Bellerive (which connotes "beautiful shore") is a suburb of Geneva, situated north
of the city on the western shore of the lake as it narrows towards its end and thus
affording a picturesque view of Geneva and the mountains beyond it. That the Frankenstein
family possesses a country house testifies to their comparative wealth and social
standing in the community, an issue that will be of some moment to the trial recounted
in I:7:1. After its painful conclusion the family will seek tranquillity in a return
to the comfortable setting of this country house (II:1:5).