Dates

"Your affectionate and afflicted father, Alphonse Frankenstein Geneva, May 12th 17-." (pg. 47) Nowhere throughout the entire novel is the year ever specified. This little detail actually bugs me a lot because all I have to go off of in terms of dates is the month (like May, etc.) and the amount of time told by the speaker. For example, Victor describes his illness and the months and seasons that pass while he stays abed (pg. 39). Other than these descriptions, we have no real account for the time. I wish Shelley would have added the years in because it would have made the organization and keeping track of time easier, especially in regards to how long the monster was on his own. Also, I would like to know how much time collapsed between the letters at the beginning of the novel to when they found Victor in the arctic. An account of time would have been much easier to follow and would have bugged me less!