Showing results by author "Mary Wollstonecraft" in All Categories

In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft tackles the wasted potential she sees in women, refusing to see them as inferior to men; she decries their limitations and suggests that they are worthy of an equal standard of education, and that they should be taught to develop their own reason, not simply how to gain a man. Written in 1792, at the height of the French Revolution, A Vindication is an eloquent and persuasive response to the prevailing attitudes of the time.

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. Obsessed with discovering "the cause of generation and life" and "bestowing animation upon lifeless matter", Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts. However, upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness.

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by celebrated British novelist Jeanette Winterson, CBE. This definitive recording includes an introduction to the audio edition written and performed by Jeanette Winterson. Writing in an age when the call for the rights of man had...

The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late twenty-first century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.

First published in 1792, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman tackles many of the punitive patriarchal attitudes that dominated 18th-century society. With warmth and passion, Mary Wollstonecraft urges women to prioritize reason over emotion - a necessary step in building the strength of character required to break free from male notions of female fragility and foolishness. Wollstonecraft bases much of her argument in the case for women's education.

Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman, is an unfinished novel by Mary Wollstonecraft, serving as a compelling sequel to her groundbreaking political treatise, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Published posthumously in 1798 by her husband, William Godwin, the story follows a woman unjustly confined in an insane asylum by her husband, highlighting the broader societal injustices faced by women rather than focusing solely on individual experiences. Released alongside Wollstonecrafts memoirs, both works stirred controversy and were deemed scandalous in their time. It wasnt until the 20th century that...

Mary Wollstonecraft, often described as the first major feminist, is remembered principally as the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), and there has been a tendency to view her most famous work in isolation. Yet Wollstonecraft's pronouncements about women grew out of her reflections about men, and her views on the female sex constituted an integral part of a wider moral and political critique of her times which she first fully formulated in A Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790).

Three works of fiction, two by Mary Wollstonecraft, and one by her daughter Mary Shelley, creator of Frankenstein. In Mary Wollstonecraft's Mary, the heroine flees her young husband in order to nurse her dearest friend, Ann, and finds genuine love, while Maria tells of a desperate young woman who seeks consolation in the arms of another man after the loss of her child. And Mary Shelley's Matilda - suppressed for more than a century - tells the story of a woman alienated from society by the incestuous passion of her father.

First published in 1792, Wollstonecraft’s groundbreaking essay, written against the tumultuous backdrop of the French revolution, was an immediate success. Challenging the idea that women are inferior to men, Wollstonecraft argued that women deserved the same access to education, and the chance to develop as independent individuals. Blending Enlightenment ideals with sharp social critique, this pioneering work laid the foundation for modern feminist thought, provocatively – and successfully – defying gender norms in the eighteenth century.

NOW A NETFLIX FILM FROM ACADEMY AWARD–WINNING VISIONARY GUILLERMO DEL TORO NOMINATED FOR NINE ACADEMY AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE Mary Shelley’s timeless gothic classicaccompanied by the art of legendary illustrator Bernie Wrightson live on in this gorgeous illustrated adaptation of...

History of a Six Weeks' Tour (1817) is a volume of travel-writing by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Comprising prose narrative, correspondence, and poetry, it is a highly engaging account of their 'adventures and feelings' during two journeys from England to Switzerland at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

The real love story of Frankenstein! Released from a promise to keep portions of her journey secret, Mary Shelley lays her soul bare in the intimacy of love, loss, and betrayal, the search for a mother's validation, and inspiration as a woman artist discovering her voice.

Falkner is the final novel by the renowned Mary Shelley, celebrated for her iconic works such as Frankenstein and The Last Man. This poignant tale unfolds the complex love story between Elizabeth Raby, an orphan raised under the harsh rule of a tyrannical guardian, and Gerald Neville, whose mother was driven to her death by the very man who raised Elizabeth. As both men vie for Elizabeths affection, can they find a way to reconcile their pasts for the sake of love? Or will Elizabeth be forced to sacrifice her own happiness? Shelley regarded this as her finest work—dive in and discover your ...

Set against the backdrop of a world and society in turmoil during the various revolutions across the globe, and written before the term “feminism” had become popularized, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is a treatise that explains the ways in which women were mistreated and marginalized. Specifically, this explication was writing to respond to a particular popular idea of the time: that women were unsuited for getting their own educations and were better off living private, quiet lives in service of husbands.

In Frankenstein, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley tells the chilling story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist driven by an unrelenting thirst for knowledge and power. In his quest to unlock the secrets of life, Frankenstein creates a creature from the remains of the dead, only to find himself horrified by the monster he has unleashed. The tale of the creature’s struggle for acceptance, and Frankenstein’s descent into despair, raises timeless questions about the dangers of ambition, the power of creation, and the moral responsibilities of humanity.

This story is, in essence, the novelization of Wollstonecraft's ultimate work, Vindication of the Rights of Women. It follows a girl who grows up in a moderately wealthy English family in 18th century, trying to find love and individuality in a time when such concepts are incomprehensible to society. Mary, the main character, follows life and love through a turbulent series of ups and downs while trying to remain true to herself.

The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late 21st century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.

Guido has lost it all. At rock bottom and wandering the shore, Guido spies a misshapen creature floating toward him in the water, riding on a huge chest. The creature offers Guido a path of revenge – switching bodies for three days in exchange for the untold riches in the chest. Guido unfortunately fails to see a potential downside. Through skillful handling of the gothic motif of the doppelgänger, Shelley’s tale explores concepts that would eventually culminate into her masterpiece – Frankenstein.

In a tale that explores the depths of ambition and despair, Victor Frankenstein, a tormented genius driven by the aspirations of ancient alchemists and modern science, creates a living being. Yet, upon its awakening, he fails to nurture and educate this creature, leaving it to navigate a harsh and unforgiving world alone. Subjected to fear and violence due to its monstrous appearance, the creature soon turns its anguish toward its creator, demanding a companion to share in its sorrow. Moved by the creatures tragic story, Victor initially agrees but ultimately hesitates, awakening a torrent of ...

It tells the story of a young woman whose mother died in her childbirth - just as Shelly's own mother died after hers - and whose relationship with her bereaved father becomes sexually charged as he conflates her with his lost wife, while she becomes involved with a handsome poet.