Member-only story
31 for 31 part 13: Frankenstein (1931)
A horror movie classic
I teach a reading class for some of my struggling readers every year. We do short stories, grammar lessons, and a book study. One story I love to teach is Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s classic about the dangers when man tries to play God.
We read an abridged version of the novel, which is much more kid-friendly. Afterward, I showed them the classic 1931 version starring Boris Karloff. This week, we finally finished the book and watched the movie.
I fondly remember this and many of the classic Universal monster films. When I was younger, there would be television marathons of classic films on Halloween. I remember watching these cinematic masterpieces with my parents and sister on the couch. So, they will always hold a special place in my heart.
Significant differences exist for those who have only watched the film or read the book. First, Victor Frankenstein and his friend Henry switched first names, which caused some confusion for my students. Also, Karloff’s creature is a mute lumbering monster, while in the novel, the creature is shown to have intelligence. Still, Karloff’s version of the creature has become iconic and is what most people think of when they hear the word Frankenstein.