SARA KARLOFF PRESENTS: FRANKENSTEIN, THE LEGACY

By: Francesca Sorenson
Date: Tuesday, October 09, 2001

Author Christopher Schildt's FRANKENSTEIN, THE LEGACY is a delightful little book that recreates/updates the Frankenstein story in an American context. It might be easy for the serious reader to be a little put off by the idea of a mass market paperback that tries to sell itself as a follow up to a respected classic. However, this impulse should be overcome, because Schildt creates a truly captivating story.

Ex-naval officer and current Princeton University biology professor Dr. Daniel Levy is called in for a special tour of duty. On a secret mission to check out anomalies on an arctic satellite report, Levy comes into possession of the two hundred year old notes of a certain Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein. Intrigued by the notes, Levy wants to replicate the Frankenstein experiments in order to verify their results. He takes a leave of absence from Princeton, and retires to the seclusion of his home in countryside, where he begins an isolated decent into obsession.

During his experiments, Levy begins to dream of Victor, who gives him dire warnings of the future. Before he can realize what's happening, Levy begins to repeat his predecessor's mistakes. The monster is created, but the Doctor believes that it's an abomination. When he tries to exterminate it, it becomes enraged, setting fire to the lab and escaping.

Levy would like to find the creature, but when the hunter becomes the hunted, the doctor flees across New England and Europe. It'd be a shame to give away too much of this haunting and fast-paced story, but it's important to note that the exciting ending is entirely unpredictable.

The writing is breezy and fast paced, making the book a short, but exciting read. Those who enjoy this novel, and are looking for a recommendation of something similar, should check out another slim volume, THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD, by H.P. Lovecraft. In point of fact, Schildt uses many settings and devices that call Lovecraft's writing to mind: dangerous medical experiments, creepy New England houses, dream-states, fortune telling, etc. But Schildt makes these elements available without needing to emulate Lovecraft's thick, complex (and sometimes confusing) prose.

The volume is intended more as a follow up to the first three FRANKENSTEIN films made by Universal Studios than to the original novel. To that end the book is being "presented" (whatever that means) by Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff, who's famous for playing the monster. Of course, the idea of giving someone a "presented by" credit on a novel is nothing more than a silly device to sell books. But Ms. Karloff does contribute a fascinating (if far too short) introduction about her father's love of the FRANKENSTEIN role.

All told, the novel is very enjoyable, and well worth a read. It can be unhesitatingly recommended to both fans of the films and as well as those who have never seen them.

FRANKENSTEIN, THE LEGACY

Grade: A

Author(s): Christopher Schildt

Publisher: Pocket Books

Price: $6.99