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Monsters
1814: Mary Godwin, the sixteen-year-old daughter of radical socialist and feminist writers, runs away with a dangerously charming young poet - Percy Bysshe Shelley. From there, the two young lovers travel a Europe in the throes of revolutionary change, through high and low society, tragedy and passion, where they will be drawn into the orbit of the mad and bad Lord Byron.
But Mary and Percy are not alone: they bring Jane, Mary's young step-sister. And she knows the biggest secrets of them all . . .
But Mary and Percy are not alone: they bring Jane, Mary's young step-sister. And she knows the biggest secrets of them all . . .
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
26 people are currently reading
1085 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Dogar
5 books71 followersSharon Dogar is a social worker who counsels troubled teens.
Waves is her first novel. The poignant coming-of-age story about a family dealing with the accident of their daughter, it took a while for Sharon to get started. "But then I had ‘the moment,' " she explains. "That moment when a character just arrives in your mind and begs to be written - whether you want to do it or not. I remember it was lunchtime. I walked into the sitting room and had a thought: I was by the sea. And in that moment, I saw a boy with his back to me; he was in the kitchen of a beach house, looking at something on the wall. Looking at it with utter intensity and absorption. I knew straight away his name was Hal. I walked back into my own kitchen and wrote the prologue, immediately and completely, exactly as it remained in the final manuscript. And then I had to write a story to go with it!"
Sharon Dogar lives with her husband and three children in Oxford, England.
Waves is her first novel. The poignant coming-of-age story about a family dealing with the accident of their daughter, it took a while for Sharon to get started. "But then I had ‘the moment,' " she explains. "That moment when a character just arrives in your mind and begs to be written - whether you want to do it or not. I remember it was lunchtime. I walked into the sitting room and had a thought: I was by the sea. And in that moment, I saw a boy with his back to me; he was in the kitchen of a beach house, looking at something on the wall. Looking at it with utter intensity and absorption. I knew straight away his name was Hal. I walked back into my own kitchen and wrote the prologue, immediately and completely, exactly as it remained in the final manuscript. And then I had to write a story to go with it!"
Sharon Dogar lives with her husband and three children in Oxford, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 8, 2019
Monsters: The Passion & Loss That Created Frankenstein is a novel chronicling the life and times of writer Mary Shelley and the making of her masterpiece, Frankenstein, but it also explores radical ideas, utopian ideals and her love for poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, which had not been given the blessing from her father. It is told from the perspectives of Mary and her sister Jane; we experience the intense highs and tragic lows in their complicated lives. Some of the topics that feature in the book are jealousy, sibling rivalry, sexism, misogyny, feminism, angst, love, loss and undying hope for a brighter future.
However, the book is rather long and could've been tightened up to create more of an impact on the reader; it dragged a little in places and got repetitive at times. That being said, this is a fascinating character study which doesn't have a plot per se, but instead, it follows the characters on their journey through life. We explore the relationships between Mary and her family and associates; those that shaped her life, and it really is very emotive as they take the rough with the smooth. Each character is intricately built and their voices sing from the pages making them come alive. You celebrate with them their joys and commiserate with them with the lows, and many of the issues women have with regards to equality are still, unfortunately, very relevant today. The author's meticulous research is clear to see throughout the book This is a compelling piece of historical fiction.
Many thanks to Andersen for an ARC.
You can also find my reviews posted here on my blog.
However, the book is rather long and could've been tightened up to create more of an impact on the reader; it dragged a little in places and got repetitive at times. That being said, this is a fascinating character study which doesn't have a plot per se, but instead, it follows the characters on their journey through life. We explore the relationships between Mary and her family and associates; those that shaped her life, and it really is very emotive as they take the rough with the smooth. Each character is intricately built and their voices sing from the pages making them come alive. You celebrate with them their joys and commiserate with them with the lows, and many of the issues women have with regards to equality are still, unfortunately, very relevant today. The author's meticulous research is clear to see throughout the book This is a compelling piece of historical fiction.
Many thanks to Andersen for an ARC.
You can also find my reviews posted here on my blog.
September 21, 2019
3 Stars—Gosh, I absolutely hate idealists. I’m allowed to say that because I used to be one. Then I entered the real world and it kicked my ass and I realized that I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was. My biggest problem with this book is the ridiculous, immature, obnoxious idealism of Mary, Percy, and Jane. And they are the worst kind! The kind that expects the world to coddle them, and accept their ideas without question or consequence. And then, they dare to act shocked when everyone calls them out on their ridiculousness! It’s the whole damn book! I was hoping for a book about monsters and spooky castles and weird experimentations, all that inspired Frankenstein . . . Nope, just page after page of “why is everyone so mean to us??” If they were actually fighting for something worthwhile, then I wouldn’t have minded it nearly so much! But it was literally Mary wanting to live with a married man, Percy wanting to have sex with any woman he wants, and Jane wanting to be Mary. The hypocrisy was astounding! Of course people should accept how I live, no matter how outrageous, but if anyone else tries it, CONDEMNATION! I wanted to kill all three of them, because they’re idiots!! The tiny bit of explanation for Frankenstein was the only good thing in this book, that’s it. I honestly wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.
March 25, 2019
I was extremely excited to see Monsters by Sharon Dogar on NetGalley, because I’ve been obsessed with Mary Shelley’s life since studying Frankenstein at university in 2017. Expecting a novelisation of her earlier years to bring to life all of the people I’ve studied so closely, I thought this was bound to be one of my top reads of 2019.
Unfortunately, Monsters was an absolute struggle. I knew as soon as I read the first chapter that it was going to be hard – it’s written in the present tense, which is an unusual choice and doesn’t lend itself well to storytelling – but it was like pulling teeth. I’m a fast reader, and it took me almost three weeks of constant reading to get through this story.
Yes, it’s important to focus on the fact that Mary Shelley’s father, William Godwin, completely disowned her when she decided to run away with Percy Bysshe Shelley. It’s also important that they were riddled with debt and had to flee locations across the continent when they couldn’t afford to pay the landlords. But the majority of the book is wholly centred on their monetary struggles, leaving the suicides of both Fanny and Harriet to happen in the last five percent (and for the deaths of two of Mary and Percy’s children, and the death of Percy himself, to happen in the afterword).
However, I do applaud Sharon Dogar for choosing the version of events she feels most likely to have happened and committing to it. A lot of authors would have written the romance between Bysshe and Claire far more subtly, as evidence of their suspected passion has been almost completely destroyed due to the removal of pages from Mary’s journal. It’s a brave move to make the events seem far more clear-cut, although it’s important to take it with a pinch of salt because there is no proof that Dogar’s version of their story is true.
If you’re interested in Mary Shelley but are planning on learning about her by reading Monsters because it isn’t non-fiction, I would highly recommend Charlotte Gordon’s Romantic Outlaws. Yes, it’s a non-fiction book, but it’s told in a narrative style that makes it more gripping than most stories (and 100% more engaging than Monsters). It also tells the story of Mary’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, by running their lives parallel to each other, comparing and contrasting the events that they get up to.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
Unfortunately, Monsters was an absolute struggle. I knew as soon as I read the first chapter that it was going to be hard – it’s written in the present tense, which is an unusual choice and doesn’t lend itself well to storytelling – but it was like pulling teeth. I’m a fast reader, and it took me almost three weeks of constant reading to get through this story.
Yes, it’s important to focus on the fact that Mary Shelley’s father, William Godwin, completely disowned her when she decided to run away with Percy Bysshe Shelley. It’s also important that they were riddled with debt and had to flee locations across the continent when they couldn’t afford to pay the landlords. But the majority of the book is wholly centred on their monetary struggles, leaving the suicides of both Fanny and Harriet to happen in the last five percent (and for the deaths of two of Mary and Percy’s children, and the death of Percy himself, to happen in the afterword).
However, I do applaud Sharon Dogar for choosing the version of events she feels most likely to have happened and committing to it. A lot of authors would have written the romance between Bysshe and Claire far more subtly, as evidence of their suspected passion has been almost completely destroyed due to the removal of pages from Mary’s journal. It’s a brave move to make the events seem far more clear-cut, although it’s important to take it with a pinch of salt because there is no proof that Dogar’s version of their story is true.
If you’re interested in Mary Shelley but are planning on learning about her by reading Monsters because it isn’t non-fiction, I would highly recommend Charlotte Gordon’s Romantic Outlaws. Yes, it’s a non-fiction book, but it’s told in a narrative style that makes it more gripping than most stories (and 100% more engaging than Monsters). It also tells the story of Mary’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, by running their lives parallel to each other, comparing and contrasting the events that they get up to.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
February 10, 2019
“Mary stands at the top of the stairs seething with the unfairness of it all.”
Unfortunately, Mary Shelley spends most of the following 450 pages of this tedious novel continuing to seethe, moan, backbite, complain, and whine. Needy, possessive, jealous, selfish and ungrateful: Dogar tells us she is witty, intelligent and attractive but never actually shows us. Despite having perhaps the most famous and action-packed English literary lives as its subject matter this book hardly ever rises above being a steady trudge. Inconsistent characterisation is a big problem, as is a variable point of view. An interesting character arc for Mary only comes into focus in the last 60 pages as Frankenstein is written; my inner fantasy editor would like to see this section expanded to form the meat of the book.
Driving the excessive length of the book is its insistence on strictly chronological time (from slightly before Mary’s meeting with Shelley to the publication of Frankenstein). A more creative approach could have cut out much of the boring & repetitious connective writing. I’m thinking of approaches like those of Penelope Fitzgerald’s “The Blue Flower”, for instance, or Colm Toibin’s “The Master”.
The book is written in the present tense, presumably to create a sense of immediate connection and intimacy. However, this jars with Dogar’s use of faux historical speech patterns, and insertions of actual historical quotations. There’s a jarring contrast between them. Another issue with the dialogue is Dogar’s tendency to allow all the characters to too frequently speak to each other in rhetorical questions. It just feels fake and hammy and undercuts the power of important scenes, such as between Mary and her father William Godwin.
I read ‘Frankenstein’ last year, and also Thomas Love Peacock’s ‘Nightmare Abbey’ (both published 1818). The Peacock book was the first literary novelisation (very broadly speaking) of the Shelley ménage (a friend of Shelley’s, Peacock is name-checked in Monsters) and Dogar’s is the latest. What got me through this is Dogar’s obviously dedicated historical research into their lives (historical exactitude in other respects is slightly dubious), so despite my misgivings about the novel I read for the story. I do feel this a missed opportunity: Mary Shelley, not to mention the others, deserves better.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for the research & the insightful interpretation of the writing of Frankenstein.
Unfortunately, Mary Shelley spends most of the following 450 pages of this tedious novel continuing to seethe, moan, backbite, complain, and whine. Needy, possessive, jealous, selfish and ungrateful: Dogar tells us she is witty, intelligent and attractive but never actually shows us. Despite having perhaps the most famous and action-packed English literary lives as its subject matter this book hardly ever rises above being a steady trudge. Inconsistent characterisation is a big problem, as is a variable point of view. An interesting character arc for Mary only comes into focus in the last 60 pages as Frankenstein is written; my inner fantasy editor would like to see this section expanded to form the meat of the book.
Driving the excessive length of the book is its insistence on strictly chronological time (from slightly before Mary’s meeting with Shelley to the publication of Frankenstein). A more creative approach could have cut out much of the boring & repetitious connective writing. I’m thinking of approaches like those of Penelope Fitzgerald’s “The Blue Flower”, for instance, or Colm Toibin’s “The Master”.
The book is written in the present tense, presumably to create a sense of immediate connection and intimacy. However, this jars with Dogar’s use of faux historical speech patterns, and insertions of actual historical quotations. There’s a jarring contrast between them. Another issue with the dialogue is Dogar’s tendency to allow all the characters to too frequently speak to each other in rhetorical questions. It just feels fake and hammy and undercuts the power of important scenes, such as between Mary and her father William Godwin.
I read ‘Frankenstein’ last year, and also Thomas Love Peacock’s ‘Nightmare Abbey’ (both published 1818). The Peacock book was the first literary novelisation (very broadly speaking) of the Shelley ménage (a friend of Shelley’s, Peacock is name-checked in Monsters) and Dogar’s is the latest. What got me through this is Dogar’s obviously dedicated historical research into their lives (historical exactitude in other respects is slightly dubious), so despite my misgivings about the novel I read for the story. I do feel this a missed opportunity: Mary Shelley, not to mention the others, deserves better.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for the research & the insightful interpretation of the writing of Frankenstein.
January 13, 2019
An interesting read based on the life of Mary Shelley around the period she created Frankenstein. Modern themes such as sexism are touched upon, especially as an author in a time dominated by men. Lots of the issues covered are still very relevant today, it’s interesting well paced and well written. It keeps you turning the pages and wanting to read more. I really enjoyed this but I would say it’s more of a historical fiction book. A great read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
December 9, 2018
Monsters is a young adult novel about the creation of Frankenstein, fictionalising the life of Mary Shelley around that time. In 1814, Mary Godwin meets Percy Bysshe Shelley at the behest of her father, writer William Godwin. Mary and Percy immediately are struck by one another, and bond over the writing of Mary's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, who died after giving birth to Mary. The young lovers run away, escaping societal and Godwin's disapproval, but they have Jane, Mary's stepsister, along with them. The tangle between the three of them is complicated, as they balance radical ideals with the realities of life.
I came to this novel with low expectations: it is difficult to do justice to historical fiction centred around iconic writers' lives, especially the Romantics. Too many books try to simplify their personalities, but Monsters thankfully keeps them complex, giving perspectives from Mary and Jane (who later changes her name to Claire), as well as more fleeting glimpses into the thoughts of Mary's sister Fanny, Percy, and Lord Byron. The downside of this is that the perspective can shift within chapters and sections, sometimes in a disorientating fashion, so you will suddenly get the motivations of a character when you thought that part of narrative was from another's perspective.
By focusing on the time from when Mary and Percy met until her finishing writing Frankenstein, Dogar has a chunk of their lives to focus on, rather than stretching too far. This helps with the fictionalisation too: it is a neater story without their endless travels around Italy, and with keeping the tension between Mary, Percy, and Jane, rather than bringing in later people who complicated their relationships. Dogar tries hard to balance Mary and Jane, particularly in terms of sympathy, whilst also not painting Percy as a villain, as many people try to in order to 'fix' the narrative.
A lot of decisions have to be made when writing a novel about these people, particularly in terms of what happened between Percy and Jane, and how Byron interacted with them, and the rumours circulating all of them. This element in particular may make the novel more enjoyable to readers (presumably a lot of teenage readers) who don't know all the ins and outs of these people and the questions in their lives, as it would be less obvious where these choices have been made. The novel would make a decent introduction to them, as it does take liberties but at least makes them complex characters.
Other than the age of Mary and Jane (around sixteen to eighteen) and obvious focus on first love to begin with, the novel doesn't feel particularly young adult in terms of characters (being sixteen then isn't the same as being sixteen now) or narrative (as it follows what they actually did, more or less). It doesn't water down elements like Percy Shelley's free love ideals or the loss of children that occurred during this time. This means that it could be enjoyed by anyone interested in a retelling of the real life events that precipitated the writing of Frankenstein, regardless of what kind of books they typically read.
Ultimately, Monsters is a flawed yet enjoyable retelling of Mary Godwin's life as she eloped with Percy Shelley, found hardship, and was inspired by her reading and experience to write Frankenstein. If you are already very interested in these figures (as I am) then it is easy to spot authorial decisions that affect sympathy and events, but it is certainly better than expected for a fictionalised version of this point in literary history.
I came to this novel with low expectations: it is difficult to do justice to historical fiction centred around iconic writers' lives, especially the Romantics. Too many books try to simplify their personalities, but Monsters thankfully keeps them complex, giving perspectives from Mary and Jane (who later changes her name to Claire), as well as more fleeting glimpses into the thoughts of Mary's sister Fanny, Percy, and Lord Byron. The downside of this is that the perspective can shift within chapters and sections, sometimes in a disorientating fashion, so you will suddenly get the motivations of a character when you thought that part of narrative was from another's perspective.
By focusing on the time from when Mary and Percy met until her finishing writing Frankenstein, Dogar has a chunk of their lives to focus on, rather than stretching too far. This helps with the fictionalisation too: it is a neater story without their endless travels around Italy, and with keeping the tension between Mary, Percy, and Jane, rather than bringing in later people who complicated their relationships. Dogar tries hard to balance Mary and Jane, particularly in terms of sympathy, whilst also not painting Percy as a villain, as many people try to in order to 'fix' the narrative.
A lot of decisions have to be made when writing a novel about these people, particularly in terms of what happened between Percy and Jane, and how Byron interacted with them, and the rumours circulating all of them. This element in particular may make the novel more enjoyable to readers (presumably a lot of teenage readers) who don't know all the ins and outs of these people and the questions in their lives, as it would be less obvious where these choices have been made. The novel would make a decent introduction to them, as it does take liberties but at least makes them complex characters.
Other than the age of Mary and Jane (around sixteen to eighteen) and obvious focus on first love to begin with, the novel doesn't feel particularly young adult in terms of characters (being sixteen then isn't the same as being sixteen now) or narrative (as it follows what they actually did, more or less). It doesn't water down elements like Percy Shelley's free love ideals or the loss of children that occurred during this time. This means that it could be enjoyed by anyone interested in a retelling of the real life events that precipitated the writing of Frankenstein, regardless of what kind of books they typically read.
Ultimately, Monsters is a flawed yet enjoyable retelling of Mary Godwin's life as she eloped with Percy Shelley, found hardship, and was inspired by her reading and experience to write Frankenstein. If you are already very interested in these figures (as I am) then it is easy to spot authorial decisions that affect sympathy and events, but it is certainly better than expected for a fictionalised version of this point in literary history.
February 18, 2019
I honestly don’t know how best to review this. I’m not a great fan of historical fiction, but learning more about Mary Shelley was interesting. And I think that’s all I can really say about the book. It is interesting. I didn’t dislike it, I just didn’t like it either.
It’s also hard to tell fact from fiction in this, but I found all the characters unlikable to be honest. And the thing about historical fiction that annoys me is the culture in society against (or for) certain things, the way people behave. In this case simultaneously Mary cheating with Shelley, and society’s response to it. And then all of Shelley’s behaviour. I can’t help but wonder if he was truly polyamorous or if he was just a cheat. I say this more based on his first wife than his relationship with Mary and Claire, but honestly I read him more as someone who wanted multiple relationships but not the responsibility that comes with that and certainly not the openness and honesty it should entail.
Well written, but very much not for me, I’m afraid.
It’s also hard to tell fact from fiction in this, but I found all the characters unlikable to be honest. And the thing about historical fiction that annoys me is the culture in society against (or for) certain things, the way people behave. In this case simultaneously Mary cheating with Shelley, and society’s response to it. And then all of Shelley’s behaviour. I can’t help but wonder if he was truly polyamorous or if he was just a cheat. I say this more based on his first wife than his relationship with Mary and Claire, but honestly I read him more as someone who wanted multiple relationships but not the responsibility that comes with that and certainly not the openness and honesty it should entail.
Well written, but very much not for me, I’m afraid.
February 22, 2019
I have always idealised the unconventional, bohemian life choices that Mary and Percy Shelley made. I no longer do. Perhaps this story is closer to reality: that they were unlikable, know-it-all, self important brats. The Shelleys and their companions were teenagers and young adults after all, and here they are depicted to be behaving like insufferable teenagers.
The story focuses on teenage angst, drama, jealousies and sibling rivalry. The continually changing POVs and everyone having the same arguments and repeating the same things gets tedious very quickly, and the book is looong. It dragged and was a struggle to complete.
Even though it is the authors interpretation of their lives, this story has destroyed all the romanticised views I previously had about the Shelly's unorthodox and modern lives and I don't think I can ever go back to my prior happier views.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
The story focuses on teenage angst, drama, jealousies and sibling rivalry. The continually changing POVs and everyone having the same arguments and repeating the same things gets tedious very quickly, and the book is looong. It dragged and was a struggle to complete.
Even though it is the authors interpretation of their lives, this story has destroyed all the romanticised views I previously had about the Shelly's unorthodox and modern lives and I don't think I can ever go back to my prior happier views.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
April 22, 2019
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher Penguin Books NZ in exchange for an honest review**
I'll be honest, I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this book because historical fiction can be a bit hit and miss with me but as soon as I saw the synopsis, I knew this wasn't a book I could pass up.
What I loved the most:
- Great character development
- Vivid setting
- Historical backdrop with a twist
Following Mary, her step-sister and poet Percy Shelley in the 1800s, we embark on a journey that is full of heart, passion, heartbreak, loss and hardship.
Monsters was nothing like I expected it to be. I thought I was going to be reading a story about how Mary Shelley penned Frankenstein and while we definitely get to see some of this, the story we get is much more emotional and thought-provoking.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot because I feel like you need to have things revealed in the context of the book but I will say that I was really gripped by the push-and-pull of family, the reality of having a free-love lifestyle and the issues of the time that permeate this story.
For me, this was very much a character driven story - my favourite kind of read. The characters in this book are so carefully crafted and really come to life in a way that was unexpected. I felt every painful moment alongside Mary, every romanticised idea alongside Percy and every jealous moment alongside Jane. It truly is the best quality of this book. All the characters are so well developed that you easily get wrapped up in their joint and individual paths and really find yourself rooting for Mary to receive the uplifting ending she deserves.
While maybe 50 pages longer than it needs to be, I found it really easy to devour this book about a young woman who challenges ideals and goes on an inspiring journey. Monsters is definitely the book you need to have on your radar.
I'll be honest, I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this book because historical fiction can be a bit hit and miss with me but as soon as I saw the synopsis, I knew this wasn't a book I could pass up.
What I loved the most:
- Great character development
- Vivid setting
- Historical backdrop with a twist
Following Mary, her step-sister and poet Percy Shelley in the 1800s, we embark on a journey that is full of heart, passion, heartbreak, loss and hardship.
Monsters was nothing like I expected it to be. I thought I was going to be reading a story about how Mary Shelley penned Frankenstein and while we definitely get to see some of this, the story we get is much more emotional and thought-provoking.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot because I feel like you need to have things revealed in the context of the book but I will say that I was really gripped by the push-and-pull of family, the reality of having a free-love lifestyle and the issues of the time that permeate this story.
For me, this was very much a character driven story - my favourite kind of read. The characters in this book are so carefully crafted and really come to life in a way that was unexpected. I felt every painful moment alongside Mary, every romanticised idea alongside Percy and every jealous moment alongside Jane. It truly is the best quality of this book. All the characters are so well developed that you easily get wrapped up in their joint and individual paths and really find yourself rooting for Mary to receive the uplifting ending she deserves.
While maybe 50 pages longer than it needs to be, I found it really easy to devour this book about a young woman who challenges ideals and goes on an inspiring journey. Monsters is definitely the book you need to have on your radar.
March 20, 2022
4.5 stars.
March 6, 2019
4.5 stars
January 21, 2019
Trigger Warning: This book features infant death and suicide.
I was a little nervous going in to read Monster by Sharon Dogar. While it's a retelling of Mary Shelley's life, I was super excited, but as a historical novel, I was wary. I'm not generally a fan of historical, I tend not to enjoy it. But I shouldn't have worried; Monsters is absolutely incredible!
I originally thought that Monsters was going to focus on Mary's writing of Frankenstein, and while we do see her write it, it's not the focus. Monsters is the story of Mary, and her step-sister Jane - who later changed her name to Claire, which I will call her from now on - when they eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and what follows. It's a story of love and passion, but also one of rejection, hardship and heartbreak.
Shelley has big, radical ideas. He is an atheist, anti-marriage, and believes in free love - not the free love I immediately thought of, the 70s version that meant having sex with whoever you like, but free love; being free to love more than one person. Basically, Shelley is polyamorous. When Mary and her sisters meet Shelley, introduced to him by her father, they all become enamoured by this beautiful man with big ideas that lend to equality for women. Mary's father, William Godwin, was a radical philosopher, and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a radical feminist who didn't believe in marriage. Her father brought Mary up with his and her mother's teachings and ideas, so when she meets Shelley, she's not too far off his own thinking. The two fall madly in love, but despite his teachings, Godwin is completely against their relationship, and so, with the aid of Claire, they elope to France.
And what follows is a story that is full of suffering as it is love. The idea of eloping, and building a community of people with the same principles of free love is romanticised in their heads, but for Mary, the reality is quite different. Shelley is still married to his first wife, Harriet, and so, not only is she rejected by her father, they are ostracised by society. There are very few people who will help and support them. Money is always tight. They flit from place to place, leaving without paying rent, avoiding bailiffs, and, at one point, literally starve to a dangerous point. When Mary becomes pregnant, she realises that what Harriet warned her about - how he loses interest once you're pregnant and looks elsewhere - might be coming true. He's spending more and more time alone with Claire, while practically forcing her to spend time alone with his good friend Hogg, who is in love with her. The idea of free love is one thing, but seeing her sister mosey in on her man is difficult for her to deal with.
Claire, on the other hand, has no problem with free love. She loves Shelley, too, and is quite happy to share him, and has no problem doing so. Apart from the jealousy she feels - that she's felt her entire life - because she and her older step-sister Fanny are always ignored when Mary is around, which was the case when Shelley met Mary days after meeting the other two, and then proceeding to practically forget they existed, Claire really doesn't mind sharing Shelley. She does know, however, that Mary is struggling, and though she justifies her actions by thinking that this is what they signed up for when we eloped, and she isn't doing anything wrong, she knows how it would hurt Mary when she finds out.
I don't want to talk too much more about what happens, because it's best discovered as you read, but it's such a heartbreaking but beautiful story. It's told in present tense, with a third person omnipresent narrator, which flits from character to character, but it's mostly from the perspective of Mary and Claire. It's such a feminist story, and I couldn't help but admire these people who felt so strongly about their principles that they would live how they choose and just deal with the hardship is brought. You'd think the ideas and principles that Mary and Shelley have might possibly be a bit heavy and difficult to understand, but Dogar has written their story in such an accessible way, it's easy to follow. And to be honest, some of the stigma they faced isn't too different from what we see today. Sex shaming is sex shaming, no matter what time in history.
But I have to say, I wasn't really a fan of Shelley. No small amount of the narration is from his perspective, so while I understood where he was coming from, I found him to be, at times, quite selfish and uncompassionate, inconsiderate and unthinking. He is genuinely polyamorous, he loves both Mary and Claire, but he doesn't really see why Mary would have a problem, and doesn't deal with it. Yet he's also not that great to Claire, he says he'll support and look after her, but when Mary puts her foot down, he isn't so good to her. He is also impulsive and thoughtless, and a lot of the hardship they face is down to him and his lack of care with money. But I was also really mad at Godwin. He brought Mary up with her mother's teachings, her principles, and yet when she acts on them, he cuts her out of his life completely. She is allowed to live a radical life, but only in the ways he deems acceptable. There is so much talk about women being free to choose the lifes they lead, to be free to love, free from marriage, and so on, yet both Shelley and Godwin are only really happy for women to lives their lives in how they see fit. Mary should embrace free love, allow Shelley to love who he does, and for her to love others, especially Hogg. Mary should come home, have nothing to do with Shelley, and marry an appropriate man. She has more freedom with Shelley, but when does she actually get to make choices for herself? The book is called Monsters, and while almost everyone in this book has their monstrous moments - including Mary, at times she is unbelievably cruel - for me, the men are the monsters for trying to bend the women to their vision.
I've barely scratched the surface with Monsters, but I am telling you, this book is absolutely incredible! Despite it's hardship and suffering, I loved it, and I found Mary Shelley to be quite inspiring. She fights for the freedom to make her own choices, and live her life as she sees fit. And at such a young age! In a world that is disgusted by her. She's remarkable and wonderful, and I'm pretty in awe of her. It's still pretty early into the year, but I'll say it right now: Monsters is a strong contender for one of my favourite books of the year.
Thank you to Andersen Press via NetGalley for the eProof.
I was a little nervous going in to read Monster by Sharon Dogar. While it's a retelling of Mary Shelley's life, I was super excited, but as a historical novel, I was wary. I'm not generally a fan of historical, I tend not to enjoy it. But I shouldn't have worried; Monsters is absolutely incredible!
I originally thought that Monsters was going to focus on Mary's writing of Frankenstein, and while we do see her write it, it's not the focus. Monsters is the story of Mary, and her step-sister Jane - who later changed her name to Claire, which I will call her from now on - when they eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and what follows. It's a story of love and passion, but also one of rejection, hardship and heartbreak.
Shelley has big, radical ideas. He is an atheist, anti-marriage, and believes in free love - not the free love I immediately thought of, the 70s version that meant having sex with whoever you like, but free love; being free to love more than one person. Basically, Shelley is polyamorous. When Mary and her sisters meet Shelley, introduced to him by her father, they all become enamoured by this beautiful man with big ideas that lend to equality for women. Mary's father, William Godwin, was a radical philosopher, and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a radical feminist who didn't believe in marriage. Her father brought Mary up with his and her mother's teachings and ideas, so when she meets Shelley, she's not too far off his own thinking. The two fall madly in love, but despite his teachings, Godwin is completely against their relationship, and so, with the aid of Claire, they elope to France.
And what follows is a story that is full of suffering as it is love. The idea of eloping, and building a community of people with the same principles of free love is romanticised in their heads, but for Mary, the reality is quite different. Shelley is still married to his first wife, Harriet, and so, not only is she rejected by her father, they are ostracised by society. There are very few people who will help and support them. Money is always tight. They flit from place to place, leaving without paying rent, avoiding bailiffs, and, at one point, literally starve to a dangerous point. When Mary becomes pregnant, she realises that what Harriet warned her about - how he loses interest once you're pregnant and looks elsewhere - might be coming true. He's spending more and more time alone with Claire, while practically forcing her to spend time alone with his good friend Hogg, who is in love with her. The idea of free love is one thing, but seeing her sister mosey in on her man is difficult for her to deal with.
Claire, on the other hand, has no problem with free love. She loves Shelley, too, and is quite happy to share him, and has no problem doing so. Apart from the jealousy she feels - that she's felt her entire life - because she and her older step-sister Fanny are always ignored when Mary is around, which was the case when Shelley met Mary days after meeting the other two, and then proceeding to practically forget they existed, Claire really doesn't mind sharing Shelley. She does know, however, that Mary is struggling, and though she justifies her actions by thinking that this is what they signed up for when we eloped, and she isn't doing anything wrong, she knows how it would hurt Mary when she finds out.
I don't want to talk too much more about what happens, because it's best discovered as you read, but it's such a heartbreaking but beautiful story. It's told in present tense, with a third person omnipresent narrator, which flits from character to character, but it's mostly from the perspective of Mary and Claire. It's such a feminist story, and I couldn't help but admire these people who felt so strongly about their principles that they would live how they choose and just deal with the hardship is brought. You'd think the ideas and principles that Mary and Shelley have might possibly be a bit heavy and difficult to understand, but Dogar has written their story in such an accessible way, it's easy to follow. And to be honest, some of the stigma they faced isn't too different from what we see today. Sex shaming is sex shaming, no matter what time in history.
But I have to say, I wasn't really a fan of Shelley. No small amount of the narration is from his perspective, so while I understood where he was coming from, I found him to be, at times, quite selfish and uncompassionate, inconsiderate and unthinking. He is genuinely polyamorous, he loves both Mary and Claire, but he doesn't really see why Mary would have a problem, and doesn't deal with it. Yet he's also not that great to Claire, he says he'll support and look after her, but when Mary puts her foot down, he isn't so good to her. He is also impulsive and thoughtless, and a lot of the hardship they face is down to him and his lack of care with money. But I was also really mad at Godwin. He brought Mary up with her mother's teachings, her principles, and yet when she acts on them, he cuts her out of his life completely. She is allowed to live a radical life, but only in the ways he deems acceptable. There is so much talk about women being free to choose the lifes they lead, to be free to love, free from marriage, and so on, yet both Shelley and Godwin are only really happy for women to lives their lives in how they see fit. Mary should embrace free love, allow Shelley to love who he does, and for her to love others, especially Hogg. Mary should come home, have nothing to do with Shelley, and marry an appropriate man. She has more freedom with Shelley, but when does she actually get to make choices for herself? The book is called Monsters, and while almost everyone in this book has their monstrous moments - including Mary, at times she is unbelievably cruel - for me, the men are the monsters for trying to bend the women to their vision.
I've barely scratched the surface with Monsters, but I am telling you, this book is absolutely incredible! Despite it's hardship and suffering, I loved it, and I found Mary Shelley to be quite inspiring. She fights for the freedom to make her own choices, and live her life as she sees fit. And at such a young age! In a world that is disgusted by her. She's remarkable and wonderful, and I'm pretty in awe of her. It's still pretty early into the year, but I'll say it right now: Monsters is a strong contender for one of my favourite books of the year.
Thank you to Andersen Press via NetGalley for the eProof.
February 17, 2019
I loved Monsters. I loved it for many reasons: for the eloquent, rich writing, for the vivid, complex characters, for the gripping, interesting dialogues, for the heart-warming but exhausting romance, for the strange relationships between the characters and for the whole plot which is inspired by Mary Shelley’s life which lead her to write Frankenstein.
But I also hated Monsters. Just a little bit.
It wasn’t even because it’s extremely long or tiring at times but because the two main female characters are constantly competing against each other. Mary and Jane are sisters and they’re in love with the same guy but their obsession with being better than the other doesn’t start there. It’s been festering since birth and it ends up exploding in their faces when Percy Bysshe Shelley shows up in their lives. It’s so embarrassing to see two girls fighting over a boy but it’s even worse to see two sisters who are so intelligent and strong-minded trying to undermine each other. The war between them makes them so unlikeable but I never stopped caring about them. I love them and I hate them. I might love Jane a little bit more than I love Mary but I guess that’s just because I got so tangled in their love triangle I started preferring Jane’s perspective to Mary’s.
Ah, who am I trying to fool, I love Jane and wish she had actually fallen in love with a mentally healthy person instead of her sister’s boyfriend. She deserved so much more than what she got. She’s much more generous and good-hearted than Mary, who could barely look at her for more than two seconds without starting to judge her. The more Mary underestimated and humiliated Jane, the more I cared for Jane. Mary is fascinating but Jane is special.
I couldn’t care less about Sir Percy Bysshe Shelley. He’s very charming and beautiful and smart but he’s a playboy and that I didn’t buy that ‘free love’ crap. He’s into polygamy, he wants more than one girl in his bed and tries to force the two girls into thinking it’s okay and healthy to be married to someone and still have a romantic relationship with someone else. The punch line here is: don’t try to force someone into a polyamorous relationship if they’re not okay with it from the start. It will never work and everyone will end up miserable.
But Monsters is not only about Mary Shelley’s unhealthy relationship with Percy and her sister. It’s also a brilliant chronicle of what lead her to write her masterpiece, Frankenstein. It’s awesome to feel a sense of foreboding, to watch every little moment throughout her life helping her get inspired to write the story, without even realising it. The author succeeded in creating a very plausible route, which Mary may have actually taken, that eventually allowed the idea of a monster to take shape in her mind.
The book also addresses important concepts such as the role of women in society, sexism, misogyny, and utopianism. It discusses and dissects these themes in an approachable but still eloquent way, although I’m sure a lot of young people would prefer reading something lighter. I’m not sure if this is the ideal YA novel: it may be for readers in their mid-20s but definitely not for teenagers. (You’ll definitely love it if you want to get a degree in literature or if you’re already studying English.)
If you’re wondering why I gave this book 5 stars even though I felt so conflicted about it, this is exactly why. It made me feel and it made me think and it revived lots of knowledge I thought I had lost after I graduated. It’s a fascinating story, full of ups and downs, and it’s all about my favourite subjects. And the writing is just dreamy. I loved it and I hated it but I loved it more than I hated it.
Monsters is my definition of great historical fiction and no matter how many times I sighed and complained about it, it conquered my heart and soul and I am so glad I read it. So glad it makes me mad.
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But I also hated Monsters. Just a little bit.
It wasn’t even because it’s extremely long or tiring at times but because the two main female characters are constantly competing against each other. Mary and Jane are sisters and they’re in love with the same guy but their obsession with being better than the other doesn’t start there. It’s been festering since birth and it ends up exploding in their faces when Percy Bysshe Shelley shows up in their lives. It’s so embarrassing to see two girls fighting over a boy but it’s even worse to see two sisters who are so intelligent and strong-minded trying to undermine each other. The war between them makes them so unlikeable but I never stopped caring about them. I love them and I hate them. I might love Jane a little bit more than I love Mary but I guess that’s just because I got so tangled in their love triangle I started preferring Jane’s perspective to Mary’s.
Ah, who am I trying to fool, I love Jane and wish she had actually fallen in love with a mentally healthy person instead of her sister’s boyfriend. She deserved so much more than what she got. She’s much more generous and good-hearted than Mary, who could barely look at her for more than two seconds without starting to judge her. The more Mary underestimated and humiliated Jane, the more I cared for Jane. Mary is fascinating but Jane is special.
I couldn’t care less about Sir Percy Bysshe Shelley. He’s very charming and beautiful and smart but he’s a playboy and that I didn’t buy that ‘free love’ crap. He’s into polygamy, he wants more than one girl in his bed and tries to force the two girls into thinking it’s okay and healthy to be married to someone and still have a romantic relationship with someone else. The punch line here is: don’t try to force someone into a polyamorous relationship if they’re not okay with it from the start. It will never work and everyone will end up miserable.
But Monsters is not only about Mary Shelley’s unhealthy relationship with Percy and her sister. It’s also a brilliant chronicle of what lead her to write her masterpiece, Frankenstein. It’s awesome to feel a sense of foreboding, to watch every little moment throughout her life helping her get inspired to write the story, without even realising it. The author succeeded in creating a very plausible route, which Mary may have actually taken, that eventually allowed the idea of a monster to take shape in her mind.
The book also addresses important concepts such as the role of women in society, sexism, misogyny, and utopianism. It discusses and dissects these themes in an approachable but still eloquent way, although I’m sure a lot of young people would prefer reading something lighter. I’m not sure if this is the ideal YA novel: it may be for readers in their mid-20s but definitely not for teenagers. (You’ll definitely love it if you want to get a degree in literature or if you’re already studying English.)
If you’re wondering why I gave this book 5 stars even though I felt so conflicted about it, this is exactly why. It made me feel and it made me think and it revived lots of knowledge I thought I had lost after I graduated. It’s a fascinating story, full of ups and downs, and it’s all about my favourite subjects. And the writing is just dreamy. I loved it and I hated it but I loved it more than I hated it.
Monsters is my definition of great historical fiction and no matter how many times I sighed and complained about it, it conquered my heart and soul and I am so glad I read it. So glad it makes me mad.
Follow ParabataiReviews for more.
September 6, 2020
A fascinating retelling of the life of Mary Shelley that inspired the writing of the now famous classic, Frankenstein.
Going against all odds of a normal, acceptable life approved by the community, Mary leaves her family to be with the man she loves in hopes to create a new world based on his philosophy of free love. However, they receive hateful treatment and are exiled from society.
During this journey to build a new world, they along with their company experiences countless tragedies inflicting them with hurt, pain and loss too much to bear.
As Mary is suddenly inspired to write a horror story, she find herself writing the story of Frankenstein based on her own life which finally enlightens her to what has happened and what she truly seeks in her life.
I was very intrigued and fascinated by this story as I was curious as to why the characters were drawn to a philosophy I personally could not agree with. However, I agree that suppressing women to be lower than men is one of the reasons for Mary and Claire to appeal to such ideology.
I applaud Sharon Dogar for writing this story in such a way that motivated me to keep reading. It had a smooth flow and a suspense that kept my interest to understand the minds of the characters that ultimately lead to the creation of Frankenstein.
I may not have fully loved the characters as their selfish ideals lead to so much suffering. But I appreciate how the author wrote the story from many different points of views that allowed me to understand each character in great depth - their aspirations, thoughts, fears, desires.
Thank you Pansing for providing me a free copy of this book to read and review. This book is available at all good bookstores in Malaysia and Singapore.
Going against all odds of a normal, acceptable life approved by the community, Mary leaves her family to be with the man she loves in hopes to create a new world based on his philosophy of free love. However, they receive hateful treatment and are exiled from society.
During this journey to build a new world, they along with their company experiences countless tragedies inflicting them with hurt, pain and loss too much to bear.
As Mary is suddenly inspired to write a horror story, she find herself writing the story of Frankenstein based on her own life which finally enlightens her to what has happened and what she truly seeks in her life.
I was very intrigued and fascinated by this story as I was curious as to why the characters were drawn to a philosophy I personally could not agree with. However, I agree that suppressing women to be lower than men is one of the reasons for Mary and Claire to appeal to such ideology.
I applaud Sharon Dogar for writing this story in such a way that motivated me to keep reading. It had a smooth flow and a suspense that kept my interest to understand the minds of the characters that ultimately lead to the creation of Frankenstein.
I may not have fully loved the characters as their selfish ideals lead to so much suffering. But I appreciate how the author wrote the story from many different points of views that allowed me to understand each character in great depth - their aspirations, thoughts, fears, desires.
Thank you Pansing for providing me a free copy of this book to read and review. This book is available at all good bookstores in Malaysia and Singapore.
March 6, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me access to such a complex and fascinating read. Some of the stories surrounding Frankenstein are well-known, and I admit to finding the book at its most absorbing around this time. However, in this we have an imagined account of the life of Mary Goodwin, her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley and a character I’d never heard of - half-sister Jane/Claire.
Initially the book felt slow in approach. A meticulous and, at times, off-putting focus on the build-up to the relationship between these evidently fascinating characters. There’s a clear sense of the time and beliefs around these characters being brought to life. It was definitely interesting to see how their lives may have intertwined and linked.
While the story was fascinating, I found myself intensely irritated by Shelley and the selfishness with which he acted. The attempt to show his appeal and positive traits is clear, but it didn’t quite succeed.
Initially the book felt slow in approach. A meticulous and, at times, off-putting focus on the build-up to the relationship between these evidently fascinating characters. There’s a clear sense of the time and beliefs around these characters being brought to life. It was definitely interesting to see how their lives may have intertwined and linked.
While the story was fascinating, I found myself intensely irritated by Shelley and the selfishness with which he acted. The attempt to show his appeal and positive traits is clear, but it didn’t quite succeed.
October 27, 2025
An interesting read about the life and inspiration of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, clearly written with teens and young readers in mind as it was inherently simple. I did feel that it was far too long, and that it would have been a better narrative choice to focus more on the writing of Frankenstein rather than the intense personal details of the main trio of characters.
July 16, 2019
At times the writing feels terribly rushed, as though Dogar was racing to get through the story and while I would have preferred a slower journey, I can't deny that it was a stunning one regardless of the speed.
June 23, 2019
Tragic story, beautifully told.
Read
October 17, 2023DNF at 50%
Started out so well but I kind of lost the will to live and really just didn’t care 😬🤷♀️
Started out so well but I kind of lost the will to live and really just didn’t care 😬🤷♀️
February 26, 2023
A bit of a struggle in some parts, the start and the end were the most engaging, the middle seemed to drag.
Mary Shelley was truly an incredible woman.
Mary Shelley was truly an incredible woman.
January 8, 2019
I have a confession to make: I'm not sure I've ever read Frankenstein all the way through. I think I tried, once? But I just... didn't quite get there. Or if I *did* finish it, I don't remember doing so. Despite that, I've read a couple of books about Mary Shelley or with Frankenstein as a repeated motif, which is making me think I really ought to make a second attempt some time and this time, stick with it to the end. By all accounts it's a remarkable piece of work.
While I was vaguely aware of some of the details of Mary Shelley's life, particularly where they overlapped with Percy Shelley and Byron, they were just that: vague. And while I obviously know who Mary Wollstonecraft was, I knew shamefully little about her as a person before reading this. So this helped to fill in some of the blanks for me, and allowed me to understand how Mary Shelley's life, family, and circumstances led to her creating Frankenstein.
(Obviously, I imagine there's some poetic license in there, so it would be remiss to take the whole book as historical fact, but it seems like a good starting point.)
In terms of really understanding the complicated relationships between the characters, I felt it was a convincing read, and kept me surprisingly gripped towards the end -- which led to me staying up way too late to finish it. That's despite the fact that I never fully chimed with the writing style; it took me quite a long time to adjust to, and I wasn't at all sure that present tense was quite right for the story, but maybe that's just me.
In some ways, though, I probably enjoyed it more as a historical introduction / biography than as a novel. What I got out of it was a more detailed understanding of Mary Shelley's life, rather than any particular emotional connection to these figures as *characters*. As it's a period I know nothing about, it's impossible for me to judge how accurate it is on those terms, but it seemed to have a lot of research backing it up. I'd be interested to read more and understand how many of the letters and other written fragments are genuine or extrapolated from existing material, and how many are completely the author's creation.
I think if I were to pick up Frankenstein now, I'd read it very differently than I would have done without reading this first. So it's had a lasting impact on me, but not necessarily as a novel; more as a very gentle, accessible piece of historical literary criticism, or something. If that even makes sense.
I'll try and write a more coherent review of this for my blog closer to the February publication date of this book -- I'm planning to end my extended hiatus eventually. But for now, you get this. tl;dr, I mostly enjoyed the book, and I learned something from it. More accurate rating: 3.5*.
While I was vaguely aware of some of the details of Mary Shelley's life, particularly where they overlapped with Percy Shelley and Byron, they were just that: vague. And while I obviously know who Mary Wollstonecraft was, I knew shamefully little about her as a person before reading this. So this helped to fill in some of the blanks for me, and allowed me to understand how Mary Shelley's life, family, and circumstances led to her creating Frankenstein.
(Obviously, I imagine there's some poetic license in there, so it would be remiss to take the whole book as historical fact, but it seems like a good starting point.)
In terms of really understanding the complicated relationships between the characters, I felt it was a convincing read, and kept me surprisingly gripped towards the end -- which led to me staying up way too late to finish it. That's despite the fact that I never fully chimed with the writing style; it took me quite a long time to adjust to, and I wasn't at all sure that present tense was quite right for the story, but maybe that's just me.
In some ways, though, I probably enjoyed it more as a historical introduction / biography than as a novel. What I got out of it was a more detailed understanding of Mary Shelley's life, rather than any particular emotional connection to these figures as *characters*. As it's a period I know nothing about, it's impossible for me to judge how accurate it is on those terms, but it seemed to have a lot of research backing it up. I'd be interested to read more and understand how many of the letters and other written fragments are genuine or extrapolated from existing material, and how many are completely the author's creation.
I think if I were to pick up Frankenstein now, I'd read it very differently than I would have done without reading this first. So it's had a lasting impact on me, but not necessarily as a novel; more as a very gentle, accessible piece of historical literary criticism, or something. If that even makes sense.
I'll try and write a more coherent review of this for my blog closer to the February publication date of this book -- I'm planning to end my extended hiatus eventually. But for now, you get this. tl;dr, I mostly enjoyed the book, and I learned something from it. More accurate rating: 3.5*.
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January 30, 2019Disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
DNF. It isn't a bad book, just not for me at the moment!
DNF. It isn't a bad book, just not for me at the moment!
February 7, 2019
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of my favourite books, and the story of it's creator is almost as strange and fascinating as the book itself, so I was eager to read Sharon Dogar's Monsters, a fictional account of the real life relationships that shaped Mary Shelley's life. Her mother, who died in childbirth was a feminist and revolutionary and a well known scholar and intellectual, as was her father, and Mary grew up in a household of radicals. When her father remarried, she never really came to terms with it, and her relationship with her step sister Jane was contentious at best. When both girls fall for married poet Percy Bysse Shelley , and elope to France, Mary's relationship with her father is destroyed, as is the reputation of the young ladies. Dreaming of creating a Utopian society where women have equal rights and free love is to be celebrated, the idealistic trio find themselves becoming tangled in a web of love, lust, betrayal and bitterness.
A fascinating character study, I really liked that the author gave equal attention to Mary and the less well known Jane, and hearing the story from both perspectives really gave a feeling of how complicated their lives were, filled with great joy and terrible tragedy. Despite already being familiar with the basic story, I was still gripped by this account.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
A fascinating character study, I really liked that the author gave equal attention to Mary and the less well known Jane, and hearing the story from both perspectives really gave a feeling of how complicated their lives were, filled with great joy and terrible tragedy. Despite already being familiar with the basic story, I was still gripped by this account.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
December 30, 2018
Thanks to Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for providing me with an Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This novel follows the early life of Mary Godwin (Mary Shelley to be) and Percy Bysshe Shelley as well as some of their more well-known family members and friends such as Claire Clairmont and Lord Byron. This book is based on the lives of real historical figures who have been dead for nearly 200 years and many of the events of their fascinating lives are relatively well known, particularly as there has recently been a Mary Shelley movie starring Elle Fanning. With that in mind there may be some light spoilers in this review.
Anyone familiar with this cast of characters knows that fact can sometimes be stranger than fiction. The real-life drama of Mary Godwin and Bysshe Shelley is surprisingly mirrored in our celebrity obsessed modern times, their actions were considered the height of scandal at the time and you really couldn’t make up some of the events they experienced.
The novel begins with a young Mary Godwin, the daughter of writer Mary Wollstonecraft, living with her father, her sister Fanny and her step-mother and step-sister. Mary has a tense relationship with her step-mother and resents her influence over her father. Mary’s mother died shortly after she was born but she feels a strong connection to her and her beliefs, and Mary frequently visits her grave to commune with her. As events progress, she meets the young poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the rest as they say, is history. The events of the novel take us from England, Scotland, France and Switzerland and cover Mary’s life from approximately age 15 until shortly after she publishes Frankenstein at age 20.
The story starts off a little slow with some domestic drama, mopey visits to the graveyard and slightly inane conversations between the Godwin siblings (lots of exclamation marks, my pet hate) but really picks up once Mary meets (the very much married) Bysshe. They are intellectually matched and their passion for one another is tangible and their relationship as two infatuated teenagers is utterly believable. Bysshe, an avowed atheist believes in free love (polyamory essentially) and both Mary and her sisters quickly fall under his spell, in particular Jane, who chooses to join Mary and Bysshe in their self-imposed exile from England. Suffice to say 17th century was not quite ready for a married man to shack up with two very young teenage girls.
Lots of themes are explored in this book including sexism and the double standards in attitudes towards the actions of men and women, religion, grief, frustrated passions and unrequited love, suicide, mother-daughter relationships, homosexuality and political upheavals. When reading this novel, I was struck with how familiar some of the issues were to those still experienced by women today. The scenes where Mary loses her premature daughter were particularly heart-breaking and her loss is felt through the novel. As a new mother these scenes, along with Mary’s longing for the mother she never knew, had a particular resonance for me. Knowing what happens to Mary’s other children after the events of the novel make Mary’s ruminations on grief and loss in the novel particularly poignant and help us understand some of her inspirations for writing Frankenstein.
The author has done an admirable job of keeping the dialogue in tune with that of the time whilst not alienating modern readers. The inclusion of letters back and fore to various characters is also a nice approach to break the narrative up and to get an insight into the mind of Mary and some of the other characters. The novel has been comprehensively researched and follows real life events close enough to satisfy the more nitpicky readers amongst us (like me!)
Although some of the characters are downright unlikeable, they are nonetheless utterly compelling. It can be difficult to like men like Shelley or Byron, yet we can understand some of what made them irresistible to the women and men who crossed their paths. This story is about young people who were born before their time and even if we don’t always like them, we must have a grudging admiration for their bravery in utterly rejecting the status quo and forging their own paths.
My only small criticism would be that at certain points it was tricky to follow the third-person viewpoint to know who was doing or saying what. I was caught out a few times and had to re-read some passages as I'd got lost. I’d suggest that this book doesn’t sit entirely comfortably in the Young Adult genre. I’d perhaps categorise it more leaning towards Historical Fiction. That’s not to say young people wouldn’t like it, they certainly could and would. It just didn’t “feel” like a typical YA novel to me and I think it would perhaps appeal more to a slightly mature reader.
This novel follows the early life of Mary Godwin (Mary Shelley to be) and Percy Bysshe Shelley as well as some of their more well-known family members and friends such as Claire Clairmont and Lord Byron. This book is based on the lives of real historical figures who have been dead for nearly 200 years and many of the events of their fascinating lives are relatively well known, particularly as there has recently been a Mary Shelley movie starring Elle Fanning. With that in mind there may be some light spoilers in this review.
Anyone familiar with this cast of characters knows that fact can sometimes be stranger than fiction. The real-life drama of Mary Godwin and Bysshe Shelley is surprisingly mirrored in our celebrity obsessed modern times, their actions were considered the height of scandal at the time and you really couldn’t make up some of the events they experienced.
The novel begins with a young Mary Godwin, the daughter of writer Mary Wollstonecraft, living with her father, her sister Fanny and her step-mother and step-sister. Mary has a tense relationship with her step-mother and resents her influence over her father. Mary’s mother died shortly after she was born but she feels a strong connection to her and her beliefs, and Mary frequently visits her grave to commune with her. As events progress, she meets the young poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the rest as they say, is history. The events of the novel take us from England, Scotland, France and Switzerland and cover Mary’s life from approximately age 15 until shortly after she publishes Frankenstein at age 20.
The story starts off a little slow with some domestic drama, mopey visits to the graveyard and slightly inane conversations between the Godwin siblings (lots of exclamation marks, my pet hate) but really picks up once Mary meets (the very much married) Bysshe. They are intellectually matched and their passion for one another is tangible and their relationship as two infatuated teenagers is utterly believable. Bysshe, an avowed atheist believes in free love (polyamory essentially) and both Mary and her sisters quickly fall under his spell, in particular Jane, who chooses to join Mary and Bysshe in their self-imposed exile from England. Suffice to say 17th century was not quite ready for a married man to shack up with two very young teenage girls.
Lots of themes are explored in this book including sexism and the double standards in attitudes towards the actions of men and women, religion, grief, frustrated passions and unrequited love, suicide, mother-daughter relationships, homosexuality and political upheavals. When reading this novel, I was struck with how familiar some of the issues were to those still experienced by women today. The scenes where Mary loses her premature daughter were particularly heart-breaking and her loss is felt through the novel. As a new mother these scenes, along with Mary’s longing for the mother she never knew, had a particular resonance for me. Knowing what happens to Mary’s other children after the events of the novel make Mary’s ruminations on grief and loss in the novel particularly poignant and help us understand some of her inspirations for writing Frankenstein.
The author has done an admirable job of keeping the dialogue in tune with that of the time whilst not alienating modern readers. The inclusion of letters back and fore to various characters is also a nice approach to break the narrative up and to get an insight into the mind of Mary and some of the other characters. The novel has been comprehensively researched and follows real life events close enough to satisfy the more nitpicky readers amongst us (like me!)
Although some of the characters are downright unlikeable, they are nonetheless utterly compelling. It can be difficult to like men like Shelley or Byron, yet we can understand some of what made them irresistible to the women and men who crossed their paths. This story is about young people who were born before their time and even if we don’t always like them, we must have a grudging admiration for their bravery in utterly rejecting the status quo and forging their own paths.
My only small criticism would be that at certain points it was tricky to follow the third-person viewpoint to know who was doing or saying what. I was caught out a few times and had to re-read some passages as I'd got lost. I’d suggest that this book doesn’t sit entirely comfortably in the Young Adult genre. I’d perhaps categorise it more leaning towards Historical Fiction. That’s not to say young people wouldn’t like it, they certainly could and would. It just didn’t “feel” like a typical YA novel to me and I think it would perhaps appeal more to a slightly mature reader.
October 30, 2020
Monsters walk among us or maybe we all are, in someway or the other.
Mary Wallstonecraft, a name so famous for feminism and quoted by me so often, for I have studied political science. Yet, I did not know that she was the mother of similarly placed, if not more, Mary Shelley.
Mary Shelley, did not believe in marriage, a strong persona, thoughts beyond her age, before her time and yet in the end, did marry and everything she stood for turned to nill. But again who are we to judge? Their choices, their beliefs, their thinking of free-love, were theirs to make, in that era.
Her story was a story of strength, striving for equality between men and women at every stage. Idealistic, little too much and their ideas of love- blasphemous even for today.
This one made me think, about how far one can go for what one believes in and what is true equality after all. You will not get your answers to your questions because the story is flawed, the characters are even more so. Naive, if I may say, to the point of irritation at times.
Reading this rekindled the writer in me and my love for writing. For that I will be forever grateful. I myself wrote a few pieces inspired from this.The words, the writing, historical, lyrical, perfect for me. Maybe not for others as different styles of writing enlighten different people.
I read some reviews where they found the story stretched but as for me, I loved it. Indeed it took me longer than usual to finish but I wished to cherish each word to be carved upon my being. The letters enclosed were beautifully written and expressed, almost poetic. The turmoil, the pain, dilemma, going against the society and what one herself stands for is put down with ease.
At the same time, I feel that the story behind Frankenstein was short lived which could have been elaborated more. The book is flawed in many a ways but I choose to overlook. This is that book for me.
As I write this, I feel my writing has changed, hopefully for the better. I might as well give it a 4.5 but I know it won't have the same profound everlasting impact it has had on me, on all. So I may give it a 4 but will be the former in my heart, forever.
In future, if ever and when I get published, I would love to inscribe the names Mary Shelley, for her passion and eccentricity and Sharon Dogar, for her writing, in the acknowledgment.
Thank you Sharon Dogar for writing this and making me believe I can write as well. That is what I take away from this book.
#bookreview #bookrecommendation #mywordbubble #notareview #sharondogar #monsters #maryshelley #frankenstein #story #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #flatlay #horror booklover#bookstagrammersunite #bookrecommendations #bookreview #mywordbubble #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookoholic #book #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreviewerindia #review #india #influencer #bookinfluencer #historicalnonfiction #biography
Mary Wallstonecraft, a name so famous for feminism and quoted by me so often, for I have studied political science. Yet, I did not know that she was the mother of similarly placed, if not more, Mary Shelley.
Mary Shelley, did not believe in marriage, a strong persona, thoughts beyond her age, before her time and yet in the end, did marry and everything she stood for turned to nill. But again who are we to judge? Their choices, their beliefs, their thinking of free-love, were theirs to make, in that era.
Her story was a story of strength, striving for equality between men and women at every stage. Idealistic, little too much and their ideas of love- blasphemous even for today.
This one made me think, about how far one can go for what one believes in and what is true equality after all. You will not get your answers to your questions because the story is flawed, the characters are even more so. Naive, if I may say, to the point of irritation at times.
Reading this rekindled the writer in me and my love for writing. For that I will be forever grateful. I myself wrote a few pieces inspired from this.The words, the writing, historical, lyrical, perfect for me. Maybe not for others as different styles of writing enlighten different people.
I read some reviews where they found the story stretched but as for me, I loved it. Indeed it took me longer than usual to finish but I wished to cherish each word to be carved upon my being. The letters enclosed were beautifully written and expressed, almost poetic. The turmoil, the pain, dilemma, going against the society and what one herself stands for is put down with ease.
At the same time, I feel that the story behind Frankenstein was short lived which could have been elaborated more. The book is flawed in many a ways but I choose to overlook. This is that book for me.
As I write this, I feel my writing has changed, hopefully for the better. I might as well give it a 4.5 but I know it won't have the same profound everlasting impact it has had on me, on all. So I may give it a 4 but will be the former in my heart, forever.
In future, if ever and when I get published, I would love to inscribe the names Mary Shelley, for her passion and eccentricity and Sharon Dogar, for her writing, in the acknowledgment.
Thank you Sharon Dogar for writing this and making me believe I can write as well. That is what I take away from this book.
#bookreview #bookrecommendation #mywordbubble #notareview #sharondogar #monsters #maryshelley #frankenstein #story #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #flatlay #horror booklover#bookstagrammersunite #bookrecommendations #bookreview #mywordbubble #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookoholic #book #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreviewerindia #review #india #influencer #bookinfluencer #historicalnonfiction #biography
February 5, 2019
I was #gifted an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
I read Frankestein a couple of years ago and I was obsessed with it. I loved how dark and twisted it was. I have always been a big fan of horror so finally reading the original brought a new, deeper spin on the story. It wasn’t until years later that I decided to look into Mary Shelley and her life and her companions. I was swept away by them and fell into the romantic stories and the poetry. This book is not about that. This book shows a darker, more real version of events. Mary’s life wasn’t all romance and fun.
I can say that this book really is not what I was expecting. It is the same stories I have read about her life but with more truth shining through. It takes into context the time period they were in and what people truly thought of them. Now many people wouldn’t even bat an eye lid at the idea of ‘Free Love’ or a woman simply choosing not to marry. But in the 1800’s it was outrageous. And that is what this book really shows. That these forward-thinking revolutionaries were really outcast.
The writing was amazing and turned this somewhat depressing life story into something more than just a story. The emotions that run through are clear and strong and I was able to empathise, at times, with Mary and Jane. I say at times because I never personally ran away with an atheist poet at the age of 16.
I am not a big fan of romance so I will only touch upon the romance a little bit. It heavily includes a love triangle that becomes a square and polygon at times. Obviously with ‘ Free Love’ being a big thing love does feature heavily within this book. Even I enjoyed the romance at times and I am really not a fan. I would say that love is what this book centres itself around for the majority. Love and also Jealousy.
Although this book wasn’t what I expected I do think it was an overall enjoyable read and would recommend it especially if you love old romance with sad parts. There is a lot of sadness in this book which did sometimes make it difficult to carry on reading. However, I guess that is life. I did expect this to be based more around Mary writing Frankenstein but I know understand that it was the struggles through her whole life that brought her to writing what she wrote.
I read Frankestein a couple of years ago and I was obsessed with it. I loved how dark and twisted it was. I have always been a big fan of horror so finally reading the original brought a new, deeper spin on the story. It wasn’t until years later that I decided to look into Mary Shelley and her life and her companions. I was swept away by them and fell into the romantic stories and the poetry. This book is not about that. This book shows a darker, more real version of events. Mary’s life wasn’t all romance and fun.
I can say that this book really is not what I was expecting. It is the same stories I have read about her life but with more truth shining through. It takes into context the time period they were in and what people truly thought of them. Now many people wouldn’t even bat an eye lid at the idea of ‘Free Love’ or a woman simply choosing not to marry. But in the 1800’s it was outrageous. And that is what this book really shows. That these forward-thinking revolutionaries were really outcast.
The writing was amazing and turned this somewhat depressing life story into something more than just a story. The emotions that run through are clear and strong and I was able to empathise, at times, with Mary and Jane. I say at times because I never personally ran away with an atheist poet at the age of 16.
I am not a big fan of romance so I will only touch upon the romance a little bit. It heavily includes a love triangle that becomes a square and polygon at times. Obviously with ‘ Free Love’ being a big thing love does feature heavily within this book. Even I enjoyed the romance at times and I am really not a fan. I would say that love is what this book centres itself around for the majority. Love and also Jealousy.
Although this book wasn’t what I expected I do think it was an overall enjoyable read and would recommend it especially if you love old romance with sad parts. There is a lot of sadness in this book which did sometimes make it difficult to carry on reading. However, I guess that is life. I did expect this to be based more around Mary writing Frankenstein but I know understand that it was the struggles through her whole life that brought her to writing what she wrote.
February 16, 2019
This is typically a book to buy bookboxes for. I don't think I would have discovered the book without bookboxclub and I certainly don't know if I'd picked it up without my buddy's. Now I've finished the book (sorry Buddy's, I already read tomorrow's pages too) I'm actually glad that I discovered this book completely outside my usual comfort zone.
The book is written in a very beautiful, but easy to read style. It does take some time to get used to the fact that there are no chapters. Usually chapters are my breathing point AND the points where I pause my book. But, there were blank lines and bold lines to mark the dates, so it turned out this was actually way easier. There were many more moments to pause the book than there would have been if the book had been chaptered.
What's also interesting is the story. It's not the easiest tale to read. Mary's life, and also the lives of the other people who played a huge part in her story, has been far from easy. Due to the constant changes of perspective we get to know every character quite well, but they're not all likeable. I'd even go as far as saying that maybe no character, apart from maybe Fanny, was likeable. They were however all very human. And that made it so interesting. This were not sympathetic characters whom we rooted for, but these were real human beings we could hate and love and curse and cuddle.
But the book is interesting because of more than just the characters. It's also interesting because of the themes. In a way this book deals with female empowerment, with the position of women (and it reminds us that we've come a long way, but by far not long enough yet) and with the huge difference between dreams and reality and how much friction one can create when the ideology and theory are constantly contradicted by emotions and feelings. It's maybe not the most entertaining and amusing read, but it is an impressive one.
This year a new translation of Frankenstein will be released in the Netherlands and I can't wait to read that story while knowing what Mary's life might have been like. I'm sure it will add quite a few new layers to the story!
The book is written in a very beautiful, but easy to read style. It does take some time to get used to the fact that there are no chapters. Usually chapters are my breathing point AND the points where I pause my book. But, there were blank lines and bold lines to mark the dates, so it turned out this was actually way easier. There were many more moments to pause the book than there would have been if the book had been chaptered.
What's also interesting is the story. It's not the easiest tale to read. Mary's life, and also the lives of the other people who played a huge part in her story, has been far from easy. Due to the constant changes of perspective we get to know every character quite well, but they're not all likeable. I'd even go as far as saying that maybe no character, apart from maybe Fanny, was likeable. They were however all very human. And that made it so interesting. This were not sympathetic characters whom we rooted for, but these were real human beings we could hate and love and curse and cuddle.
But the book is interesting because of more than just the characters. It's also interesting because of the themes. In a way this book deals with female empowerment, with the position of women (and it reminds us that we've come a long way, but by far not long enough yet) and with the huge difference between dreams and reality and how much friction one can create when the ideology and theory are constantly contradicted by emotions and feelings. It's maybe not the most entertaining and amusing read, but it is an impressive one.
This year a new translation of Frankenstein will be released in the Netherlands and I can't wait to read that story while knowing what Mary's life might have been like. I'm sure it will add quite a few new layers to the story!
October 9, 2019
Book received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Monsters by Sharon Dogar is a retelling of the life shared by Mary Shelley, Sir Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Jane Godwin. Bysshe, a poet, believed in free love. Mary, backed by the feminist ideas by her late mother, found Bysshe's way of thinking fascinating and she and Jane decide to join him in creating a community for those who want to follow the ideas of free love. This retelling recounts their journies across Europe and back, children being born, loss, love, and Mary's writing of Frankenstein.
I really wanted to like this book. Frankenstein is one of my favorite classic novels and a chance to learn about Mary Shelley's life, even if a fictional retelling appealed to me. Unfortunately Monsters: The passion and loss that created Frankenstein fell completely flat in its retelling.
The whole book is written in the present tense. This is something I can overlook, but even flashbacks were written in the present tense which made things so confusing that I often had to turn back and reread what I had just read in order to make sense of what was going on in the novel.
It felt extremely clunky to read and had no real flow. I thought a novel about Mary Shelley and the creation of Frankenstein would be told from Mary's point of view strictly, however, the book is third-person omniscient, leaving no thought by any character untold. It often felt like I had whiplash trying to keep up with the rapid-fire PoV changes.
The portrayal of Mary, Bysshe, and Jane are all extremely unlikeable. I'm not sure if it was on purpose, and though Dogar expressed she had a soft spot for Jane, she was still on par with how dull and pretentious and unlikeable the other portrayals were.
I would not recommend this book for a good retelling of Mary Shelley's life. I haven't done the amount of research that I'm sure Dogar has done, and the timeline of her life was interesting, but the minor details that filled everything in between were lacking in passion and excitement.
Monsters by Sharon Dogar is a retelling of the life shared by Mary Shelley, Sir Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Jane Godwin. Bysshe, a poet, believed in free love. Mary, backed by the feminist ideas by her late mother, found Bysshe's way of thinking fascinating and she and Jane decide to join him in creating a community for those who want to follow the ideas of free love. This retelling recounts their journies across Europe and back, children being born, loss, love, and Mary's writing of Frankenstein.
I really wanted to like this book. Frankenstein is one of my favorite classic novels and a chance to learn about Mary Shelley's life, even if a fictional retelling appealed to me. Unfortunately Monsters: The passion and loss that created Frankenstein fell completely flat in its retelling.
The whole book is written in the present tense. This is something I can overlook, but even flashbacks were written in the present tense which made things so confusing that I often had to turn back and reread what I had just read in order to make sense of what was going on in the novel.
It felt extremely clunky to read and had no real flow. I thought a novel about Mary Shelley and the creation of Frankenstein would be told from Mary's point of view strictly, however, the book is third-person omniscient, leaving no thought by any character untold. It often felt like I had whiplash trying to keep up with the rapid-fire PoV changes.
The portrayal of Mary, Bysshe, and Jane are all extremely unlikeable. I'm not sure if it was on purpose, and though Dogar expressed she had a soft spot for Jane, she was still on par with how dull and pretentious and unlikeable the other portrayals were.
I would not recommend this book for a good retelling of Mary Shelley's life. I haven't done the amount of research that I'm sure Dogar has done, and the timeline of her life was interesting, but the minor details that filled everything in between were lacking in passion and excitement.
January 2, 2020
This is the story about the passion for change in the views of society which is very hard to achieve. It is about forbidden love, pain and longing after making decisions that is the result of lives that will be changed forever. It is also about sparking and fighting for the love of words, writing and poetry.
This story focuses on Mary Shelley, a renowned writer who wrote the masterpiece that is Frankenstein. I honestly have never really seen nor have I read this story. I only know glimpses of the story which is still pretty vague. But the life that she goes through to write this story was long, tiring and full of ups and downs. For love and for change, she is willing to brave embarrassment and shame of how the people perceive her just for the sake of a more radical and forward society.
Truth be told, I do not agree with Mary and I even find her story to be too unrealistic to be true. Yet, I continued to read it until the end. For reasons that I stand by, I do not agree with Mary and the change that she desperately seeks along with Bysshe, Claire and Lord Byron. Their lives are so scandalous, ugly and full of hatred yet they would still remain with their beliefs of a more open minded people of the future.
I really wanted to read more about the writing aspect yet this story was so focused on their opinions and their whirlwind lives that I only got mere scraps of the story at the very end. And even though Lord Byron is mentioned in the synopsis yet I only got to him towards the end as well. To me, it felt super rushed. The author could instead balance it all out so it does not just focus on one thing but two things at once.
I have no words left to say regarding this book because everytime I put it down to pause, I kept looking back and thought to myself like what the hell did I just read? This story made me think and at times I just wanted to throw it away but I'm so glad that I pushed through. Monsters is a story of changing both the good and the bad that revolves around life that one hopes to eradicate. Well, all I can say is mission accomplished.
This story focuses on Mary Shelley, a renowned writer who wrote the masterpiece that is Frankenstein. I honestly have never really seen nor have I read this story. I only know glimpses of the story which is still pretty vague. But the life that she goes through to write this story was long, tiring and full of ups and downs. For love and for change, she is willing to brave embarrassment and shame of how the people perceive her just for the sake of a more radical and forward society.
Truth be told, I do not agree with Mary and I even find her story to be too unrealistic to be true. Yet, I continued to read it until the end. For reasons that I stand by, I do not agree with Mary and the change that she desperately seeks along with Bysshe, Claire and Lord Byron. Their lives are so scandalous, ugly and full of hatred yet they would still remain with their beliefs of a more open minded people of the future.
I really wanted to read more about the writing aspect yet this story was so focused on their opinions and their whirlwind lives that I only got mere scraps of the story at the very end. And even though Lord Byron is mentioned in the synopsis yet I only got to him towards the end as well. To me, it felt super rushed. The author could instead balance it all out so it does not just focus on one thing but two things at once.
I have no words left to say regarding this book because everytime I put it down to pause, I kept looking back and thought to myself like what the hell did I just read? This story made me think and at times I just wanted to throw it away but I'm so glad that I pushed through. Monsters is a story of changing both the good and the bad that revolves around life that one hopes to eradicate. Well, all I can say is mission accomplished.
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