Reviews

An enjoyable read; despite the large number of other books on the Romantics, this one stands out. It has a few faults: the intertwined mother-daughtyer narrative leads to some confusion, and parts of the book are overly detailed. But it offers a new perspective on the lives of both women, one which is sorely needed for the masculine-centric Romantic era.

maggiematela's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.5

sneurah's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

erintowner's review against another edition

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4.0

I think this book was a bit too long but I learned a lot.

ciaramcd's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

arachan's review

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dark emotional informative slow-paced

4.75

This is a heavy read, literally (at 550 pages) and metaphorically. I knew the basic biography for Mary Shelly and I knew her mother was the famous feminist figure Mary Wollstonecraft. I knew that Wollstonecraft had died of 'childbed fever' but I did not have any real understanding of just how revolutionary Wollstonecraft's work (and life) actually were.

This work is very in-depth and it is emotionally heavy. The recurring theme in both Marys' lives is the failing of the men who claimed to love and admire them.

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