Mary Shelley: Abandoned by Her Creator and Rejected by Society / Charlotte Gordon

When Frankenstein was first published in 1818, many readers were shocked. What could be more appalling than the tale of a mad scientist creating life? What kind of person would write such a terrible story? Critics believed the novel was hostile to religion, as it depicted a human being attempting to appropriate the role of God. One contemporary writer complained that the book was “horrible and disgusting.” He declared that the author must be “as mad as his hero.” He could not accuse anyone in particular, however, as no one knew the author’s identity. The book had been published anonymously, and when people discovered the author’s name, the truth seemed even more scandalous than the “horrible” story itself. The author was a woman, and her name was Mary Godwin Shelley. ... [mehr] http://lithub.com/mary-shelley-abandoned-by-her-creator-and-rejected-by-society/