What do you think?
Rate this book
Mary Wollstonecraft: A Very Short Introduction
Very Short Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring
Mary Wollstonecraft is widely hailed as the mother of modern feminism. The book that made her famous, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, is a work of worldwide renown. Yet the range of her achievements as a thinker and writer reaches far beyond this text. She was a multi-faceted author, and although the condition of women was a constant preoccupation throughout her life, she wrote on a wide variety of topics and in a range of literary forms, some of which she created herself.
This Very Short Introduction examines the conditions for Wollstonecraft's emergence as a feminist, but also her status as an educator, a political thinker, and a romantic. E. J. Clery also considers the reception Mary Wollstonecraft has received over the last two centuries and argues that readers need to look at her gamut of activities anew in the 21st century.
ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Mary Wollstonecraft is widely hailed as the mother of modern feminism. The book that made her famous, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, is a work of worldwide renown. Yet the range of her achievements as a thinker and writer reaches far beyond this text. She was a multi-faceted author, and although the condition of women was a constant preoccupation throughout her life, she wrote on a wide variety of topics and in a range of literary forms, some of which she created herself.
This Very Short Introduction examines the conditions for Wollstonecraft's emergence as a feminist, but also her status as an educator, a political thinker, and a romantic. E. J. Clery also considers the reception Mary Wollstonecraft has received over the last two centuries and argues that readers need to look at her gamut of activities anew in the 21st century.
ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2025
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Clery
11 books4 followersEmma Clery is a Professor of English at the University of Southampton.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2025
Part biography, part analysis of her work, this book is indeed a very short introduction to Mary Wollstonecraft, but a nice one. The book touches upon Mary Wollstonecraft’s upbringing, her determination to live life according to her principles and disregard the “reputation” society imposed upon her, and her tragic death. It includes analysis of Mary Wollstonecraft’s ground-breaking work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and the link between the book and the French Revolution.
A bonus point: Jane Austen read and agreed with Mary Wollstonecraft.
A bonus point: Jane Austen read and agreed with Mary Wollstonecraft.
February 7, 2026
Picked this up as a pre-requisite reading before I start A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Very informative and helpful!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews