Mary Shelley was an English novelist best known as the author of the novel Frankenstein, one of the first horror stories. Her other works include The Last Man, Valperga, and Lodore.
Early Life of Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin came from an intellectual family whose parents were both prominent and famous. She was born in London on August 30, 1797, at the heart of the romantic movement. Her father, William Godwin was a political writer and novelist who had rational but revolutionary attitudes to most social institutions. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, was a famous writer and philosopher, notable as one of the early feminists. Her mother died 11 days after Mary’s birth.
Mary Shelley was educated at home, where she met her father’s literary friends, including the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who admired her father for his philosophical beliefs. Mary eloped to France with Percy when she was only 16. Their first child, a daughter died in Venice, Italy, few years later. They returned to England, where their son William was born. They only married in 1816 after Percy’s first wife committed suicide. Sadly, after their return to Italy, William died in 1819.
Mary Shelley’s Novel Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s first novel, Frankenstein, was published when she was 21. In the style of a sinister gothic novel which was popular at that time, the story deals with the ambitious young scientist who wanted to be the creator of life, the horrors that follow his experiment, and his destruction by the monster he creates.
Frankenstein was immediately successful. It has also retained its popularity, becoming the subject of many movies and plays. After Percy’s death in 1822, Mary Shelley returned to England. Her second novel, Valperga, was published when she was 26.
Last Years of Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley also wrote accounts of her travels, verses, and four more novels, including one set in the future about the destruction of the human race, The Last Man. Her Lodore was Rousseau-inspired. None among her other novels achieved the success of her most famous Frankenstein. She died on February 1, 1851, at the age of 53. The Shelleys friends include Lord Byron, John Keats, and William Hazlitt.
Works by Mary Godwin Shelley
- History of a Six Weeks’ Tour, 1817
- Frankenstein, 1818
- Valperga, 1823
- The Last Man, 1826
- The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck, 1830
- Lodore, 1835
- Falkner, 1837
- Rambles in Germany and Italy, 1844
- The Journey of Mary Shelley (2 Volumes), 1987, Published after she died.
Sources:
McGovern, Una, Ed. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers, 2002.
Ousby, Ian. The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Uglow, Jennifer, Compiler & Editor, revised by Maggy Hendry. The Macmillan Dictionary of Women's Biography, 3rd Edition. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1999.
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