Be forewarned, dearest visitor: spoilers abound in the spooky shallows below.

Did Victor Frankenstein marry his sister?

Kind of? Frankenstein’s wife, Elizabeth (née Lavenza), was adopted by his parents as a child. Frankenstein and Elizabeth grew up alongside one another, but weren’t related by blood. Up to you to decide if that counts as a brother-sister relationship. For what it’s worth, they call each other “cousins” in Mary Shelley’s novel, and they don’t stay married for all that long anyway.

How many siblings does Victor Frankenstein have?

Officially, two. His brothers William and Ernest Frankenstein. But then there’s always Elizabeth.

Does Victor Frankenstein’s creation have a name?

Nope. Frankenstein’s scientific creation—often portrayed in pop culture as a green-skinned monster mistakenly called Frankenstein—remains nameless in Mary Shelley’s novel. Perhaps that’s part of his problem with Victor. Don’t all children want their daddies to call them names?

Does Frankenstein have a bride?

Ahem, did you even read question one? Victor Frankenstein’s bride is his maybe-sister, Elizabeth Lavenza. Or maybe you’re asking this question because there’s a 1935 film called Bride of Frankenstein that’s a sequel to the 1931 Frankenstein movie? That sequel confusingly suggests the creature is named Frankenstein and gets married. Neither is true in Mary Shelley’s novel.

Though Frankenstein’s monster wants a bride, right?

Ok, fine. Yes, Frankenstein’s creature famously requests a female companion in Shelley’s novel. Frankenstein acquiesces to the demand during a rendezvous with the creature in the Swiss Alps, says he will speedily fulfill his promise, then dilly-dallies for months by taking a pan-European trip from Switzerland all the way to the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with lengthy stays in various places, including London and Oxford. His journey out of mainland Europe reads a lot like a Viking river cruise mixed with a stag party for young men backed by trust-fund accounts and leisure, who include his childhood best friend, Henry Clerval.

Is Victor Frankenstein gay?

This is a topic of much debate. In Mary Shelley’s novel, Henry Clerval is a good friend of Frankenstein (not his lover), and Frankenstein eventually marries Elizabeth in a manner that does not indicate she is his beard.

Is Victor Frankenstein a doctor?

Not a chance. In Mary Shelley’s novel, Victor Frankenstein is a college dropout. He abandons his university education in pursuit of his obsessive quest to create life and alter human history no matter the consequences.

How long did it take Victor Frankenstein to create the monster?

Frankenstein spent two full years locked away in an attic in Ingolstadt, Germany, creating the monster. That was about the same time between Shelley conceiving the idea and publishing the book in January 1818. A spooky similarity?

When Frankenstein’s monster comes to life, what color is his skin?

In the book, Mary Shelley describes the monster’s skin as pale, yellow, and translucent, with veins and muscles showing through.

Then why does Frankenstein’s monster have green skin?

Frankenstein’s monster is depicted with green skin in pop culture thanks to the original Frankenstein movie. That film was shot in 1931 in black and white, so makeup artists had to use gray makeup with a green tint in order for moviegoers to see skin appearing as Shelley described. When colorized images of this makeup emerged, the greenish hue stuck and became the monster’s signature look. Ding dong, darling!

How many people does Frankenstein’s monster kill?

Like all annoying answers that are probably correct, it depends. Frankenstein’s monster directly kills William, Henry, and Elizabeth in Shelley’s novel. But . . . Justine Moritz, the Frankensteins’ housekeeper, was hanged after being framed for William’s murder . . . Frankenstein’s dad, Alphonse, dies of grief after learning of Elizabeth’s murder on the first night of her honeymoon . . . and Frankenstein himself dies at the end of it all. The demise of an entire family at the hands of one. But which one?

Is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein even relevant? It was written over 200 years ago!

Probably more relevant now than ever. Its core themes—including surveillance, privacy, unchecked ambition, poverty, classism, and the creation of life itself—still haunt us. That’s why Frankenstein continues to speak through countless film adaptations and stage shows . . . and now, through a dancefloor single.

Is there any connection between Chris Chianesi’s song Freaky Frankenstein and Guillermo del Toro’s movie Frankenstein?

Although both were released on the same date, there is no connection; it was just luck. Still, the film might have been even better if Freaky Frankenstein had made an appearance!