Frankenstein

As an artist, I can sort of relate to Frankenstein. I, too, have dedicated nights and days to working on a project I was excited about it, only to be horrified and disgusted with the outcome. Only so far, my abandoned creations haven't come back to kill my family (yet).
It's no surprise to see that this book is also very different, and much better, than the movies. Each time I read it I find a new reason why it's one of my favorite classical novels. The first time was simply because the book that started an entire genre was written by a teenage girl. The most recent time has given me the clarity to respect the character building.
There is no stronger character in history than Frankenstein's monster. How many do you know of that develop from a stumbling, groaning mass to a book educated person on a well-justified mission for vengeance and/or acceptance? She shows just how, even though he's abandoned and was not made in the traditional manner, the monster is still a person, and people are full of possibilities. Give the monster some words overheard from a distance, and he'll give himself an education that rivals his creator's.
As for what makes it a gothic novel: the things I associate with gothic literature are setting, how dramatic and angsty the characters are, and mystery. Frankenstein definitely has all of these, although it still sits in a different corner of my mind than, say, Wuthering Heights. It's definitely dark, what with all of the murders and digging up of body parts and suicidal thoughts, but there's still something about the story that sets it apart from other Gothic novels I've read. Maybe it's the lack of a romantic plot? Sure Frankenstein has Elizabeth, and the monster desires a mate, but the drama lies in the relationship between creator and creation. That's what drives the story. It's almost like, an anti-coming of age novel.