Description
Similar to the plot of many Scooby-Doo books, Scooby-Doo! and the Frankenstein Monster tells the story of Scooby and the gang who are trying to find the Frankenstein creature because he stole a valuable piece of jewelry. Frankenstein’s creature chases the others around and is trying to scare them away, but it is ultimately discovered that it is a familiar face in a costume.
This children's book, published in 2000, is the first time the next generation of students will be exposed to Dr. Frankenstein's creation. Scooby-Doo! and the Frankenstein Monster gives a false sense of the creature because Scooby-Doo portrays Frankenstein’s creature as a voiceless, brute of a character which contrasts Mary Shelley’s fully articulate, emotional creature. The creature in Scooby-Doo is purposefully trying to scare the other people there to get his way, but Shelley’s creature tries to stay out of sight because he knows how people would react. One thing that the Scooby-Doo book does get right is that it is Frankenstein’s creature, and that the creature is not Frankenstein.
This book, which also premiered as a TV episode, allows Shelley’s character to live on, even if it is not true to her original work. By appealing to children and serving as a platform for the creature, Scooby-Doo allows Shelley’s work to continue to impact readers everywhere.