Mary Shelley

Famous for her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley was also infamous in her own time for breaking social and literary conventions, and taking a political and philosophical stance advocating for the rights of women. Charlotte Gordon explores the context and key themes in the life and work of this courageous, complicated, and accomplished woman.

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring

In 1816, when eighteen-year old Mary Godwin began writing Frankenstein, the idea that a woman could dream up such a tale was as far-fetched as raising a being from the dead. But Mary wasn't just any woman. The daughter of two notorious radicals, Mary had become an outcast from English society when she was only sixteen. A lifelong advocate for the rights of women, she refused to be governed by social conventions, running away with a married man, having children out of wedlock, and authoring books, stories, and essays that broke literary conventions.

This Very Short Introduction explores the context, background, and important themes contained in Shelley's most famous novel, Frankenstein, as well as demonstrating the importance of her work after Frankenstein. Over the course of her long career, Shelley developed a distinctive voice, and a political and philosophical stance. Exploring key themes throughout Shelley's work, Charlotte Gordon shows how she devoted herself to the propositions her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, outlined in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: that women are equal to men; that all people deserve the same rights; that human reason and the capacity for love can reform the world; and that every person is entitled to justice and freedom.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Inhaltsverzeichnis:

1: Legacies
2: Gothic rebellion
3: Frankenstein
4: Early female narrators in A History of a Six Weeks Tour Through a Part of France, Switzerland, and Holland and Mathilda (1817-1821)
5: Valperga, The Last Man, and Perkin Warbeck
6: The final work, 1835-1844
Further Reading
Index

Rezension:

Whether it is the casual reader looking for background information on their favorite mystery, or the dedicated scholar tracking down elusive new angles in the life and literature of Agatha Christie, this comprehensive compendium about her work will provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date information yet available. Chris Patsilelis, Midwest Book Review