This is a sequel to Mary Shelley's seminal novel, predicated on the assumption that Frankenstein's monster returns from the Arctic wilderness to which he consigns himself after his creator's death, and returns with Captain Walton to Scotland to have his wounds treated. So far so good, and this starts well and feels like a worthy continuation in the style of the original. However, soon after they get to Scotland, the quality declined, and I found the narrative rather silly, involving Burke and Hare and a Deacon Brodie (son of the infamous one). There were some well written reflections on the part of the "monster" on the nature of his existence and his desire to expiate the guilt he feels for the crimes he committed in the original novel. But overall this for me failed to live up to its initial expectations. ( )