Frankenstein's monster latches onto the idea of a tragic, romantic hero from a novel, but Mary Shelley has her own critique of this idea of love. PLUS! Celebrate the launch of Extra Sci Fi by purchasing a LIMITED EDITION magnet from our store: store.dftba.com/products/extra-sci-fi-crew-magnet
I am sorry, I'm sure you put a lot of work into this, but you left out the most important detail. Why did Frankenstein stop building the monster? You say in your video: You say 'he initially acquists to the request' but later 'changes his mind'. From there you discuss that maybe the female monster wouldn't love the male one, and that the monster's problems could not be resolved through mechanics and logic. But Victor doesn't decide 'Hey, monster, building a human being is a fundamentally flawed idea.' Not at all. Victor becomes terrified that he'll be successful, and thereby create a race of monsters on the earth. That is why he destroys his new work. Additionally you write that Victor's decision leads to all the death later in the novel, but you leave out the monster's part in that. As if the monster has no agency and it's purely Victor's choice. I understand that you'll need to be reductive to talk about as complex and nuanced a novel as Frankenstein in under 8 minutes. But I feel you're actually doing the novel a disservice here. As every person who watches this video will get a warped impression of what the novel is actually about. Let me try to make an analogy. Imagine describing 20,000 leagues under the sea by talking entirely of the Nautilus and all the science that went into making it, leaving the viewer to think it were a story about sub-building. I really enjoy your series, and I really do understand the necessity of leaving stuff out, but this time it actually paints the subject as something that it's not. You really need to do a 'lies' video on this.
Eh, his analyses are a bit shallow. Give him some time and he has potential, but he doesn't yet understand literature well enough to give interesting critique. Also, he's fictional.
Well It was a monster created for destruction and became a happy loving and peaceful alien so , yeah I love Stitch I had to use him for an image at some point.
It's actually strange timing that you guys brought this topic up. I'm going through a case of it right now with a woman who is a very close friend of mine. For almost 30 years, I've been alone and shunted in life, and then she stepped into it, and showed me at least some affection.... But that was more than I had known for most of my entire life. But, for some reason, she doesn't feel the same way towards me. My attempts to show her my worth get met with anxiety, a brick wall or... Most recently, a Genie Rocket. I love her, and I know that she cares about me.... And I know that I need to pull myself away or it will destroy me... But every time I try, it gets worse. The more I struggle to get away, the more I tell myself it won't work... The more I get pulled in. Maybe one day, I'll find someone who is interested.... But with all my faults... I don't know who would want a man who is this broken.
Props to Shelley for putting that theme into her book about love not being able to fix you it is something that even in this age is quite relevant and something I probably missed when I first read it which in my mind gives the book more merit than I originally thought it had
I would complain that Elizabeth was strangled, not stabbed, but I also realize how difficult it would be to draw a strangled character when they don't have a neck.
"Love isn't here to fix us" Guess Frankenstein should be mandatory reading for insecure teenagers. Would've helped me put when I was as dumb as a bag of hammers.
RGR0000 - You would be incorrect. At least in US schools, reading curriculum is set by individual schools, districts or states, so what ends up on the required reading list varies quite a bit regionally.
I think you gave a somewhat wrong impression of the character of ALbert, while Albert is somewhat an opposite of Werther he is never shown in bad light in the nove, yes he lacks impetus and is more rational, but also he and Lotte are actually in love and lead a nice life as a couple. He also is in very good terms with the protagonist despite knowing his affection for Lotte, at least until the end where Werther begins to act more erratically and he is preoccupied with Lotte's safety (specially since Werther defended someone who killed a woman out of jealousy). It's one of the rare cases where a love triangle is presented and the rival is not presented as a jerk, just to make root for the protagonist easier.
It also helps that Werther was never supposed to be seen as a positve character. His infatuation with Lotte is destructive, his behaviour sometimes borders on stalking. If I recall correctly, there's actually one moment in the book where he acts very inappropiately towards her. Has been a while since I read it, though, I have to admit. I feel like the EC guys actually missed the whole point of Werther, similar to how people misinterpret Romeo and Juliet.
To be fair to them, a lot of people in the time misinterpreted Werther, that's the reason why Goethe began to loathe the novel. He created as a cautionary tale to show that passion is good, but it shouldn't be the only governing force in your life, because then it leads to death. And a lot of people interpreted as passion is the only purpose in life and it's a good reason to die for.
Yeah, but nowadays people should and do know better. I'm actually disappointed about EC misinterpreting it because it feels like they didn't do the research. :(
The moral lesson of Werther is that when affection becomes obsession it'll in the end destroy you, same with Romeo and Juliet the Capulet and Montagues were so obsessed with carrying on their feud they failed to see they were hated by Verona's populace or that they were hurting their children in the long run.
Romeo' and Juliet's relationship was also supposed to be a cautionary tale about how teenage infatuation can go too far (ending with both their deaths), but people still keep misinterpreting it as a tragic love story instead. There also seems - to a degree - to be a confusion of the concepts of love and lust sometimes. In the case of Werther, even his object of desire openly voices doubts at one point that his love is actually genuine and not just fueld by the fact that he can't actually have her.
Is an "Ö" hard to pronounce for Americans? Hmmm... I think I would explain it as the "uh" sound stretched out...I know he struggled with the "-er-" in the beginning, but somehow got the ending right.
This makes me feel like the FMA anime is just an updated version of the Frankenstein's monster, but dwells into what makes an individual in context of a society instead of only an individual
Enoan For mary: individual = romantic + rational For the author of FMA: society = alchemical principles(anime science) + faith(very loosely like religion) In either case both elements are indispensible but not self sustaining on their own.
It is basically frankenstein yes, and not just individuals in context of society, but individuals as they are. If i recall correctly there's one scene where edward tells winry (or rose?) the exact composition of a human body but says it wasnt enough, that there's one more thing that is needed to make us human. That is pretty much frankenstein's plot, but instead of the monster having these extra things that he cannot deal with (emotions and love) the homunculi have none, and as such they are NOT human, while the monster is. One is about exploring the essence of what it is to be human and the other one is about dealing with the consequences of that knowledge. In that sense its not an "updated version" but somewhat of a spinoff sequel. Might as well have been doc Frankenstein dealing with the monster's death instead of edward and his mother.
As a teacher, I cannot thank you guys enough for providing materials that I can use for my students. You guys make my job more enjoyable and easier every video.
This is like my third RUclips comment, total, but I just gotta say that this Extra Sci Fi show is the best of the shows on this channel. I'm so excited for more!
this was PHENOMENAL. You guys are masters of weaving philosophy, mainstream culture and media in such an engaging, relevant and profound way - while still being accessible to everybody. Seriously great job.
I'm so glad you guys discuss this book. For us in Hungary, and I'm sure all around Europe is a subject in many schools and I found I couldn't discuss it with my american friends.
Dman20111 it tends to be woefully ignored in the anglo saxon countries. I suspect what happened was the people who set our curriculums only know Frankenstein from its cinema adaptions and so decid that its just schlock with no philosophical worth. A damn shame
I'm from the US and we read and studied the book in high school(I dont know if I'm the minority, but it not all schools share the same curriculum). My class was very surprised that this book was more philosophical than horror, and debated that movie would have been more interesting if it was more loyal to the book
As Always some schools are better about these things than others. My highschool was a very poorly funded public one but they still ran a philosophy class. A damn good one too.
As Always Ah right, I see I've been to vague. I meant the Sorrows of young Werther. I'm still happy I get to see frankenstein trough a new view too with quality videos. ^^
Absolutely love this new series. You guys never cease to amaze me. But the thing that shines most of all is the art. Props to Mr. Hueso, the illustrations in this series have been incredibly well done. I find myself pausing frequently each episode to just look at each new illustration.
I just bought The Sorrows of Young Werther after watching this episode. I’m very intrigued by your analysis of not only this piece, but of Frankenstein as well. It’s my favorite piece of fictional literature and I’m glad that you guys are covering it on this channel.
Thank you for these last few episodes! Frankenstein is one of my favourite novels ever. It’s such a powerful and clever story that I’m so glad to see shared so well as you are doing in this series, and you’ve honestly touched on motifs in the novel I hadn’t even noticed myself. Once again, thank you
I remember having to read Sorrows in high school. I didn't get into it at all, didn't connect with Werther in any way and thought him weak-willed to commit suicide. I find it very impressive that it only took you a few minutes to explain why this work, even though it didn't reach me personally, was so important for the time and culture it was written (I guess my teacher at the time couldn't). I'm seeing Sorrows in a much more positive light now.
i love the way you did Werther you depicted it in a way that made it clear to understand he broke a part until when he took his life he was put back toghether but in a bad light
Yes! I'm so glad you're continuing with Frankenstein! This is such a great way to look at this book. I never knew that that other book influenced this novel so much.
Great episode and discussion of the idea of love and its place in the problem solving toolbox. I think this point is one that we see many times forgotten in popular media, as the romance is used as a panacea to fix whatever problem anyone is facing rather than an affect or component that might help begin or perpetuate that process. It is an important lesson to learn, and one I have seen many times being ignored to the detriment of those who do. Thank you for writing this, I hope every episode is as good as this series has been thus far.
I remember reading Frankenstein in highschool. It shaped some parts of me. I never saw the love critic in the book. Never consciously understood it. I do remember that point in the book very sharply, it being the turning point. The novel really honed in me the idea that the best of intentions sometimes don't work out, because we're all flawed in some manor. This video made me remember made me reflect.
It's easy to forget how insanely high the standard of quality for this channel has ALWAYS been. I do miss this narration style, but I do NOT miss the vocal filtering. Lol
A video about Sorrows of a Young Werther!!! I love you other series already but Starting your series on Sci-Fi with an actual in depth look at Frankenstein and not skimming over its influences is a whole other level of greatness. That being said, the Monster's relationship with Paradise Lost I always felt was more profound considering the central part that being rejected by his creator has on him and the parallels with Satan's own feelings in Paradise Lost.
Oh, I despised the Sorrows of Young Werther when I had to read it at school. Werther is a whiny ass who complains about every little thing and then spends 12 hours dying from a headshot, presumably because the bullet missed his brain (Gods knows it's almost nonexistent).
Nothing like literature class in school to drain the entertainment out of novels as the instructor analyzes the books to an extent few other people would care to. Though to be fair, while I didn't read Young Werther in those classes, I did read Catcher in the Rye, and I felt much the same about its protagonist: He also whines and complains about everything, and he's also entitled simply because he feels he's superior to everyone else. No suicide though, but Holden Caulfield does consider it at a few points but is not proactive enough to actually do it. He'd rather just sulk and complain. (At least, that's how I felt when I was reading it.)
As a long time fan of your channel this series is quickly becoming my favorite amongst your work, your channel really does teach me so much that it’s baffling
But that wasn't love that the man who the monster idolized held for the woman in the story; it was lust. Love desires yes, but it also sets free what you yearn for and is willing to give not take. The woman already had a partner, already was in love, and this man from out of nowhere tries to inject himself into the partnership to take the woman from that individual who she desires. What he goes through is an act of selfishness and is the exact opposite of all that love stands for. A better example of what love is and what it demands is in Dracula where Quincey Morris, a foreigner who represented all that was good and noble in the American cowboy, who had lost the chance at engagement to Lucy, and who had nothing more compelling him to continue forth and end Dracula's hold on Mina and put and end to the monster, ends up willing giving his life to drive his Bowie knife into Dracula's heart putting and end to the fiend. His last words make this so clear the price and nature of love: "Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!"
To be fair, Werther didn’t think the man she was betrothed to was good enough for her, so maybe that was his reason. Of course I didn’t read the book, so I can’t tell you if she would be better with her fiance or Werther, but I doubt we see enough of the story to see how their marriage ends up. If it ends poorly, then Werther was right.
It's curious, because a lot of Romantic ideals are VERY selfish. The emphasis on the INDIVIDUAL, on what you in particular feel, runs counter to the dominant cultural narrative - rooted in industrialism - of utility, instrumentality, and function. In a world that said love was socially-sanctioned, controlled in marriage, and a thing of warm affection, the Romantics found it to be a tempest, a struggle, a deadly affliction. Romanticism denies that love is about anyone other than yourself, and acknowledges, in many ways, that this destroys you.
The description many give of love often sounds more like sustained lust (minus the downsides and implications) than anything else. While this makes sense from a biological perspective, it's a rather dangerous perception to have, as it makes actual love hard to tell from fleeting passion until it's too late.
Your illustrator's work is outstanding. Their thoughtful, nuanced and provocative images presented as simplistic childlike diagrams are something to admire. Some of their latest panels are worthy of tattoo flash.
Extremely love that you guys have decided to branch out into other areas, like literature and History, topics i personally find both educational and interesting, and is the only reason i am Subscribed in all honesty. The way you tell these story's and events is also fantastic as it keeps attention wile staying focused on the topic you are on.
Well... Okay. Its just a little shocking, hearing about this novel, the Sorrows of Werter, popularity and the parralelles with modern works of media. How many times have we heard people decrying a popular movie or more latterly, video games, saying they promote violence or immorality.
Prof. Luigi first of all thats a big if, secondly those who attributed their decision to the book would likely have been inspired to do it anyway by something else had they never read the book and finally people should, within reason, be allowed to end their lives if they have exhausted other avenues of relief. You cant just suppress free thought because some people cant handle it
Even things like Theatre in Ancient Greece and Soccer once were blamed for Decrease in Morals and the Fall of Civilization. Poeple will always find something to blame, if the WOrld isn't as they want it to be.
Prof. Luigi. They may have the wrong point though, if their society was in such a state that masses of men being inspired to embrace their feelings leads to the tragic loss of so many would that not suggest an inherent flaw in that society? Wouldnt artifacts like that book be inevitable results of that condition? If one was repressed another would surely occur, and if all occurrences were repressed wouldnt the society STILL have that flaw in its makeup?
Loved this episode's artist take on the symbol of love. the couple in the flames is absolutely brilliant!. I'd love to get ahold of that image. Great way to conceptualize an idea!
wow, terrific episode. This book really disturbed me when I read it as a teenager, and I think you guys just described exactly why. Excellent work once again!
I am loving these videos analyzing frankenstein! I read the book for an english class in high school and whenever we were allowed to pick a book to write about I would find a way to talk about Frankenstein.
Oh the Sorrows of Young Werther... I've read that book in both English and German, and I've got to say that Werther is the prototypical "nice guy." From a modern viewer's perspective, he's just such an annoying, whiny character. But at the time, he was absolutely revolutionary, and Goethe's prose is fantastic in the original German. Excellent commentary on the influence the novel had on Frankenstein!
^^I read it in German (btw there are quite a few of us here) when I was ~14-16 (can't remember exactly) and got so frustrated with the man, that the actual message of the book hit me in a very warped and ridiculed way... My take away was: Try not to revel in your emotion, otherwise you might end up like Werther... And having read some of Goethes later work, I have the feeling he would agree :D
Chalk Chalkson ah but his poetry suggests the complete opposite of that conclusion! Full of emotion and soul, expressing deep and abiding longing but also tremendous passion and vivacity! I think his point was less that emotion is dangerous, and more that we are as much creatures of passion as of reason, which is one reason why he is often considered the father of Romanticism. While I admire Goethe’s prose, I’ve always felt that it is in his poetry that his skill found its best use.
This was as usual a really great video. But I've got one minor critique: You made it seem like "The Sorrows of Young Werther" was a romantic work, when in fact it originatet from the "Sturm und Drang" movement. This makes a huge difference when discussing it.
Not to mention the other religious motivations for banning it, beyond the suicide. It promoted the idea of finding God in nature, which is pretty common now, what with all the retreats to find the purity of the natural world and such, but back then, nature was still perceived as a dangerous and corrupting force, so associating it with god was kind of not super ok. That's why so many of those old gardens are putting the beauty of nature into neat orderly rows and pathways, sorting it, and parceling it away, instead of letting it grow freely. I absolutely loved this review, by the way! As an American, I only really found the book recently, and running into it here is AWESOME!
The Sturm und Drang movement is generally considered to be a proto-Romantic movement and while Werther wasn't part of the Romantic movement itself, it was beyond a shadow of a doubt part of the foundation upon which the Romantic movement was built. I think that going into details on proto-Romantic movements and how they differ from the Romantic movement would not have added anything of note to the video.
Shit man, I needed this video like a year ago. How wonderfully put. I think you did a lot of good by making this video. A lot of people will need to see it.
You can absolutely also make the argument that Paradise Lost was the most influential work on the monster. Certainly, however, you can't understand the monster without understanding what he read.
This is all so fascinating and heart-wrenchingly deep and relatable. Why on earth are these topics not taught in schools when Frankenstein is being studied? (at least, none of the stuff I'm so moved by here was ever even mentioned to me in class when I studied the book)
Thank you for your awesome content. I don't even like history that much and I thought Extra History was the best. Now you're doing sci-fi I cannot wait!
Man, what a strange but very interesting idea for a video... Was looking for a review of Werther and found this...So glady to have seen this... Thanks!
I always liked to see the non-creation of a mate for the monster diffrently. More like: a problem caused by science might actually be fixed by science, but we as humans maybe don't want to enter the realm of new possibilities, because we're too afraid of what might come from it. By embracing progress we would be better of. The story would have been a lot less tragic too, if Victor chose to "raise" his creation (embracing the new possibility he created), instead of fleeing in terror. I really like your take on it too. It might make more sense with the overall picture the book paints. Great you're doing Frankenstein! One of my favorites!
Two things immediately come to mind with the reference to "creating a human being", and how much more complex humans are than they first seem: Fullmetal Alchemist, and the story of how the Exos came to be in Destiny.
It's a quick read, and it might not be the most amazing thing you pick up, but it had a critical impact on the world when it was written! I highly recommend it, along with learning about why it's important.
I would love, love, love to see a close reading of any one of Alfred Bester's books. Personally, I'm partial to The Star's My Destination, but The Demolished Man is also amazing. Bester is never given enough credit as a literary genius.
When I read Sorrows of Young Werther, I loved it. Besides, I already had the major spoiler of suicide, and put aside my preconception. And I loved every charecter. But I felt the sorrow of Werther. I got the feeling of: "Man! This guy just needed a friend, someone to save him of himself. What a sad end!". In the end, I put tears way and said to myself: "At leats, I will help my friends if I can, because problems with love can really hurt, and this pain can kill". Of course this book will not touch everybody, but I was touched by it.
Gonna be ohnest the last part actually really resonates with me. Im a teenage boy, ofcourse it does. Jokes aside, the part where you guys talk about love not being forced is something that I know in my heart, but I am having a hard time accepting. See I liked this one girl for a while and she even gave me this note saying that I was cute. But she told me about 3 weeks ago that it was a joke/compliment. Im still confused on that, she would also smile at me sometimes in a way that someone would smile at someone they like (atleast from my perspective). And those two things sky rocketed my hopes for having a relationship with her. So when I heard a rumor one week later that she had a boyfriend I was just broken. I told her about some of my personal problems to both get some heavy things off my chest and to hopefully get her to stop messing with me and tell me the truth. She didn't and sometimes she wouldn't respond to any of my texts. Clear signs that hey maybe she don't like me. Yet I still had my hopes up. Eventually I decided to play hard to get and told her that I was not going for her to which I had then learned that being cute was a complimentle joke. So yeah in short, I just need to get over her.
Hey there, I feel where you are coming from, I struggled with problems in the same vein as yours between the ages of 14 and 18 finally resulting in me having to go to a hospital to "beat" a major depression, so if I can type out a message and maybe help you a little, I will definitely do that :P First up: Think about why you want(ed) this so bad? Was it because of her specifically, or do you think it had more to do with the "thing" you wanted itself? If it is the former one, then you will get over her, I would generally recommend trying to stay away from her for a while, and depending on that situation the while you need might be long. Even if you feel worse without her in your life, in the long-term it is probably better for you. If it is the second one, the important thing to realise (and that can be extremely hard) that you are complete on your own, that you can be happy without someone else. Try to find a thing you are really good at, no matter how stupid a hobby it might seem. As a second thing you should avoid reveling in your emotions, think about Werther as the ultimate negative example. And now the most important thing of all: If you don't feel (significantly) better after a month and good after ~1.5 search some professional help. There is nothing worse you can do to yourself than denying help. Trust me, I should have taken some help years before I did, and there are few things I regret as much as that.
^Wow, bitter much? Talk about generalizations! If anything, what you wrote says more about you than of any teenage girl. I'm sure you get rejected because those pesky teenage girls are immature and not because of that misogynistic way of thinking.
Realy good job guys! Boy has your art grown and improved! But it looks like Frankenstein influenced you a tiny bit your use of strong and dark imagery here is tough but welcome! Even your «naive» style conveys such drama! You guys rock, keep it up :)
If any viewers have personal preferences/recommendations regarding a good annotated edition of Frankenstein, please do comment away! For anyone who is just looking to read the story, Project Gutenberg has the entire text hosted online. www.gutenberg.org/files/84/84-h/84-h.htm
Barnes and Noble (I'm not sure how popular this book chain is, but yeah it's the only book chain store mostly in the east coast of the US) they have a classic edition with annotation to clarify certain references. It was helpful and was still a good read. Though I havnt read this version there is a 1911 version out supposedly the version Shelly made before her husband edited the story.
I have a 1994 edition published by Gramercy Books and illustrated from wood engravings by Lynd Ward and jacket art by Melissa Ring that is one of the treasures of my home library. unfortunately it doesn't appear to be available anymore as the ISBN returns a version from the same year but with different jacket art and no mention of the Ward illustrations.
Fun side fact: Goethe frequently sought out things to downright therapize himself, even though he didn't know what he was doing with that. For example, he knew that he had fear of heights, so he consciously went to the highest place in his area and practiced confrontation therapy there. Many of his poems and stories are him working through personal issues, and Werther is one of them. Werther dying at the end is very much Goethe attempting to shed the part of himself that was so obsessed with the real life counterpart of Charlotte, and iirc this same relationship bled a little bit into Faust and some poems as well. An important tidbit is that Charlotte's husband is actually a friend Werther respects, too. And the story reads very much like Charlotte loves him. She cares about Werther too, but seems to do so in a much more platonic sense and gets very upset when he keeps refusing to take a hint...
The Way Werther is pronounced im this Vid makes me chuckle a bit but I love that Extra Sci Fi was and is being made. Very Interesting Subject and i love the way its made
I know the reason most people draw the monster as a weird patchwork monster because of the movie but like in the books he was described as being actually really handsome and the only flaw was that his eyes were creepy. Victor even says that he picked out the best of the best when he was choosing materials
Excellent video as always! I am finding this series quite more enjoyable than I anticipated, and this video has been superb! I specially liked the way you depicted the character of Werther with the drawings, breaking down. By the way, have some of you guys checked the show Penny Dreadfull? Your analysis of the original is making me realize how great of a work they did in adapting the figure of the monster.
Thanks , it took me a long time to find a way to express visually that abstract feeling but hey I guess it works !. I love penny dreadful, The first 2 seasons are pure gold .
Ok, up until now no episode of extra credits really resonated with me on a personal level, this one just did that. I have a somewhat alike concept of love to that wich this book critices, that love is a way for self betterment and not the gole. I have been feeling that this was wrong since several months, but I wasn't abel to clearly expres what I thought that was wrong thanks to this video. Thanks for helping me find the answer ti such a simple question.
Love presented as the greatest, most powerful driving force humans can have; but also as a goal in it of itself and not as a mean to achieve something else. Sometimes love is just outside of reach, obtainable only through great sacrifices and unflenching efforts...those that come with the passion and power that that very love we seek will give us once we reach it. Pure irony, one of humanity´s tragedies.
Just finished John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades, and I can't help but see the parallels between the two books. Interested since the main character, Jared, also reads Frankenstein within the book itself.
Frankenstein's monster latches onto the idea of a tragic, romantic hero from a novel, but Mary Shelley has her own critique of this idea of love.
PLUS! Celebrate the launch of Extra Sci Fi by purchasing a LIMITED EDITION magnet from our store: store.dftba.com/products/extra-sci-fi-crew-magnet
I'm really loving your analysis of this novel and its effect on future science fiction. Keep up the good work, guys!
Extra Credits Goethe would be a good topic for EH
I'm looking forward to the next episode in this series, it is really well thought out and interesting.
I am sorry, I'm sure you put a lot of work into this, but you left out the most important detail. Why did Frankenstein stop building the monster?
You say in your video: You say 'he initially acquists to the request' but later 'changes his mind'. From there you discuss that maybe the female monster wouldn't love the male one, and that the monster's problems could not be resolved through mechanics and logic.
But Victor doesn't decide 'Hey, monster, building a human being is a fundamentally flawed idea.' Not at all. Victor becomes terrified that he'll be successful, and thereby create a race of monsters on the earth. That is why he destroys his new work.
Additionally you write that Victor's decision leads to all the death later in the novel, but you leave out the monster's part in that. As if the monster has no agency and it's purely Victor's choice.
I understand that you'll need to be reductive to talk about as complex and nuanced a novel as Frankenstein in under 8 minutes. But I feel you're actually doing the novel a disservice here. As every person who watches this video will get a warped impression of what the novel is actually about.
Let me try to make an analogy. Imagine describing 20,000 leagues under the sea by talking entirely of the Nautilus and all the science that went into making it, leaving the viewer to think it were a story about sub-building.
I really enjoy your series, and I really do understand the necessity of leaving stuff out, but this time it actually paints the subject as something that it's not. You really need to do a 'lies' video on this.
What a wonderful new series. You guys continue to amaze me :) Hard to believe there used to not even a be a history show. Can't wait for the next.
Judging from the first minute Frankenstein sounds like he would make a great book reviewer.
I'd subscribe to him on RUclips.
Eh, his analyses are a bit shallow. Give him some time and he has potential, but he doesn't yet understand literature well enough to give interesting critique.
Also, he's fictional.
Timothy McLean silence, fool.
That wasn't Frankenstein though, it was the monster.
Well, he *is* quoting a great author.
I never thought I'd see Stitch on this channel. I find myself exceptionally happy to be proven wrong.
Well, he fits the words so artist just had a cool idea
Wait, "proven wrong?" Have you ever actively thought, "I don't think I'll see Stitch on this channel"?
Also, was that Glados next to Stitch's container?
I assumed it was AUTO from WALL-E.
Well It was a monster created for destruction and became a happy loving and peaceful alien so , yeah I love Stitch I had to use him for an image at some point.
It's actually strange timing that you guys brought this topic up. I'm going through a case of it right now with a woman who is a very close friend of mine. For almost 30 years, I've been alone and shunted in life, and then she stepped into it, and showed me at least some affection.... But that was more than I had known for most of my entire life. But, for some reason, she doesn't feel the same way towards me. My attempts to show her my worth get met with anxiety, a brick wall or... Most recently, a Genie Rocket. I love her, and I know that she cares about me.... And I know that I need to pull myself away or it will destroy me... But every time I try, it gets worse. The more I struggle to get away, the more I tell myself it won't work... The more I get pulled in. Maybe one day, I'll find someone who is interested.... But with all my faults... I don't know who would want a man who is this broken.
Sorrows of Young Werther is one of my all time favorite books, and helped me with my own suicidal depression.
Love can't save you. Only yourself.
Props to Shelley for putting that theme into her book about love not being able to fix you it is something that even in this age is quite relevant and something I probably missed when I first read it which in my mind gives the book more merit than I originally thought it had
I would complain that Elizabeth was strangled, not stabbed, but I also realize how difficult it would be to draw a strangled character when they don't have a neck.
Blue face maybe?
That was my mistake , I thought It would look more impressive but wrong , sorry.
Except this video also shows Victor hung with a noose, at least in his thoughts.
"Love isn't here to fix us"
Guess Frankenstein should be mandatory reading for insecure teenagers. Would've helped me put when I was as dumb as a bag of hammers.
I was under the impression that it was mandatory in school n_nU. Or am I wrong?
You may understand that love is not to fix, but you desire love and desire to be fixed. If only logic worked on humans...
RGR0000 - You would be incorrect. At least in US schools, reading curriculum is set by individual schools, districts or states, so what ends up on the required reading list varies quite a bit regionally.
Well it's periodically here in Germany(BW) , but I haven't read it in school.
But can love break people?.. Hurt them irrevocably and irreparably?
I think you gave a somewhat wrong impression of the character of ALbert, while Albert is somewhat an opposite of Werther he is never shown in bad light in the nove, yes he lacks impetus and is more rational, but also he and Lotte are actually in love and lead a nice life as a couple. He also is in very good terms with the protagonist despite knowing his affection for Lotte, at least until the end where Werther begins to act more erratically and he is preoccupied with Lotte's safety (specially since Werther defended someone who killed a woman out of jealousy).
It's one of the rare cases where a love triangle is presented and the rival is not presented as a jerk, just to make root for the protagonist easier.
It also helps that Werther was never supposed to be seen as a positve character. His infatuation with Lotte is destructive, his behaviour sometimes borders on stalking. If I recall correctly, there's actually one moment in the book where he acts very inappropiately towards her. Has been a while since I read it, though, I have to admit.
I feel like the EC guys actually missed the whole point of Werther, similar to how people misinterpret Romeo and Juliet.
To be fair to them, a lot of people in the time misinterpreted Werther, that's the reason why Goethe began to loathe the novel. He created as a cautionary tale to show that passion is good, but it shouldn't be the only governing force in your life, because then it leads to death. And a lot of people interpreted as passion is the only purpose in life and it's a good reason to die for.
Yeah, but nowadays people should and do know better. I'm actually disappointed about EC misinterpreting it because it feels like they didn't do the research. :(
The moral lesson of Werther is that when affection becomes obsession it'll in the end destroy you, same with Romeo and Juliet the Capulet and Montagues were so obsessed with carrying on their feud they failed to see they were hated by Verona's populace or that they were hurting their children in the long run.
Romeo' and Juliet's relationship was also supposed to be a cautionary tale about how teenage infatuation can go too far (ending with both their deaths), but people still keep misinterpreting it as a tragic love story instead.
There also seems - to a degree - to be a confusion of the concepts of love and lust sometimes. In the case of Werther, even his object of desire openly voices doubts at one point that his love is actually genuine and not just fueld by the fact that he can't actually have her.
> Extra SCI-FI
> Talking about the nature of love
I didn't see that coming.
And here we see Dan make an episode about Sorrows of Young Werther while somehow dodging having to pronounce Goethe even once. Impressive work!
Is an "Ö" hard to pronounce for Americans? Hmmm... I think I would explain it as the "uh" sound stretched out...I know he struggled with the "-er-" in the beginning, but somehow got the ending right.
This makes me feel like the FMA anime is just an updated version of the Frankenstein's monster, but dwells into what makes an individual in context of a society instead of only an individual
I... I want to agree, but I actually really don't know what you just said.
Enoan
For mary: individual = romantic + rational
For the author of FMA: society = alchemical principles(anime science) + faith(very loosely like religion)
In either case both elements are indispensible but not self sustaining on their own.
The anime. Full Metal Alchemist. It's good.
It is basically frankenstein yes, and not just individuals in context of society, but individuals as they are.
If i recall correctly there's one scene where edward tells winry (or rose?) the exact composition of a human body but says it wasnt enough, that there's one more thing that is needed to make us human. That is pretty much frankenstein's plot, but instead of the monster having these extra things that he cannot deal with (emotions and love) the homunculi have none, and as such they are NOT human, while the monster is.
One is about exploring the essence of what it is to be human and the other one is about dealing with the consequences of that knowledge.
In that sense its not an "updated version" but somewhat of a spinoff sequel. Might as well have been doc Frankenstein dealing with the monster's death instead of edward and his mother.
well i would argue Al is frankenstien's monster he has a human soul but lacks a human apperence and Edward is is Frankenstein who created him
6:33 Felix seems *ahem* very excited to be with his love...
As a teacher, I cannot thank you guys enough for providing materials that I can use for my students. You guys make my job more enjoyable and easier every video.
This is like my third RUclips comment, total, but I just gotta say that this Extra Sci Fi show is the best of the shows on this channel. I'm so excited for more!
this was PHENOMENAL. You guys are masters of weaving philosophy, mainstream culture and media in such an engaging, relevant and profound way - while still being accessible to everybody. Seriously great job.
I'm so glad you guys discuss this book. For us in Hungary, and I'm sure all around Europe is a subject in many schools and I found I couldn't discuss it with my american friends.
Dman20111 it tends to be woefully ignored in the anglo saxon countries. I suspect what happened was the people who set our curriculums only know Frankenstein from its cinema adaptions and so decid that its just schlock with no philosophical worth. A damn shame
+slendy either that or just an extended result of the aforementioned ban spree
I'm from the US and we read and studied the book in high school(I dont know if I'm the minority, but it not all schools share the same curriculum). My class was very surprised that this book was more philosophical than horror, and debated that movie would have been more interesting if it was more loyal to the book
As Always some schools are better about these things than others. My highschool was a very poorly funded public one but they still ran a philosophy class. A damn good one too.
As Always Ah right, I see I've been to vague. I meant the Sorrows of young Werther. I'm still happy I get to see frankenstein trough a new view too with quality videos. ^^
Absolutely love this new series. You guys never cease to amaze me. But the thing that shines most of all is the art. Props to Mr. Hueso, the illustrations in this series have been incredibly well done. I find myself pausing frequently each episode to just look at each new illustration.
Thanks a lot , I really enjoy working on these episodes and improve the artwork a little bit every day. Again thanks for the appreciation.
I just bought The Sorrows of Young Werther after watching this episode. I’m very intrigued by your analysis of not only this piece, but of Frankenstein as well. It’s my favorite piece of fictional literature and I’m glad that you guys are covering it on this channel.
Thank you for these last few episodes! Frankenstein is one of my favourite novels ever. It’s such a powerful and clever story that I’m so glad to see shared so well as you are doing in this series, and you’ve honestly touched on motifs in the novel I hadn’t even noticed myself. Once again, thank you
I remember having to read Sorrows in high school. I didn't get into it at all, didn't connect with Werther in any way and thought him weak-willed to commit suicide. I find it very impressive that it only took you a few minutes to explain why this work, even though it didn't reach me personally, was so important for the time and culture it was written (I guess my teacher at the time couldn't). I'm seeing Sorrows in a much more positive light now.
2:08
So cosplay is older than we thought...
i love the way you did Werther you depicted it in a way that made it clear to understand he broke a part until when he took his life he was put back toghether but in a bad light
Long-time Extra Credits, Extra History and now Extra Sci-fi viewer. In my own opinion, this is so far this channel's best video. Thank you.
Yes! I'm so glad you're continuing with Frankenstein! This is such a great way to look at this book. I never knew that that other book influenced this novel so much.
Three episodes in and I already know I'm going to be watching every single one of these the moment they become available. Thank you, guys!
Great episode and discussion of the idea of love and its place in the problem solving toolbox. I think this point is one that we see many times forgotten in popular media, as the romance is used as a panacea to fix whatever problem anyone is facing rather than an affect or component that might help begin or perpetuate that process. It is an important lesson to learn, and one I have seen many times being ignored to the detriment of those who do. Thank you for writing this, I hope every episode is as good as this series has been thus far.
The Art in this video is just superb! Especially "the Werther effect" and the depiction of the two lovers
I remember reading Frankenstein in highschool. It shaped some parts of me. I never saw the love critic in the book. Never consciously understood it. I do remember that point in the book very sharply, it being the turning point. The novel really honed in me the idea that the best of intentions sometimes don't work out, because we're all flawed in some manor. This video made me remember made me reflect.
You guys explained this better than an entire year of senior English literature and composition. Thanks.
It's easy to forget how insanely high the standard of quality for this channel has ALWAYS been. I do miss this narration style, but I do NOT miss the vocal filtering. Lol
A video about Sorrows of a Young Werther!!! I love you other series already but Starting your series on Sci-Fi with an actual in depth look at Frankenstein and not skimming over its influences is a whole other level of greatness. That being said, the Monster's relationship with Paradise Lost I always felt was more profound considering the central part that being rejected by his creator has on him and the parallels with Satan's own feelings in Paradise Lost.
Props to David Hueso, the art in this episode is freaking amazing!
Oh, I despised the Sorrows of Young Werther when I had to read it at school. Werther is a whiny ass who complains about every little thing and then spends 12 hours dying from a headshot, presumably because the bullet missed his brain (Gods knows it's almost nonexistent).
Liked for that last sentence. :D
Nothing like literature class in school to drain the entertainment out of novels as the instructor analyzes the books to an extent few other people would care to.
Though to be fair, while I didn't read Young Werther in those classes, I did read Catcher in the Rye, and I felt much the same about its protagonist: He also whines and complains about everything, and he's also entitled simply because he feels he's superior to everyone else. No suicide though, but Holden Caulfield does consider it at a few points but is not proactive enough to actually do it. He'd rather just sulk and complain. (At least, that's how I felt when I was reading it.)
I am loving this new series. I wouldn't have expected Frankenstein to be the first entry but it makes sense. Thank you for the amazing lessons.
As a long time fan of your channel this series is quickly becoming my favorite amongst your work, your channel really does teach me so much that it’s baffling
But that wasn't love that the man who the monster idolized held for the woman in the story; it was lust. Love desires yes, but it also sets free what you yearn for and is willing to give not take. The woman already had a partner, already was in love, and this man from out of nowhere tries to inject himself into the partnership to take the woman from that individual who she desires. What he goes through is an act of selfishness and is the exact opposite of all that love stands for. A better example of what love is and what it demands is in Dracula where Quincey Morris, a foreigner who represented all that was good and noble in the American cowboy, who had lost the chance at engagement to Lucy, and who had nothing more compelling him to continue forth and end Dracula's hold on Mina and put and end to the monster, ends up willing giving his life to drive his Bowie knife into Dracula's heart putting and end to the fiend. His last words make this so clear the price and nature of love: "Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!"
To be fair, Werther didn’t think the man she was betrothed to was good enough for her, so maybe that was his reason. Of course I didn’t read the book, so I can’t tell you if she would be better with her fiance or Werther, but I doubt we see enough of the story to see how their marriage ends up. If it ends poorly, then Werther was right.
It's curious, because a lot of Romantic ideals are VERY selfish. The emphasis on the INDIVIDUAL, on what you in particular feel, runs counter to the dominant cultural narrative - rooted in industrialism - of utility, instrumentality, and function. In a world that said love was socially-sanctioned, controlled in marriage, and a thing of warm affection, the Romantics found it to be a tempest, a struggle, a deadly affliction. Romanticism denies that love is about anyone other than yourself, and acknowledges, in many ways, that this destroys you.
Never read Sorrows of Young Werther, but I already wanna smack him silly for his young impassioned foolishness.
The description many give of love often sounds more like sustained lust (minus the downsides and implications) than anything else. While this makes sense from a biological perspective, it's a rather dangerous perception to have, as it makes actual love hard to tell from fleeting passion until it's too late.
well romantic ideals rise in opposition to a society in which nearly all weddings where a calculated economic or social move.
This series is by far your best work to date. Congratulations!
The art of this series is absolutely incredible. Great work!
Your illustrator's work is outstanding. Their thoughtful, nuanced and provocative images presented as simplistic childlike diagrams are something to admire. Some of their latest panels are worthy of tattoo flash.
Extremely love that you guys have decided to branch out into other areas, like literature and History, topics i personally find both educational and interesting, and is the only reason i am Subscribed in all honesty. The way you tell these story's and events is also fantastic as it keeps attention wile staying focused on the topic you are on.
Reread this book again. Still one of my favorites. Love the video, EC.
Well... Okay. Its just a little shocking, hearing about this novel, the Sorrows of Werter, popularity and the parralelles with modern works of media. How many times have we heard people decrying a popular movie or more latterly, video games, saying they promote violence or immorality.
weldonwin oh dude this shit goes back even further... its practically as old as writing itself. Humans are not good at learning their lesson
To be fair, if the book did inspire suicides, the decryers have a point.
Prof. Luigi first of all thats a big if, secondly those who attributed their decision to the book would likely have been inspired to do it anyway by something else had they never read the book and finally people should, within reason, be allowed to end their lives if they have exhausted other avenues of relief. You cant just suppress free thought because some people cant handle it
Even things like Theatre in Ancient Greece and Soccer once were blamed for Decrease in Morals and the Fall of Civilization. Poeple will always find something to blame, if the WOrld isn't as they want it to be.
Prof. Luigi. They may have the wrong point though, if their society was in such a state that masses of men being inspired to embrace their feelings leads to the tragic loss of so many would that not suggest an inherent flaw in that society? Wouldnt artifacts like that book be inevitable results of that condition? If one was repressed another would surely occur, and if all occurrences were repressed wouldnt the society STILL have that flaw in its makeup?
This is your best series, you guys. I love it
I am enjoying this series so much! Thank you for making cool stuff!
Loved this episode's artist take on the symbol of love. the couple in the flames is absolutely brilliant!. I'd love to get ahold of that image. Great way to conceptualize an idea!
Love the lilo and stitch reference. 10/10 would stitch again
Your voice and the explinations you provide are like butter, simply love it
wow, terrific episode. This book really disturbed me when I read it as a teenager, and I think you guys just described exactly why. Excellent work once again!
I am loving these videos analyzing frankenstein! I read the book for an english class in high school and whenever we were allowed to pick a book to write about I would find a way to talk about Frankenstein.
The artwork in this series has been amazing and this was easily the best so far
David, the art in this episode was absolutely stellar. Excellent job!
Thanks a million , the series deserves everyday better and better art if I can provide it :D , thanks for the love.
Oh the Sorrows of Young Werther... I've read that book in both English and German, and I've got to say that Werther is the prototypical "nice guy." From a modern viewer's perspective, he's just such an annoying, whiny character. But at the time, he was absolutely revolutionary, and Goethe's prose is fantastic in the original German. Excellent commentary on the influence the novel had on Frankenstein!
^^I read it in German (btw there are quite a few of us here) when I was ~14-16 (can't remember exactly) and got so frustrated with the man, that the actual message of the book hit me in a very warped and ridiculed way... My take away was: Try not to revel in your emotion, otherwise you might end up like Werther...
And having read some of Goethes later work, I have the feeling he would agree :D
Chalk Chalkson ah but his poetry suggests the complete opposite of that conclusion! Full of emotion and soul, expressing deep and abiding longing but also tremendous passion and vivacity! I think his point was less that emotion is dangerous, and more that we are as much creatures of passion as of reason, which is one reason why he is often considered the father of Romanticism. While I admire Goethe’s prose, I’ve always felt that it is in his poetry that his skill found its best use.
I really like both the theme and the imagery in this episode. Thanks EC crew.
Loving this series. (Hope you someday take a look at some Stanislaw Lem books)
Beautiful analysis and I greatly appreciated the extra history surrounding the novel.
Got to say, lots of really nice things said about the nature of love in the end here. it's kind of sweet
This was as usual a really great video. But I've got one minor critique: You made it seem like "The Sorrows of Young Werther" was a romantic work, when in fact it originatet from the "Sturm und Drang" movement. This makes a huge difference when discussing it.
Not to mention the other religious motivations for banning it, beyond the suicide. It promoted the idea of finding God in nature, which is pretty common now, what with all the retreats to find the purity of the natural world and such, but back then, nature was still perceived as a dangerous and corrupting force, so associating it with god was kind of not super ok. That's why so many of those old gardens are putting the beauty of nature into neat orderly rows and pathways, sorting it, and parceling it away, instead of letting it grow freely.
I absolutely loved this review, by the way! As an American, I only really found the book recently, and running into it here is AWESOME!
The Sturm und Drang movement is generally considered to be a proto-Romantic movement and while Werther wasn't part of the Romantic movement itself, it was beyond a shadow of a doubt part of the foundation upon which the Romantic movement was built. I think that going into details on proto-Romantic movements and how they differ from the Romantic movement would not have added anything of note to the video.
i subscribed for history, but the extra sci fi series is poised to become my favorite thing on youtube.
dope stuff.
I freaking love this show, keep making sci fi videos
Wow. This is such an in-depth look. Thank you
Shit man, I needed this video like a year ago. How wonderfully put.
I think you did a lot of good by making this video. A lot of people will need to see it.
You can absolutely also make the argument that Paradise Lost was the most influential work on the monster. Certainly, however, you can't understand the monster without understanding what he read.
This is all so fascinating and heart-wrenchingly deep and relatable. Why on earth are these topics not taught in schools when Frankenstein is being studied? (at least, none of the stuff I'm so moved by here was ever even mentioned to me in class when I studied the book)
To think that The Sorrows Of Young Werther inspired cosplay before it was even a thing.
Thank you for your awesome content. I don't even like history that much and I thought Extra History was the best. Now you're doing sci-fi I cannot wait!
Good work with the warning. Good to see you being responsible with what you do.
I did NOT expect that to hit me center mass like that. Bravo.
Man, what a strange but very interesting idea for a video... Was looking for a review of Werther and found this...So glady to have seen this... Thanks!
I always liked to see the non-creation of a mate for the monster diffrently. More like: a problem caused by science might actually be fixed by science, but we as humans maybe don't want to enter the realm of new possibilities, because we're too afraid of what might come from it. By embracing progress we would be better of. The story would have been a lot less tragic too, if Victor chose to "raise" his creation (embracing the new possibility he created), instead of fleeing in terror. I really like your take on it too. It might make more sense with the overall picture the book paints. Great you're doing Frankenstein! One of my favorites!
Loving this series so much. Can't wait to see what comes next. Also very much looking forward to Asimov
Specifically foundation, though there is a wealth to dive into
Two things immediately come to mind with the reference to "creating a human being", and how much more complex humans are than they first seem: Fullmetal Alchemist, and the story of how the Exos came to be in Destiny.
Excellent illustrations on this one! Well done!
Thanks a lot !
Loved the artwork in this one - some lovely imagery in there :)
And... I just bought the book :D
Would have never thought of it as something so amazing if it was not for you guys, thanks!
It's a quick read, and it might not be the most amazing thing you pick up, but it had a critical impact on the world when it was written! I highly recommend it, along with learning about why it's important.
The artists kicked ass this episode
Thanks a lot , I try to get there everyday :D
I would love, love, love to see a close reading of any one of Alfred Bester's books. Personally, I'm partial to The Star's My Destination, but The Demolished Man is also amazing. Bester is never given enough credit as a literary genius.
Hahah, can't wait for next Tuesday, guys. Thanks.
Loved the image of the black hole draining the heart.
I am in love with this video's art style.
When I read Sorrows of Young Werther, I loved it. Besides, I already had the major spoiler of suicide, and put aside my preconception. And I loved every charecter. But I felt the sorrow of Werther. I got the feeling of: "Man! This guy just needed a friend, someone to save him of himself. What a sad end!". In the end, I put tears way and said to myself: "At leats, I will help my friends if I can, because problems with love can really hurt, and this pain can kill". Of course this book will not touch everybody, but I was touched by it.
Gonna be ohnest the last part actually really resonates with me. Im a teenage boy, ofcourse it does. Jokes aside, the part where you guys talk about love not being forced is something that I know in my heart, but I am having a hard time accepting. See I liked this one girl for a while and she even gave me this note saying that I was cute. But she told me about 3 weeks ago that it was a joke/compliment. Im still confused on that, she would also smile at me sometimes in a way that someone would smile at someone they like (atleast from my perspective). And those two things sky rocketed my hopes for having a relationship with her. So when I heard a rumor one week later that she had a boyfriend I was just broken. I told her about some of my personal problems to both get some heavy things off my chest and to hopefully get her to stop messing with me and tell me the truth. She didn't and sometimes she wouldn't respond to any of my texts. Clear signs that hey maybe she don't like me. Yet I still had my hopes up. Eventually I decided to play hard to get and told her that I was not going for her to which I had then learned that being cute was a complimentle joke.
So yeah in short, I just need to get over her.
Hey there,
I feel where you are coming from, I struggled with problems in the same vein as yours between the ages of 14 and 18 finally resulting in me having to go to a hospital to "beat" a major depression, so if I can type out a message and maybe help you a little, I will definitely do that :P
First up: Think about why you want(ed) this so bad? Was it because of her specifically, or do you think it had more to do with the "thing" you wanted itself?
If it is the former one, then you will get over her, I would generally recommend trying to stay away from her for a while, and depending on that situation the while you need might be long. Even if you feel worse without her in your life, in the long-term it is probably better for you.
If it is the second one, the important thing to realise (and that can be extremely hard) that you are complete on your own, that you can be happy without someone else. Try to find a thing you are really good at, no matter how stupid a hobby it might seem.
As a second thing you should avoid reveling in your emotions, think about Werther as the ultimate negative example.
And now the most important thing of all: If you don't feel (significantly) better after a month and good after ~1.5 search some professional help. There is nothing worse you can do to yourself than denying help. Trust me, I should have taken some help years before I did, and there are few things I regret as much as that.
Lol thanks you two.
Chalk Chalkson Noah Tp
^Wow, bitter much? Talk about generalizations!
If anything, what you wrote says more about you than of any teenage girl.
I'm sure you get rejected because those pesky teenage girls are immature and not because of that misogynistic way of thinking.
wow guyz (&girlz) you've really blew me away this time with the art! great episode! super exited to see this new ship sail to new horizons ♥
Realy good job guys! Boy has your art grown and improved! But it looks like Frankenstein influenced you a tiny bit your use of strong and dark imagery here is tough but welcome! Even your «naive» style conveys such drama! You guys rock, keep it up :)
Is there any particular edition of "Frankenstein" that ya'll recommend?
If any viewers have personal preferences/recommendations regarding a good annotated edition of Frankenstein, please do comment away! For anyone who is just looking to read the story, Project Gutenberg has the entire text hosted online. www.gutenberg.org/files/84/84-h/84-h.htm
Young Frankenstein.
Barnes and Noble (I'm not sure how popular this book chain is, but yeah it's the only book chain store mostly in the east coast of the US) they have a classic edition with annotation to clarify certain references. It was helpful and was still a good read. Though I havnt read this version there is a 1911 version out supposedly the version Shelly made before her husband edited the story.
I have a 1994 edition published by Gramercy Books and illustrated from wood engravings by Lynd Ward and jacket art by Melissa Ring that is one of the treasures of my home library. unfortunately it doesn't appear to be available anymore as the ISBN returns a version from the same year but with different jacket art and no mention of the Ward illustrations.
oh and the little bit I have been able to find says this is a printing of an 1818 edition of the story
Very interesting! I have not yet read frankenstein but after this serise of videos there is no way I won't!
Fun side fact: Goethe frequently sought out things to downright therapize himself, even though he didn't know what he was doing with that. For example, he knew that he had fear of heights, so he consciously went to the highest place in his area and practiced confrontation therapy there.
Many of his poems and stories are him working through personal issues, and Werther is one of them. Werther dying at the end is very much Goethe attempting to shed the part of himself that was so obsessed with the real life counterpart of Charlotte, and iirc this same relationship bled a little bit into Faust and some poems as well.
An important tidbit is that Charlotte's husband is actually a friend Werther respects, too. And the story reads very much like Charlotte loves him. She cares about Werther too, but seems to do so in a much more platonic sense and gets very upset when he keeps refusing to take a hint...
The Way Werther is pronounced im this Vid makes me chuckle a bit but I love that Extra Sci Fi was and is being made. Very Interesting Subject and i love the way its made
the art in this episode is 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
I just bought the book, it should arrive tomorrow. Thank you for intriguing me!
I know the reason most people draw the monster as a weird patchwork monster because of the movie but like in the books he was described as being actually really handsome and the only flaw was that his eyes were creepy. Victor even says that he picked out the best of the best when he was choosing materials
Excellent video as always! I am finding this series quite more enjoyable than I anticipated, and this video has been superb! I specially liked the way you depicted the character of Werther with the drawings, breaking down.
By the way, have some of you guys checked the show Penny Dreadfull? Your analysis of the original is making me realize how great of a work they did in adapting the figure of the monster.
Thanks , it took me a long time to find a way to express visually that abstract feeling but hey I guess it works !. I love penny dreadful, The first 2 seasons are pure gold .
If a monster is how they see me, then a monster I shall become
This series is totally freakin' awesome!
Ok, up until now no episode of extra credits really resonated with me on a personal level, this one just did that. I have a somewhat alike concept of love to that wich this book critices, that love is a way for self betterment and not the gole. I have been feeling that this was wrong since several months, but I wasn't abel to clearly expres what I thought that was wrong thanks to this video. Thanks for helping me find the answer ti such a simple question.
Wow... this enlightened my entire way of thinking
Love presented as the greatest, most powerful driving force humans can have; but also as a goal in it of itself and not as a mean to achieve something else. Sometimes love is just outside of reach, obtainable only through great sacrifices and unflenching efforts...those that come with the passion and power that that very love we seek will give us once we reach it. Pure irony, one of humanity´s tragedies.
Just finished John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades, and I can't help but see the parallels between the two books.
Interested since the main character, Jared, also reads Frankenstein within the book itself.
I love these, I love everything to do with this story.
Wow, this episode was beautiful. Damn, god work guys