Comment

Romantic Outlaws

the Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley
Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Skokie Public Library.
Aug 14, 2017vickmeister rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The riveting tale of two extraordinary women who led remarkable lives, impacting literature and sociology in ways that resonate even more today than during their own respective time periods. Well-written in a style both honest and sympathetic, delving deep to challenge old myths and deliver current information. I found the device of alternating chapters between the two women a bit confusing at times, as both women are named Mary, but it was an interesting way to see the parallels between the lives of the two women who never really knew each other, and how similar traumas impacted their literary outputs. A lot to digest and ponder, with the French Revolution, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, and others all playing their parts in shaping who these women became and the philosophies they developed about marriage, religion, the rights of women and the ethics of man. As someone who enjoys historical biographies and memoirs that walk along the darker edges of life, I found that this book delivered on both counts.