Frankenstein: Create an Unforgettable Spooky Book Club Event

Are you looking for a unique way to gather around for your book club event inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein? You’ve come to the right place. 

From selecting the perfect location to choosing stimulating discussion topics, we'll show you how to organize the best book club event. So, join us and learn how to create a Frankenstein-themed book club experience that your group will remember!

Frankenstein: Book Summary

Frankenstein is a gothic horror novel written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, which tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. 

Victor is horrified by the creature he has created and rejects it, leading to a series of tragic events. The beast, abandoned and left by his creator, becomes vengeful and sets out to take revenge on Victor and his family. 

Victor's family is devastated by the deaths of his brother and his beloved wife, Elizabeth, and Victor is left alone to deal with the consequences of his actions. 

He eventually meets the creature and hears his story, leading to a tense and emotional confrontation. Ultimately, Victor can find peace and redemption in the end.

Is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley a Scary Book? 

Ultimately, Frankenstein is a classic horror novel that will leave readers feeling scared and unsettled. It is often described as a horror novel because it is filled with suspense, terror, and dread. 

Shelley uses vivid imagery and descriptions to create a dark and eerie atmosphere. The novel also explores themes of death and destruction, further adding to its horror. 

In our opinion, it is worth exploring this classic novel’s prose and way of adding elements to move and evoke an emotional reaction from the reader. For this reason, Frankenstein is the perfect book for a book club analysis and breakdown.

Top 3 Lessons We Can Learn From Frankenstein

Frankenstein is a timeless classic that offers readers many essential lessons about personal responsibility, empathy, understanding, and balance. Read on to find more details below:

1. The importance of personal responsibility

Victor Frankenstein is responsible for creating the creature, and although he initially tries to deny it, he ultimately accepts his role in its creation. This serves as a reminder to readers that we must take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.  

2. The importance of empathy and understanding

The creature expresses his suffering and loneliness to Victor and pleads for understanding; however, Victor fails to see the creature's point of view and instead chooses to reject him. This is a lesson that we must strive to understand others, even if they may be different from us.  

3. The importance of having a balance

Victor's ambition and desire to go beyond the boundaries of science and nature eventually lead to his downfall. This warns readers that purpose should be tempered with caution, as it can lead to disaster if left unchecked.  

How to Create a Frankenstein-Themed Book Club to Remember

Organizing a book club event for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley can be lots of fun due to the particular gothic vibe of the book. Here are some great ideas to create a spooky atmosphere for your book club while having meaningful and insightful discussions.

Decorations

Start by ensuring that the space is dimly lit with candles, paper lanterns, or even string lights for added effect. Decorate the walls with dark-colored fabric and some creepy artwork depicting Frankenstein’s monster. You could also hang black curtains from the ceiling or place plants around to give it an eerie feel.

Remember to put music in the background with classic horror movie scores or dark jazz tunes to create the perfect mood for your event. Add more details with other props, such as life-sized cardboard cutouts of characters from the novel or stuffed dolls representing Frankenstein's monster. Make sure that everyone has a copy of Frankenstein on hand too!

Follow these decoration tips to host a truly memorable book club event and make it a spooky yet fun experience for everyone!

Foods and Drinks

Provide an exciting snack spread in a coffin-shaped tray. Fill it with food inspired by the novel, such as gummy worms, spider-shaped cookies, cake pops shaped like monsters, etc. Be sure to have lots of colorful beverages, such as “Frankenstein Frappuccino”!

Other creative ideas could include themes based around Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory, such as “Lightning Bolts” of crackers, nuts, candy, beakers filled with party dip, and green-colored beverages to represent chemicals. Alternatively, you can stick to traditional tea, coffee, and sandwiches while discussing Mary Shelley’s incredible story.

Activities

Questions

1. Why does Victor delay fulfilling his promise to the creature?

2. What are some parallels between Frankenstein and the monster?

3. Why does Victor decide to destroy the new creature?

4. What is the significance of the confrontation between Victor and the creature in Chapter III?

5. What does Victor’s oath in Chapter IV suggest about his feelings about science and religion?

6. How does the legal case against Justine differ from the case against Victor?

7. Why does Victor insist to his father that he is a murderer?

8. Why does Victor not tell Elizabeth about the creature, especially before or at least on their wedding night?

9. How does Mary Shelley represent social and technical (im)possibilities in the novel?

10. What can we learn from Victor’s experience with ambition, revenge, and science?

Highlighted Notes

1. Share a beautifully written phrase.
2. Share a phrase of advice or life lesson that resonated with you
3. Share a phrase that portrayed symbolism and your interpretation
4. Share a phrase that made you laugh 
5. Share a phrase that moved you
6. Share a phrase that provoked a different feeling