Terry Gross

You first saw the movie, the 1931 movie, which is totally different from the book and your new movie.

But that movie really had a hold on you.

Tell us why it had such meaning for you.

Can you compare how you saw the story as a seven-year-old to how you see it now?

What's the pain you're referring to in talking about your relationship with your father?

You mentioned the kidnapping.

He was kidnapped and held for a million-dollar ransom, and you managed to get the money to pay the kidnappers and rescue your father.

My understanding is that's why you moved to the U.S., because of death threats.

There's three parts of the movie.

There's the introduction.

Yes.

Then there's the story told pretty much from Dr. Frankenstein's point of view.

And then the final part is told from the creature's point of view.

I really wanted to read Mary Shelley's novel, which I've never read, before speaking to you again.

And I wasn't able to find the time to do it.

I did, however, read your introduction to, like, I think it's a 2021 annotated version of your novel.

But anyways, in Mary Shelley's original telling of the story, is there a chapter that's from the creature's point of view or is that just something you wanted to do?

I'm glad you said fairy tale.

Because that seems to me like the part from Dr. Frankenstein's point of view, you know, has elements of like horror film and monster film.

But the second part, it's set in the woods.