Why a Booktrail?
1797 – 1851: How did Mary Shelley create Frankenstein?
She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
What you need to know before your trail
On a stormy night two hundred years ago, a young woman sat in a dark house and dreamed of her life as a writer. She longed to follow the path her own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had started down, but young Mary Shelley had yet to be inspired.
As the night wore on, Mary grew more anxious. The next day was the deadline that her friend, the poet Lord Byron, had set for writing the best ghost story. After much talk of science and the secrets of life, Mary had gone to bed exhausted and frustrated that nothing she could think of was scary enough. But as she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a man that was not a man. He was a monster.
Locations
Reset- Switzerland - Geneva
- A: Shelley Mansion
- England - London
- B: Bread Street - St Mildred's Church
- C: Chester Square
Travel Guide
Discover the Geneva of Frankenstein
Geneva – Villa Diodati
The villa where Mary Shelly wrote her famous story is private property and not for public entry. However, there is a little overlook with a nice view of the lake and a sign that commemorates Byron and the Shelley’s stay.
London
Two signs of note – the church where they married and the family home. now with blue plaque. She is buried with her parents in St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
Destination/Location: Geneva, London Author/Guide: Lynn Fulton Departure Time: 1797 – 1851
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