YMMV / The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Elizabeth’s relationship with Ernest and William: Early on, she says that she hates them and considers them annoying. But later in the book, she’s clearly fond of them, especially William. Is it Becoming the Mask? Or another part of her act? Tellingly, she shows no concern for Ernest at any point after he’s sent to Paris.
• Broken Base: Fans of the original novel are divided on whether or not this is a good retelling, with one half enjoying Elizabeth’s expanded role and realism and the other half finding it bleak and hating the characters portrayals, especially Victor.
• Complete Monster: Victor Frankenstein is in truth an obsessed sociopath who believes Elizabeth Lavenza belongs to him. Even as a child, he was willing to kill, accidentally killing his baby brother Robert and later killing the governess Greta. Having created the monster Adam as an adult, Victor is revealed to have been murdering men and women for "spare parts", having mutilated and left his old friend Henry Clerval to die in order to take his eyes for Adam. Victor throttles his own child brother William to death to frame the governess Justine in irritation for her friendship with Elizabeth and to take Justine's body for his experiments. Victor attempts to experiment on Elizabeth to make her his perfect woman, willing to slaughter all in his way to make this happen.
• Esoteric Happy Ending: Elizabeth has finally killed Victor and created a Family of Choice with Mary and Adam. Sounds great...except that Ernest is still in school in Paris with no idea of what’s happened, especially that his his father and older brother are dead and his home is destroyed, Elizabeth is still legally Victor’s wife and has no proof of his death, the gang has no real plan for the future, Henry’s father still has no idea that his only child is dead, her station as a woman hasn’t changed much and living a normal life would be difficult with Adam.
• Ending Fatigue: The portion of the book between Elizabeth’s escape from the asylum and her final confrontation with Victor drags out the cast traveling north and ignoring Ernest’s fate.
• Fan Nickname: Due to Adam being created with animal parts as well as humans, he’s called "Victor’s Fursona" by readers.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Caroline Frankenstein is the only person who Elizabeth isn’t shown interacting with in the flashbacks aside from when she first met the family. She seems to be genuinely affectionate towards Elizabeth in contrast to her cold husband, but we never see them talk or spend time together.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: During Justine’s trial, Elizabeth prepares to testify for her, echoing the scene of her defense from the 1818 version of the original book…only for Justine to confess before she can do so, robbing the story of a potentially powerful scene.
• Wangst: Justine’s constant self hatred can be grating, especially since it’s much if her dialogue.
• The Woobie:
  • Justine: She was brutally physically and verbally abused by her mother, and blames herself for it because her sisters aren’t beaten. While her life improves after befriending Elizabeth and becoming William’s governess, Justine suffers from low self esteem and guilt, especially after her sisters die of illness. and then Victor kills William and frames her for it, causing her death. And later steals her body for his experiments. Poor girl needs a hug.
  • Henry: A sweet and creative young man who adored Elizabeth and Victor, to the point where he fell for the former. And for that, he’s killed, loses his eyes, his disappearance hidden from his father and he’s part of Adam and has faint memories of Elizabeth. And all because his father became wealthy enough to associate with the Frankensteins.
  • The other women in the Bedlam House that Victor throws Elizabeth in. Especially the woman who has been locked up for ten years because she tried to flee her abusive husband. Unlike Elizabeth, they have no hope of getting out.