沙莫尼的勃朗峰，法国 Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France (© Simon Schöpf/Getty Images)

沙莫尼的勃朗峰，法国 Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France (© Simon Schöpf/Getty Images)

恐怖的高度 The heights of horror

弗兰肯斯坦星期五

想象自己站在阿尔卑斯山的最高峰，那里空气清新，景色令人叹为观止。勃朗峰巍峨的存在，在文学史上留下了不可磨灭的印记，其中最著名的当属玛丽·雪莱的《弗兰肯斯坦》。每年十月的最后一个星期五是“弗兰肯斯坦星期五”，以纪念玛丽·雪莱的文学天赋和在她想象中诞生的迷人生物。《弗兰肯斯坦》是在一次鬼故事挑战赛中构思出来的。1816年，18岁的玛丽·雪莱与珀西·比希·雪莱、约翰·波利多里和拜伦勋爵一起，在瑞士度过了一个风雨交加的夏天。在那里，她写了《维克多·弗兰肯斯坦与怪物》的故事。小说中的一个关键场景发生在勃朗峰附近的冰川上，维克多在那里与他创造的怪物面对面。险峻的地形让这一场景具有超现实的美感，同时完美捕捉到敬畏和恐怖的双重感觉。

《弗兰肯斯坦》又名《弗兰肯斯坦——现代普罗米修斯的故事》，于1818年首次匿名出版。玛丽·雪莱运用书信体小说的形式将哥特式和早期科幻小说融为一体，使《弗兰肯斯坦》成为永恒的经典。

Frankenstein Friday

Picture yourself at the highest peak in the Alps, where the air is crisp and the views are breathtaking. The towering presence of Mont Blanc has left an indelible mark on literature, most notably on Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein.' The last Friday of October is Frankenstein Friday, honoring Shelley's literary genius and the fascinating creature born from her imagination. 'Frankenstein' was conceived during a ghost story challenge. In 1816, an 18-year-old Shelley, along with fellow writers Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Polidori, and Lord Byron, spent a stormy summer in Switzerland. Forced inside by incessant rain, she penned the tale of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. A pivotal scene in the novel takes place on a glacier near Mont Blanc, where Victor is confronted by his monstrous creation. This setting, with its surreal beauty and treacherous terrain, perfectly captures a sense of awe and terror.

'Frankenstein,' also known as 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,' was first published anonymously in 1818. Shelley's use of the epistolary form—a novel told through letters—and her blend of Gothic and early science fiction made 'Frankenstein' a timeless classic.