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“In an alternative fantasy world where some men are made from clockwork parts and carriages are steam powered, Alasdair Finch, a young mechanic, does the unthinkable after his brother dies: he uses clockwork pieces to bring his brother Oliver back from the dead.
“But the resurrection does not go as planned, and Oliver returns more monster than man. Even worse, the novel Frankenstein is published and the townsfolk are determined to find the real-life doctor and his monster. With few places to turn for help, the dangers may ultimately bring the brothers together — or ruin them forever.”
I saw this in a bookshop and thought it looked like my kind of read, so was thrilled when it came in to the library!
The original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of my favourite books, so I was a bit trepidatious about reading a reworking or reimagining of such a classic novel. I needn’t have worried though. Lee breathes new life (pun not intended) into the already extensive Frankenstein canon with a fresh imagining of the classic tale with a steampunk and clockwork twist.
She remains faithful to the ideas of the original, exploring what it is to be human, what makes us human and who the story’s real monster is. Her characters are believable and all too human.
A quick read, I breezed through This Monstrous Thing in a couple of days and thoroughly enjoyed it all.