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eira_roux's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
erboe501's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the liveliest, best narrated biographies I've read. I knew some about Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley's lives, and I've read some of their works. But I didn't realize the extent of their rebellions against society's expectations of women.
Gordon does a masterful job of interpreting Wollstonecraft's heartache in a way that still gives her agency and independence. It was horrifying to read how her husband William Godwin ruined her reputation as a serious writer for over 100 years with his selfish biography of her. Likewise, the Victorian whitewashing of Mary Shelley's role as an independent writer. A few times Gordon's filling in of the blanks in both Mary's lives felt a little like a stretch. But I appreciated how she always clarified when there was a dearth of evidence and when something was supposition. It's a good reminder that biographies, and history in general, are never definitive.
I found it fascinating how, in spite of the women's conviction to live independent and equal to men, when they joined in domestic arrangements with a man, the domestic duties inevitably fell to the women, in spite of the men's espousal of equality. In many ways, that problem of lip service v. lived expectation remains a tension in domestic arrangements today.
The dual biography structure with one chapter about Wollstonecraft, followed by one about Shelley, repeated, was useful to see how the women's lives mapped onto each other. However, because Gordon did such a good job of making the reader invested in the action, the close of each chapter and return to the other woman's storyline was always a little disconcerting, wrenching me out of the story.
I would highly recommend.
Gordon does a masterful job of interpreting Wollstonecraft's heartache in a way that still gives her agency and independence. It was horrifying to read how her husband William Godwin ruined her reputation as a serious writer for over 100 years with his selfish biography of her. Likewise, the Victorian whitewashing of Mary Shelley's role as an independent writer. A few times Gordon's filling in of the blanks in both Mary's lives felt a little like a stretch. But I appreciated how she always clarified when there was a dearth of evidence and when something was supposition. It's a good reminder that biographies, and history in general, are never definitive.
I found it fascinating how, in spite of the women's conviction to live independent and equal to men, when they joined in domestic arrangements with a man, the domestic duties inevitably fell to the women, in spite of the men's espousal of equality. In many ways, that problem of lip service v. lived expectation remains a tension in domestic arrangements today.
The dual biography structure with one chapter about Wollstonecraft, followed by one about Shelley, repeated, was useful to see how the women's lives mapped onto each other. However, because Gordon did such a good job of making the reader invested in the action, the close of each chapter and return to the other woman's storyline was always a little disconcerting, wrenching me out of the story.
I would highly recommend.
_robertaevelyn_'s review against another edition
5.0
What a fascinating look at Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter, Mary Shelley! Although these women never met (because Mary senior died in childbirth), the book does a great job showing how their lives both parallel and divert. I loved how the book switches chapters between mother and daughter switched between the two and learning how each woman was so radical for their time, while also struggling with social criticism, independence, mental health issues, their non-monogamous relationships, as well as their writing careers. Both women indeed dealt with so much loss, struggle, and social criticism, and my biggest takeaway is that none of the men in their lives were worthy of them. The men surrounding both Marys were idealistic and selfish! As Emilia so wisely expresses: "O, these men, these men!"
mol_iver's review against another edition
5.0
an incredibly written dual biography that gives the complex Wollstonecraft and Shelley the care and respect they've long deserved. their literary legacy and their personal choices paved the way for women and feminism today, and the author's awe of them is apparent and impossible to not share. so grateful to these women and the historians that have allowed their story to live on.
katemarie99's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.0
good and important and worth reading once, but def not one i'll ever re-read so this book goes in the donate pile.
luciferious's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
horfhorfhorf's review against another edition
4.0
Both Wollstonecraft and Shelley were victims of their time; fierce, educated, informed and passionate writers... but still women, for all that meant in the eyes of both law & society, and still prone to loving men who were equally as artistic and intellectual, if significantly less domesticated than either Mary would have hoped for. I wonder, though, if Wollstonecraft would still have married Godwin has she known the hell he would wreak upon her legacy.
Gordon did a fantastic job compiling, organizing, and moving through the lifetimes of both women, though a fair amount of conjecture was required to fill in the gaps where diaries, letters, and other records have gone missing or were destroyed, likely at the hands of some well-meaning (or risk-averse) descendant.
This book sets a fantastic standard for the "About, and Written By, Women" shelf in my library.
Gordon did a fantastic job compiling, organizing, and moving through the lifetimes of both women, though a fair amount of conjecture was required to fill in the gaps where diaries, letters, and other records have gone missing or were destroyed, likely at the hands of some well-meaning (or risk-averse) descendant.
This book sets a fantastic standard for the "About, and Written By, Women" shelf in my library.
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful! I feel stupid for not knowing that Mary Wollstonecraft was Mary Shelley's mother. I started this book with very little knowledge about either woman. Their stories are fascinating and illuminating and, as Gordon notes, not usually taught.