NOTES

Belrive

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).