Gods and Monsters - by Christopher Bram (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published under the title: Father of Frankenstein.

From the Back Cover

Previously titled Father of Frankenstein, this acclaimed novel was the basis for the 1998 film starring Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, and Brendan Fraser. It journeys back to 1957 Los Angeles, where James Whale, the once-famous director of such classics as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, is living in retirement, haunted by his past. Rescuing him from his too-vivid imagination is his gardener, a handsome ex-marine. The friendship between these two very different men is sometimes tentative, sometimes touching, often dangerous--and always captivating.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Review Quotes

"A subtle, psychologically shrewd portrait of an artist's last days, highlighted by masterful touches of the most entertaining wit and suspense." - Los Angeles Times
"Beautifully written, tightly focused...charged with tenderness and eroticism.... Bram writes with great clarity, wit, and verve, whizzing past Hollywood clichés to arrive at deeper, darker truths." - The Advocate
"A fine novel...pointed, wry, observant, and wise. I virtually inhaled it in a single reading." - Peter Straub
"Witty, moving, entertaining, and enlightening... one of the most remarkable and satisfying novels to come along in quite some time." - Island Lifestyle
"As compassionate as it is phantasmic... Bram constructs a compelling fictional narrative." - Independent Weekly
"A glorious read from an intelligent and talented writer, and worthy of a space in your library." - Frontiers
"A touching fictional portrait of old Hollywood and of one of the curious geniuses who made it what it was." - Alan Cheuse in NPR's All Things Considered
"An engaging read...Bram's prose has an evanescent quality that evokes his protagonist's fading consciousness." - Bay Area Reporter
"Bram is, quite simply, the best American gay novelist going." - LA Gay