https://www.aclib.us/blog/frankenstein-day-or-birthday-mary-shelley
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley must be one of the greatest horror stories ever written. I am sure it is a metaphor for life in that we are all comprised of many different pieces/experiences. Alter egos are very common and wearing different masks for various social occasions is a powerful coping mechanism for me. Some days I feel like a goat and others like a ladybird, but that’s just me. How about you, or should I say ewe? Are you a sheep or a bull?
Top Ten Facts about Mary Shelley
- Her parents were famous intellectuals.
- She eloped with Percy Bysshe Shelley and her father disapproved of her relationship with Percy Bysshe Shelley.
- Mary was just 18 when she had the idea for Frankenstein and finished it aged 19! The novel was published in 1818 when she was just 21 years old.
- Frankenstein is one of the very first examples of the now celebrated and very popular genre of science-fiction.
- Mary thought of the idea for Frankenstein when she was in Geneva with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, another famous poet. Byron challenged everyone to write a ghost story and Mary came up with Frankenstein, which she later developed into the novel we now know.
- Some of the ideas for Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley in a nightmare.
- Mary suffered terribly from the loss of her first three children; who all died at a young age. She had a fourth child who was named Percy after his father.
- Frankenstein Castle is a real castle in Germany. Some people think it may have inspired Mary’s story. Famous inventor Thomas Edison made a 15-minute film version of Frankenstein in 1910. It is thought to be one of the first horror films ever made.
- Mary taught herself many things. Her father did not have a lot of money to spend on her education, but she read a lot and made her own notes. She was also eager to learn from all the famous writers she knew and later wrote and published their biographies.
- Mary and Percy Shelley often wrote together and collaborated in their writing. They wrote a joint journal about their travels around Europe and encouraged and supported each other’s work. After Percy Shelley’s death, Mary supported herself and her son with her writing, which was very difficult and unusual for a woman to do at the time.
All the best
Stay fab
Adele
