Anticipating a Tough Read.

Since I’m about to read Frankenstein, I thought I’d familiarise myself with Mary Shelley, especially since her maiden name was the same as my surname at birth (though I doubt there’s a family connection.) Two potted biographies later and I’m disturbed. What a depressing life she had – it seems to be all drownings, suicides and other random forms of premature death. I do hope it won’t show through the novel. Dark I can take; depressing is another matter. And if the monster doesn’t really say ‘Smoke! Good!’ I’m going to be disappointed.