Woman Created Frankenstein

How Mary Shelley Made A Monster

- Christian Bone

Thanks to countless movie and TV adaptations, we all know the story of Victor Frankenstein and the marauding, if misunderstood, creature that he gave life. But what about the woman who authored this iconic tale of Gothic horror and science gone wrong? How did Mary Shelley make a monster?

That’s the hook of the simply titled Mary Shelley, the biopic from director Haifaa AlMansour, which stars Elle Fanning as the young woman who fell for the dashing poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (Douglas Booth) and struggled to publish her groundbreaking novel in a male-dominated era. Unfortunately, the film hasn’t received the warmest of reviews, with some critics calling it a lifeless period romance. However, it’s still worth seeing if you’re interested in the fascinating story of Frankenstein’s birth.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (née Godwin) was always destined to cause a stir in society, as she was the daughter of two of the most notoriously progressive minds of the day. Her father was William Godwin, a radical philosopher and political anarchist, and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a renowned feminist writer and women’s rights activist. At the age of 17, Mary fell in love with Shelley and became involved in his high-profile literary circle - the leader of whom was rock star poet Lord Byron, famously described as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’. In Mary’s case, at least, knowing him had its perks; her association with Byron helped give her a cracking idea for a novel.

THE YEAR WITHOUT