A Son of the Rock

Star, 1985, 188 p. Based on the screenplay by Lloyd Fonvielle.

Film tie-in novelisations are not my usual reading matter but this was written by Vonda N McIntyre, whose back catalogue I have been trying to catch up with.

The premise is that Charles Frankenstein has promised to create a companion for his creature – a female companion. The book begins on the night when Frankenstein and his assistant await the arrival of the electrical storm which will animate her. She is of course beautiful, her only flaw a slight discolouration at the wrists. She is brought to life ignorant of the world and its ways. When introduced to Frankenstein’s earlier creation she instinctively shies from it though. (I shrink from that ‘it’. The “monster” is never less than a creature worthy of sympathy – even empathy.) The creature is angered but not totally surprised by this. He is used to being reviled.

It is here that McIntyre made an authorial decision which elevates the narrative above where it might have lain. Most of the text is related in third person (this is of course how a viewer experiences cinema) but the creature’s thoughts are given to us in his first-person viewpoint. That night, the creature’s rage results in a fire in Frankenstein’s castle and the creature resolves to flee. Later in the book, once he has taken up with a dwarf called Rinaldo, with whom he forms an effective pair, Rinaldo decides to call him Viktor. (I also wondered why, here, Frankenstein the creator had been given the name Charles rather than Victor.)

Charles calls his new ward Eva, after the biblical first woman, and sets out to educate her, not only in the normal sense but in the ways of society. She at first scandalises the housekeeper Mrs Baumann by her feral habits, especially where food is concerned, but soon more considerate behaviour becomes her hallmark. She notices the different attitude Charles has to her and his social equals as compared to the servants and takes one of them, Hannah, from the kitchen to be her personal maid. She is also confused by the manners and customs of Charles’s acquaintances.

In the meantime after various ignominies suffered on the road, Viktor and Rinaldo become a great success as a circus act (Rinaldo is particularly adept on the trapeze.)  This leads to jealousy on the part of the circus owner and his chief employee and a tragedy, whereupon Viktor is left to his own resources again.

Gradually Eva becomes aware that the tale Charles told her of her origin is false and she seeks to find her true self elsewhere. He has of course come to consider she is his alone and is unwilling to let her go.

This all written in a much better way than the rather corny premise itself merits. Not great literature but enjoyable enough.

Pedant’s corner:-  delibertely (deliberately,) “lingered on her body longer than they need” (longer than they needed,) an unindented new paragraph (x 2,) “on the try” (on the tray,) “snatched t a third piece” (snatched at,) “who’ll heave to clean it up” (who’ll have to,) “in the underbush” (underbrush?) “and let myself dissolved back” (dissolve back,) “put one handon” (hand on,) a missing full stop between two sentences (x 2,) creature (creature,) Thucidides (Thucydides,) “‘Is that you idea of’” (your idea,) Rinald (elsewhere always Rinaldo,) a missing opening quote mark before a piece of direct speech (x 2,) “Rinaldo siad” (said,) a capital letter on a word in the middle of a sentence, “‘hat you’ve got the feel of it’” (that you’ve got,) “‘If you trust mer’” (trust me,) ounging (lounging,) “and showed Magar and straps” (showed Magar the straps,) glard (glared,) “make them laughed at me” (laugh at me,) “‘get out of her’” (of here,) emtpy (empty,) peddler (pedlar.) Wht (What,) cuatiously (cautiously,) “the serving women” (woman,) “but be more more could have climbed down thatn he could fly” (but he no more could have climbed down than he could fly.) Evan (elsewhere always Eva,) “it was no unpleasant” (not unpleasant.) “‘You must take note to town for me’” (take a note,) rached (reached.) “She slide her hands up his back” (slid her hands.) “‘Make you own way’” (your own,) “pocked the key” (pocketed,) “the last dangling plan from its hinges” (plank.) Frankenstin (Frankenstein.)