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Vintage Classics has issued a fascinating new edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein — the original we all know and love, or, at least, tolerate, which includes the additions of her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as an earlier draft that is the novel as Mary Shelley wrote it.
The short version: the novel runs 72,000 words, about 5,000 of which were added by Percy Shelley. It’s not hard to pick out the poet’s writing — his work was highly emotional and sometimes florid, while Mary Shelley’s prose is more level, more matter-of-fact.
There are two surviving manuscripts at the Bodleian library of Frankenstein, so determining Percy Shelley’s additions to the manuscript was not really that difficult, just time-consuming — the husband and wife had similar but not identical handwriting. Charles Robinson, this volume’s editor, believes that most of Percy Shelley’s additions worked to the novel’s benefit; he deepened the characterization of the monster, and made a lot of sentences flow.
Robinson denotes Shelley’s additions by printing them in italic. The first part of the book is the manuscript with Percy Shelley’s polish, while the second part goes with the straight Mary Shelley version.
You pays your money, you takes your choice. Personally, I tend to agree with Robinson — some of Percy Shelley’s dialogue touches are too high-flown, but he certainly makes better sentences than his wife.
Mike Browning’s Word of the Week…
Hebetate: to become dull or blunt.
Quote Unquote
“One reason why women are good at writing detective stories may be our feminine eye for detail; clue-making demands attention to the detail of everyday life.” — P.D. James
Shelley himself was a womanizing monster, a philanderer who was constantly behind on child support payments.
For this reason our Family split into two halves, the Shelleys and the Silleys. Though I have inherited my great granduncle’s talents I spurn his Decadence.
Heatedly,
Sir Percy Bisque Silley
(Knighted)
are u4real? how good must it feel that someone belonging 2u has contributed so much to society literally. I am 53&I wouln’t worry 2much about ur genes, it’s normal 4a normal male. I am studying 4a gcse in English as a refresher coure, so I can study 4an English degree next year. this is so I will B able2 help any future grandchildren, because both my 24 & 22 year old sons have dyslexia, which is an hyreditary problem. So I would like 2say if not 4ur Mary Shelley I would not B enjoying my English quite so much. thanku very much. Remember “We Can Only Live Our Own Lives” also it is very true That We Can Choose Our Friends! BUT NOT OUR FAMILY”. Mark my words it is true, so forget ur relitive past and get on with ur future Hun God Bless xx Loobie (preferded name)
Dear Mike Brown, have u ever thought that women are not evil, just very cunning, mind twisting bitches at times, we find it extremely easy to twist the a mans’ mind, making him believe what ever we want him too! I feel quite sorty for men even though I am truely not one. I feel compassioin & unlike many women these days I love men & think women can really write some creapy stuff because off their constantly unfolding brains. Loobie (Wendy) xx
No, it’s his less famous brother, John. This is not only his first acting job, but his first job of any kind, having lived off the fat (no pun intended) of his more famous brother’s land for six years now, more specifically on said brother’s futon, in said brother’s garage.