Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women
Worthy of comparison to Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea, in Unnatural Creatures, Kris Waldherr moves the lens of the Frankenstein story away from Victor and his infamous monster in favor of the women in his life, and in doing so adds to the myth in a rich, satisfying, and multi-layered tale.
Three characters carry the novel: Victor’s mother, Caroline; her adopted daughter Elizabeth Lavenza, intended from childhood to become Victor’s wife; and Justine, also taken in by Caroline and given a position as a servant. Each woman’s story springs to life in parallel and at times in intersection with the events of Mary Shelley’s novel. Everything is interwoven so seamlessly it is possible to imagine that Shelley’s characters were real historical figures and Waldherr is simply enhancing our understanding of the family and the world from which Victor Frankenstein emerged to create his monster with devastating consequences. Although it’s not essential to have read the original Frankenstein, close familiarity with that novel will only enhance the reading experience.
There is much to enjoy here: rich description, gothic chills and undertones, allusion and symbolism (particularly around Milton’s Paradise Lost), questions of free will, creation and the making and unmaking of characters. Parallels between Justine’s story and that of the monster are intriguing to consider. Literary but also an engaging page-turning read, Unnatural Creatures is a splendid achievement from a writer at the height of her powers.
