Frankenstein book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Letter 1 to Chapter 8

1. When ambition and caution pull in different directions, how should Walton decide which deserves more weight?
2. Why might a promising crew fail to ease Walton's loneliness?
3. How might affection for the rescued stranger shape Walton's response to his warning?
4. At what point does Victor's pursuit of life become unfair to himself or his family?
5. What does Victor's terror at the new life suggest about the limits of his ambition?

Meeting 2: Chapters 9 to 18

6. What does the mountains' brief comfort suggest about the limits of escape from guilt?
7. How should threats affect Victor's willingness to hear a plea for compassion?
8. How convincing is the creature's hope that speech can overcome fear of his appearance?
9. Why might learning make loneliness worse rather than relieve it?
10. How does the violent end of the creature's appeal change your expectations for his search for kindness?

Meeting 3: Chapters 19 to 24

11. What might Victor's withdrawal to an island suggest about how he handles feared obligations?
12. How should we judge Victor's decision to destroy the unfinished companion after promising to make one?
13. What does Victor's continued torment after acquittal suggest about the difference between legal innocence and peace of mind?
14. How do concealed guilt and weapons shape your reading of Victor's decision to marry?
15. How much does the failure of official help make Victor's turn toward revenge understandable?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.