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annamickreads's review against another edition
5.0
The way this biography is deftly constructed is honestly its best feature — a dual tale of Mary Wollstonecraft and her equally impressive daughter, Mary Shelley, the biography highlights the way the lives of mother and daughter parallel even though they barely knew one another. Each chapter goes back-and-forth between the two Mary's, charting the different directions of their lives and pointing out where they overlap.
Despite the knowledge that both women contributed extraordinarily to not only literature but women's rights, there aren't many people as ambitious as author Charlotte Gordon to fully document the intensity of either women's lives. As firm rebels against society's standards at the time, both mother and daughter had extramarital affairs, children out of wedlock, and encounters with some of history's equally famous rebellious spirits such as Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr.
Although the sheer size of this dual biography might seem intimidating, don't let it fool you; Gordon's engaging writing style and the alternation between mother and daughter keeps the reader constantly engaged. You would never expect that women who are lauded as literary greats would be, frankly, so human as they are depicted in these pages.
Also fuck Lord Byron lol
Despite the knowledge that both women contributed extraordinarily to not only literature but women's rights, there aren't many people as ambitious as author Charlotte Gordon to fully document the intensity of either women's lives. As firm rebels against society's standards at the time, both mother and daughter had extramarital affairs, children out of wedlock, and encounters with some of history's equally famous rebellious spirits such as Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr.
Although the sheer size of this dual biography might seem intimidating, don't let it fool you; Gordon's engaging writing style and the alternation between mother and daughter keeps the reader constantly engaged. You would never expect that women who are lauded as literary greats would be, frankly, so human as they are depicted in these pages.
Also fuck Lord Byron lol
laz_'s review against another edition
4.0
wow okay so this was incredible!! the alternate storytelling of both mary wollstonecraft and mary shelley’s lives was so so SO fascinating and both of them kept me equally as invested and interested bc wow what women!!!! every person from this era of history in these circles seemed to have some crazy story behind them and it was brilliant. the little tidbits that show you just how human they were and also just how ridiculously brilliant is probably my favorite part. this really made me want to read more of their work!!
ashkitty93's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
While I appreciate the compare/contrast element of this dual biography, I have to wonder if it wouldn’t have worked better as a 2-book set - not in the least thanks to both mother and daughter being named Mary, so if I zoned out at all I was in danger of forgetting which of them I was following along with. Coupled with the choice to only use a single narrator on the audiobook makes it just about as confusing as it could be. All that aside, the final chapter pulled a lot of threads together; this was an excellent book and a solid look at both women. I’m making a point to read Wollstonecraft’s actual writings sooner rather than later.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that even as late as the 1980s, scholars still weren’t keen on viewing Mary Shelley through the lens of her own work and merit and rather preferred to describe her first as PBS’s wife, then the daughter of Godwin and Wollstonecraft, and finally to discuss Frankenstein as more of an afterthought. How lucky are we to live in a world where she is recognized and lauded for being her own person.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that even as late as the 1980s, scholars still weren’t keen on viewing Mary Shelley through the lens of her own work and merit and rather preferred to describe her first as PBS’s wife, then the daughter of Godwin and Wollstonecraft, and finally to discuss Frankenstein as more of an afterthought. How lucky are we to live in a world where she is recognized and lauded for being her own person.
Charlotte Gordon’s writing was quite accessible and compelling. Nicely read by Susan Lyons.
nelda's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
An extraordinary dual biography. I learned so much from this book. Excellent.
ameyawarde's review against another edition
5.0
I am so in love with the Marys, and I'm so embarrassed & sad that this is really the first time I've actually learned anything about either of them, despite how profoundly important they were, especially Wollstonecraft. I'm an extreme history nerd & veryvery feminist... and I'm just now *really* learning about Wollstonecraft at age 28?! What other hugely significant things/people do I just know nothing about? DO I KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL!?!? (Nope, I do not.)
I found both women fascinating because of their refusal to live (completely) by the BS gender norms of their day, because of their philosophical/political radicalness, because of their struggles with mental health, because of their dedication to living their lives within their own principals/philosophy, even when it turned them into exiles, because of their dedication to social justice & the struggles of women and other disadvantaged groups, their ability to support themselves and their children despite the challenges and societies that didn't accept working women, and just.. MANY THINGS. I love them and everyone should read this book.
I found both women fascinating because of their refusal to live (completely) by the BS gender norms of their day, because of their philosophical/political radicalness, because of their struggles with mental health, because of their dedication to living their lives within their own principals/philosophy, even when it turned them into exiles, because of their dedication to social justice & the struggles of women and other disadvantaged groups, their ability to support themselves and their children despite the challenges and societies that didn't accept working women, and just.. MANY THINGS. I love them and everyone should read this book.
cazxxx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
krystlec's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
chelsevie's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
It turns out I really enjoy popular history, particularly when the subjects are two of the most pioneering women in the history of feminism.
Although I had some knowledge of Mary Wollstonecraft, I was much more familiar with the life of Mary Shelley going into this book but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of detail on each women's life it covers.
With alternating chapters uncovering the life of both women from birth until death, this is an impressively researched account. To the point where it feels like every possibly known detail about the Marys, as well as the prominent people in their peripheries, is included here. Yet despite the acuteness of the historical accuracy the book never seems cumbersome or unwieldy in it's recounting of their lives rather it is told in such a way that it's hard not to become utterly captivated by their stories.
My only criticism is that I would have liked perhaps a longer section on the legacy of the two women, those they directly inspired (of which there are many, to this day).
I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in feminism, literature and of the lives of women in 19th century Europe.
Although I had some knowledge of Mary Wollstonecraft, I was much more familiar with the life of Mary Shelley going into this book but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of detail on each women's life it covers.
With alternating chapters uncovering the life of both women from birth until death, this is an impressively researched account. To the point where it feels like every possibly known detail about the Marys, as well as the prominent people in their peripheries, is included here. Yet despite the acuteness of the historical accuracy the book never seems cumbersome or unwieldy in it's recounting of their lives rather it is told in such a way that it's hard not to become utterly captivated by their stories.
My only criticism is that I would have liked perhaps a longer section on the legacy of the two women, those they directly inspired (of which there are many, to this day).
I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in feminism, literature and of the lives of women in 19th century Europe.