting Oscar. Ultimately, this novel is quite sad, but it's written with undeniable artistry and dry wit, much like the films of its subject, James Whale.

Historical fiction Hollywood style - circa 1957. Film director James Whale ('Frankenstein' and 'Bride of Frankenstein') suffers from mental erosion as a complication from his recent stroke. His life is now ruled by his past and the random surfacing of memories - childhood, poverty, horrific experiences in the trenches during WWI, his days as a celebrated film director, his life as a gay man in Hollywood, etc. It's all uncontrolled and very painful. Whale finds the fact that he will eventually lose his mind even more unbearable. Enter Clay Boone - a straight, hunky, "monster-sized" gardener hungry for life experience and drawn to the aged celebrity. Seeing Clay gives Whale an idea - he'll somehow have the monster/man kill him, therefore giving his life a sort of fitting conclusion. He will be the director of his death as well. FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN traces the developing relationship between Whale and Clay over the course of several weeks with surprising twists and equally moving turns as events progress towards a rewarding conclusion. A brilliantly imagined novel, a rich historical atmosphere, and a riveting character study. A wonderful read. Frightening, funny, sexy, and very unique.