Book Description
Renewed interest in the life and works of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley has in recent years generated new biographical studies, complete editions of her letters and short stories, and fresh critical assessments of Frankenstein and her other fiction.Until now, however, there has been no anthology of Shelley's work. The Mary Shelley Reader is a unique new collection that fills this gap.In addition to the original and complete 1818 version of her masterpiece Frankenstein, the book offers a new text of the novella Mathilda--an extraordinary tale of incest, guilt, and atonement that was not published until 1959 and has been out of print since then. Also included are seven short stories that range from gentle satire to fantastic tales of reanimation, diabolical transformation, and immortality.Eight essays and reviews are reprinted here for the first time since their original publication, and eleven representative letters help bring to life a remarkable literary and historical figure--author, daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, and wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley.An illuminating introduction, a chronology, explanatory notes, and a bibliography make The Mary Shelley Reader indispensable for readers of English Romantic literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Indeed I am a Mary Shelley Reader
Wonderfully put together book! Without going into the usual review of a book I'll give you a perspective of mine on the best ways to enjoy it.

If you're one who enjoys sitting outdoors when a light sprinkle of spring rain falls with your favorite wine beside you, this book (she) is perfect.

If you enjoy taking hot baths when no one else is home and relaxing with a good book, this book will make you hit the hot water tap plenty to warm the water again and again.

If you're stuck between classes with nothing else to do until the next one, reading this book will certainly pass the time and you'll appear all the smarter too. Just don't be late for class.

If you're just in the mood to capture what Mary Shelley's voice might have sounded like while reading, by all means, GET THIS BOOK!

I've said it before, she is and will be my favorite authoress of all time, so I am partial to her. She is both underrated and seldom known for more than Frankenstein, however, The Mary Shelley Reader offers up more. Great value and quality in this one. ... Read more

Book Description
Mary Shelley’s tragic story of a scientist who created a monster is perhaps even more compelling and meaningful today than when it was written nearly two centuries ago. From the bits and pieces of dead bodies, and the power of electricity, the brilliant Victor Frankenstein fashions a new form of life—only to discover, too late, the irreparable damage he has caused.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A modern retelling of the classic that retains the power of the original
In my opinion, the classics should be read in their original form. However, if that is not possible, then, as long as they are done right, reading an adaptation is acceptable. This retelling of the classic tale by Shelley captures the terror of science gone wrong, the primary message of the original story. It would be an effective literary counterweight if it were to be read either before or after the movie was shown in class.
This is not the original story; it has been rewritten to appeal to modern young readers while retaining all the original structure of the original. Sterling publishing has successfully accomplished that goal, and they are to be commended for that.

pce student review
Frankenstein was a great book.My favorite scene was when the creator was in his lab and Frankenstein was saying (if you don't finish Mrs. Frankenstein I will harm you and your family.)My favorite character was the creator because he was mysterious and crazy and didn't know what to do or say.From what I read I think the moral of the story was be careful what you create.

I love this book because it was different and unusual.Also because it's a mystery and those books get into your head; like everything in the book is happening in real life, and the tension rises in your stomach.This book is good for ages 10 and up.This is one of those books that you should read before you die.

Excellent Book
I am an 8 year old boy who read this book & I finished it in a whole week.The book was told by the letters of Captain Robert Walton. Walton meets Victor Frankenstein who was sooner or later going to marry his adopted sister Elizabeth. Frankenstein goes to university and learns about science. He wants to make a man for his project. After it came to life Frankenstein was afraid of it. He thinks it is a monster. In a couple of months his best friend, Henry joins the university. Frankenstein was worried that Henry would be afraid of the monster and not like Victor anymore. Soon,Frankenstein receives a letter saying his brother William was dead. Frankenstein soon goes back home. Elizabeth's friend, Justine went to prison because everyone thought she did it except for Victor & Elizabeth. Victor finds the monster in the exact spot he killed William. The monster tells about his life and also tells him he wanted a wife. Frankenstein got married to Elizabeth. Soon,the monster kills Elizabeth because he didn't make his wife. Soon he goes on trial for finding out who killed his dear friend,Henry. Frankenstein went to prison guilty,but the judge knew it was not him. His father also comes to visit him. Soon he comes out of jail. He sees Captain Robert Walton again
and he dies.

Classic Starts is a nice way for children to experience classic stories.

If you want a story that has lots of violence. Get this today! ... Read more

Book Description
* Mp3 CD Format *. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein, whose obsession with discovering "the cause of generation and life" leads him to assemble a human being from stolen body parts. ... Read more

Book Description
At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein, whose obsession with discovering "the cause of generation and life" leads him to assemble a human being from stolen body parts. ... Read more

Book Description
The biography was undertaken at the request of the poet's son and daughter-in-law, and was compiled from manuscripts, journals and letters in their possession.

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY:Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. ... Read more

Book Description
At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein, whose obsession with discovering "the cause of generation and life" leads him to assemble a human being from stolen body parts. ... Read more

Book Description
Series Editors: Kinley E. Roby, Northeastern University; Herbert Sussman, Northeastern University; Joseph Bartolomeo, University of Massachusetts; George Economou, University of Oklahoma; Arthur F. Kinney, University of Massachusetts

Twayne's United States Authors, English Authors, and World Authors Series present concise critical introductions to great writers and their works.

Devoted to critical interpretation and discussion of an author's work, each study takes account of major literary trends and important scholarly contributions and provides new critical insights with an original point of view. An Authors Series volume addresses readers ranging from advanced high school students to university professors. The book suggests to the informed reader new ways of considering a writer's work. A reader new to the work under examination will, after reading the Authors Series, be compelled to turn to the originals, bringing to the reading a basic knowledge and fresh critical perspectives. Each volume features:

• A critical, interpretive study and explication of the author's works
• A brief biography of the author
• An accessible chronology outlining the life, work, and relevant historical background of the author
• Aids for further study -- complete notes and references, a selected annotated bibliography, and an index
• A readable style presented in a manageable length

Book Description
This comprehensive overview of Mary Shelley's life as an author frequently reads like an anthology of extracts from some of the most lurid and sensationalist novels of the early 19th century. After the stormy years of her relationship with Percy Shelley ended in his tragic death, Mary went on to raise her one surviving son, never sure of the loyalty of friends and threatened and intimidated by her dead husband's father. Shelley is known best as the author of Frankenstein, and an important function of this book is to reassess her achievement as the author of seven novels, innumerable short stories, biography, travel writing, and as the first editor of Percy Shelley's poetry and prose. ... Read more

Book Description

Author of six novels, five volumes of biographical lives, two travel books, and numerous short stories, essays, and reviews, Mary Shelley is largely remembered as the author of Frankenstein, as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, and as the daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. This collection of essays, edited by Betty T. Bennett and Stuart Curran, offers a more complete and complex picture of Mary Shelley, emphasizing the full range and significance of her writings in terms of her own era and ours. Mary Shelley in Her Times brings fresh insight to the life and work of an often neglected or misunderstood writer who, the editors remind us, spent nearly three decades at the center of England's literary world during the country's profound transition between the Romantic and Victorian eras.

The essays in this volume demonstrate the importance of Mary Shelley's neglected novels, including Matilda, Valperga, The Last Man, and Falkner. Other topics include Mary Shelley's work in various literary genres, her editing of her husband's poetry and prose, her politics, and her trajectory as a female writer. This volume advances Mary Shelley studies to a new level of discourse and raises important issues for English Romanticism and women's studies.

Book Description
Jane Austen and Mary Shelley and Their Sisters is an unprecedented work that provides an in-depth analysis of the work of women novelists from the Romantic age, a period that has long been exclusively designated as the province of canonized male poets. Although there are many volumes on the works of Austen and Shelley, this collection is the first to consider these writers and others in the wider context of English fiction by women during the 1780s to 1830s. Collectively, the authors examine the works of nearly fifteen women novelists of the Romantic period whose works encompass the prevailing social and political realities of the time. They demonstrate that women writers were not following a specific formula to produce their creative works but were instead responding to an insatiable market for their imaginative and infinitely varied wares. A must-read for scholars of women's studies as well as 19th century British literature, "Jane Austen and Mary Shelley and Their Sisters" is sure to be an important resource for years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not very exciting
I had to read this book for summer reading.The rough storyline is that Frankenstein has created life from dead body parts.In horror, he rejects the creature, and the creation vows revenge on Frankenstein.Considering the idea of the book, it sounds interesting.The writing, however, was extremely boring.It took me a few chapters to get into the book, and then once I was a little intrigued, I would be bored all over again.Mary Shelley seems to write on endlessly about things that are insignificant to the plot, complicating basic understanding.On top of that, things that I thought would be important, such as Frankenstein's wedding, were summed up in about 2 sentences.The emphasis in her book seemed to be off-center, and thus it was very hard to pay attention.The book itself is very short, I believe only 200 pages or so, but it felt like it was much longer.I pity you if you are forced to read this for school (which many are), and I do not recommend this book for leisure reading--there are many other, much better written "classics" out there. ... Read more