So fun to have read both of the most classic monster stories this year! While Dracula was definitely more eerie and delivered more of the horror aspect, Frankenstein was more enjoyable to me. The setting wasn’t as unsettling and I wish that it was, but the character development was more believable and the whole story was less frustrating and cheesy.  There were no plot twists that I didn’t see coming, and I think that was intentional - you almost sit in dread of knowing what’s going to happen. The think I loved the most about this book is the thing I loved the most about Phantom of the Opera - I couldn’t help but sympathize with the monster, and I felt no pity whatsoever for Frankenstein. The writing was beautiful as well - I underlined several quotes that captured the human condition so well, and it really made me think about how quick we are to shun anyone who doesn’t fit into our accepted “norm” in our society. This felt like more than just a monster story with its discussions on loneliness, obsession, duty and guilt/shame, and I appreciated that depth immensely. It was still a little cringy at parts; the wailings of Frankenstein definitely became tiresome - I would have appreciated less of that and more depth to the female characters in the book as well.