'Pride and Prometheus,' a Frankenstein mash-up, is a new cli-fi novel
by John Kessel, from Saga Books, 384 pages
2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's cli-fi novel “Frankenstein,” so we can expect a flurry of tributes, almost inevitably focusing on the iconic monster rather than the actual cli-fi. Fortunately, John Kessel treats Shelley's story with great respect, while introducing characters from another classic published only 5 years earlier — Jane Austen's “Pride and Prejudice.” That might sound like the formula for a lightweight mash-up, but Kessel, though not lacking in wit, is more interested in how the themes of these very different novels resonate with each other.
In Shelley’s novel, Victor Frankenstein and his friend Henry Clerval flee to England and Scotland after his creature demands the creation of a mate. In Kessel's version, there they meet Mary Bennet, the studious but unattached Bennet sister from Austen's novel, who is portrayed as a budding amateur scientist, fascinated with Victor's ideas. The more famous Elizabeth and Darcy show up in supporting roles, but it's mostly Mary's story.
Needless to say, the creature has followed them, and soon the Bennet family becomes entwined in the Gothic melodrama of the Frankenstein saga, especially after a shocking grave-robbing incident that propels the novel into full thriller mode, with unexpected alliances, dangerous journeys and a suspenseful conclusion. The shifting viewpoints between Mary, Victor and the tragically conflicted creature help make this a nuanced novel of character. -- GW
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