What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pilgrims
In the title story, a knight living alone in his isolated mountain fortress shows hospitality toward two pilgrims who appear from the mountains seeking shelter. Entreated to tell them of his sorrow, the knight unburdens himself and relates a tragic tale of love and loss. Resigned to the bitter fate that life has dealt him, the knight is unaware of the true nature of the two young peoples pilgrimage, until a revelation transforms his understanding of his past and reveals the possibility of a new future. Four other short stories by Shelley are also included: "The Dream," "The False Rhyme," "The Invisible Girl," and "The Mourner."
99 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1837
5 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
2,384 books8,860 followersMary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, often known as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, travel writer, and editor of the works of her husband, Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. She was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and the writer, philosopher, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
Mary Shelley was taken seriously as a writer in her own lifetime, though reviewers often missed the political edge to her novels. After her death, however, she was chiefly remembered only as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley and as the author of Frankenstein. It was not until 1989, when Emily Sunstein published her prizewinning biography Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality, that a full-length scholarly biography analyzing all of Shelley's letters, journals, and works within their historical context was published.
The well-meaning attempts of Mary Shelley's son and daughter-in-law to "Victorianise" her memory through the censoring of letters and biographical material contributed to a perception of Mary Shelley as a more conventional, less reformist figure than her works suggest. Her own timid omissions from Percy Shelley's works and her quiet avoidance of public controversy in the later years of her life added to this impression.
The eclipse of Mary Shelley's reputation as a novelist and biographer meant that, until the last thirty years, most of her works remained out of print, obstructing a larger view of her achievement. She was seen as a one-novel author, if that. In recent decades, however, the republication of almost all her writings has stimulated a new recognition of its value. Her voracious reading habits and intensive study, revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works, is now better appreciated. Shelley's recognition of herself as an author has also been recognized; after Percy's death, she wrote about her authorial ambitions: "I think that I can maintain myself, and there is something inspiriting in the idea". Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure, significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal.
Mary Shelley was taken seriously as a writer in her own lifetime, though reviewers often missed the political edge to her novels. After her death, however, she was chiefly remembered only as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley and as the author of Frankenstein. It was not until 1989, when Emily Sunstein published her prizewinning biography Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality, that a full-length scholarly biography analyzing all of Shelley's letters, journals, and works within their historical context was published.
The well-meaning attempts of Mary Shelley's son and daughter-in-law to "Victorianise" her memory through the censoring of letters and biographical material contributed to a perception of Mary Shelley as a more conventional, less reformist figure than her works suggest. Her own timid omissions from Percy Shelley's works and her quiet avoidance of public controversy in the later years of her life added to this impression.
The eclipse of Mary Shelley's reputation as a novelist and biographer meant that, until the last thirty years, most of her works remained out of print, obstructing a larger view of her achievement. She was seen as a one-novel author, if that. In recent decades, however, the republication of almost all her writings has stimulated a new recognition of its value. Her voracious reading habits and intensive study, revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works, is now better appreciated. Shelley's recognition of herself as an author has also been recognized; after Percy's death, she wrote about her authorial ambitions: "I think that I can maintain myself, and there is something inspiriting in the idea". Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure, significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 30, 2017
This is the second Mary Shelley anthology to be published in the Hesperus Classics series. The first one, built around the eerie supernatural tale Transformation, emphasized the eclecticism of Shelley's fantastic fiction, from the diablerie of the title tale to the proto-scifi of "The Mortal Immortal" (see review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ).
On the other hand, all the five stories in this collection fall squarely within the classic "Gothic" genre, sharing such familiar tropes as decaying castles/towers, family feuds, mistaken identities, lovelorn maidens, forbidding atmospheric conditions (storms, mists and rain keep the weatherman busy) and protagonists prone to fainting at every unexpected twist of the plot. The first three stories: "The Pilgrims", "The Dream" and "The False Rhyme" also share a medieval, chivalric setting and deliberately archaic dialogue which makes them come across as the literary equivalent of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
But there are deeper concerns at work here than just the telling of a good tale. As novelist Kamila Shamsie points out in her insightful foreword, all the stories share a theme very close to Shelley's heart - the uncomfortable triangle between father, daughter and lover. It is only natural to draw a parallel with the life-story of the author herself - young Mary had incurred the wrath of a father she greatly loved when she eloped with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. With this context in mind, it is hard not to be moved by these works, particularly the poignant "The Mourner" which brings the volume to an emotionally shattering close.
On the other hand, all the five stories in this collection fall squarely within the classic "Gothic" genre, sharing such familiar tropes as decaying castles/towers, family feuds, mistaken identities, lovelorn maidens, forbidding atmospheric conditions (storms, mists and rain keep the weatherman busy) and protagonists prone to fainting at every unexpected twist of the plot. The first three stories: "The Pilgrims", "The Dream" and "The False Rhyme" also share a medieval, chivalric setting and deliberately archaic dialogue which makes them come across as the literary equivalent of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
But there are deeper concerns at work here than just the telling of a good tale. As novelist Kamila Shamsie points out in her insightful foreword, all the stories share a theme very close to Shelley's heart - the uncomfortable triangle between father, daughter and lover. It is only natural to draw a parallel with the life-story of the author herself - young Mary had incurred the wrath of a father she greatly loved when she eloped with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. With this context in mind, it is hard not to be moved by these works, particularly the poignant "The Mourner" which brings the volume to an emotionally shattering close.
February 13, 2011
Some fantastic short stories, all with themes of love, despair, forgiveness, loss and sorrow are contained in this small book, written by one of the 19th Centurys most influential authors. Mary Shelley had a very traumatic life, loosing a lot of her children and also her husband, Percy Shelley whilst young, and I suppose these tales are a mirror to her loss and the life she led. The tales are of classic gothic style; The Piligrims deal with a father loosing his daughter to a rival kingdom and the despair he suffers; The Dream is about a womans love for a man whose family, during a conflict have killed her father and deals with her forgiveness; The Invisible Girl is a really lovely tale of thwarted love between two lovers, and they end up reuniting; The Mourner again about despair, this time of a daughters guilt over her fathers death and so ends up destroying herself. I really liked this book, and if you be a fan of Shelley, then you will love these tales.
January 14, 2016
For no good reason, I stalled for nearly a year part way through this book. Somehow, I couldn't get into it: started, stopped, restarted, stopped, restarted from the beginning, stopped - uhh! Then, picked it up towards the end of the year and polished it off in one sitting. I think it was me rather than Mary :-)
It's a slim volume of only ninety-nine pages, containing five stories of a Gothic Romance persuasion. I don't think there's anything in here that breaks new ground, but they are (when you're in the right frame of mind!) interesting and engaging tales of their kind.
My preferred stories in the collection are the last two, The Invisible Girl and The Mourner. Thunder, stormy seas, lost lovers and enduring loyalty. I'm sure there's something in the idea of a period TV mini-series of Shelley's Gothic romances.
It's a slim volume of only ninety-nine pages, containing five stories of a Gothic Romance persuasion. I don't think there's anything in here that breaks new ground, but they are (when you're in the right frame of mind!) interesting and engaging tales of their kind.
My preferred stories in the collection are the last two, The Invisible Girl and The Mourner. Thunder, stormy seas, lost lovers and enduring loyalty. I'm sure there's something in the idea of a period TV mini-series of Shelley's Gothic romances.
September 20, 2019
An interesting, little collection of short stories, some of which read like fairy tales.
July 9, 2018
The language in these stories are absolutely beautiful. It is clear that each word has been thought of carefully. These stories are about subtlety and they are slow burners which made it a harder read but it is worth it.
November 11, 2009
Mark Shelley is more famous for Frankenstein, ah yes, now you remember :). This one however is no where like Frankenstein, as the blurb suggests it is a collection of 4 very short stories. This classic comes with a forward written by Kamila Shamsie, which I found really encouraging and good. I have tried in recent past unsuccessfully to read many classics, and I for the same reasons was scared to pick this one. The only encouraging thing I felt about the book was that it was ONLY 112 pages. Well, I must also say that Kamila's forward was good and she really did push me to read it :-)
The 1st story "The Pilgrims" has a widowed father bringing up a beautiful daughter. The daughter however chooses to elope with her father's enemies son. Which brings immense sorrow to both the father and the daughter. The daughter lives her life in deep pain and the only thing that keeps her going is the slight hope that her father will forgive and accept her family on day.
The 2nd story "The Dream" is the story of a Constance who has lost her Father and Brother to a bloody battle, in which the enemies was her beloved's army. She blames herself and there courtship for what really happened to her family.
The 3rd story "The False Rhyme" is the shortest of them all. I actually have to say I really liked this one. I thought it was clever and a suspense was knit and brilliantly executed in 4 pages! In this the Queen and her brother make a bet in which the Queen has to find her most faithful and favorite maids of honor, whose husband was punished by the Queen's brother and soon after she eloped with a handsome guy. They try everything to find her so as to extract an explanation to such unvirtuous act on her end.
The 4th story "The Invisible Girl" was the story of love between an orphan girl and a boy who were both bought up by the boy's father. I really don't want to say more, in fear of giving away. But what stuck me most in this has to be the father's thinking. I really felt pity for him.
The 5th story "The Mourner" was really touching. I really felt bad for the main protagonist. I am not going to give you any details simply because I have no idea how to surmise it here without giving anything away!
In the forward Kamila Shamsie, actually tells us a lot about Mark Shelley and how each of the stories are her own stories. I really loved this book. The stories are predictable but the writing is excellent and the portrayal of the unrelenting love that a woman's heart has is very touching. The pain surely comes from the love that a women has, don't you think?!
Highly Recommended for all classic lovers.
The 1st story "The Pilgrims" has a widowed father bringing up a beautiful daughter. The daughter however chooses to elope with her father's enemies son. Which brings immense sorrow to both the father and the daughter. The daughter lives her life in deep pain and the only thing that keeps her going is the slight hope that her father will forgive and accept her family on day.
The 2nd story "The Dream" is the story of a Constance who has lost her Father and Brother to a bloody battle, in which the enemies was her beloved's army. She blames herself and there courtship for what really happened to her family.
The 3rd story "The False Rhyme" is the shortest of them all. I actually have to say I really liked this one. I thought it was clever and a suspense was knit and brilliantly executed in 4 pages! In this the Queen and her brother make a bet in which the Queen has to find her most faithful and favorite maids of honor, whose husband was punished by the Queen's brother and soon after she eloped with a handsome guy. They try everything to find her so as to extract an explanation to such unvirtuous act on her end.
The 4th story "The Invisible Girl" was the story of love between an orphan girl and a boy who were both bought up by the boy's father. I really don't want to say more, in fear of giving away. But what stuck me most in this has to be the father's thinking. I really felt pity for him.
The 5th story "The Mourner" was really touching. I really felt bad for the main protagonist. I am not going to give you any details simply because I have no idea how to surmise it here without giving anything away!
In the forward Kamila Shamsie, actually tells us a lot about Mark Shelley and how each of the stories are her own stories. I really loved this book. The stories are predictable but the writing is excellent and the portrayal of the unrelenting love that a woman's heart has is very touching. The pain surely comes from the love that a women has, don't you think?!
Highly Recommended for all classic lovers.
April 5, 2013
Reading the post-apocalyptic fic of After London reminded me I should really read more Mary Shelley books as I remembered how much I loved the Last Man (and Frankenstein). So I reserved everything I could find at the library. This was the first to come in. After reading so many "modern" books it was SO LOVELY to read something with style again. The writing was just beautiful and lovely and added so much to the stories.
This is a lovely collection of gothic romances. There are five stories all together. They are not supernatural but quite timeless. In the stories lovers are seperated and there is lots of death and loss. The women also have tremendous agency and don't rely on the men to sort their lives out for them. There are five stories, the first about a knight who threw his daughter out the house for wanting to marry the son of his enemy, a woman who was trying to decide if she should join a convant, a man who'd lost the love of his life, a school boy who found a mysterious woman in the woods, and a short tale about the constancy of women in the face of rumour. The family dynamics and the power of depression were portrayed beautifully.
I adored this collection so much that before I was finished I went to amazon and bought my own copy. (For the bargain price of 1p) I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of her books that I reserved.
This is a lovely collection of gothic romances. There are five stories all together. They are not supernatural but quite timeless. In the stories lovers are seperated and there is lots of death and loss. The women also have tremendous agency and don't rely on the men to sort their lives out for them. There are five stories, the first about a knight who threw his daughter out the house for wanting to marry the son of his enemy, a woman who was trying to decide if she should join a convant, a man who'd lost the love of his life, a school boy who found a mysterious woman in the woods, and a short tale about the constancy of women in the face of rumour. The family dynamics and the power of depression were portrayed beautifully.
I adored this collection so much that before I was finished I went to amazon and bought my own copy. (For the bargain price of 1p) I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of her books that I reserved.
December 15, 2015
To quote another reviewer (on another book) who summed it up so well, and left this undying phrase that I'm so totally stealing,: I dissappoint.
But seriously, it's entirely my fault I dissappoint. I wanted to read more Shelley in hopes of more Frankestein, which now in hindsight, I realise is my naive fault. It is completely acceptable, and expected, of writers to explore more and be more than their most famous master piece. In reality I guess I'm still in search of other novels that are similar to Frankenstein and was hoping Shelley would present me with the answer. There are obvious similarities of course, but these pieces come nowhere near. Their storylines seem either forced or obvious in the sense that you know what's going to happen a mile away. It would be sad even, if these short stories would be repeats of Frankenstein, because it would only prove how bad a writer Shelley is (with no ability for versatility) and not how good a searcher, and finder, of similar stories to Frankenstein I am.
I will keep searching and maybe, just maybe, I'll learn something for once.
But seriously, it's entirely my fault I dissappoint. I wanted to read more Shelley in hopes of more Frankestein, which now in hindsight, I realise is my naive fault. It is completely acceptable, and expected, of writers to explore more and be more than their most famous master piece. In reality I guess I'm still in search of other novels that are similar to Frankenstein and was hoping Shelley would present me with the answer. There are obvious similarities of course, but these pieces come nowhere near. Their storylines seem either forced or obvious in the sense that you know what's going to happen a mile away. It would be sad even, if these short stories would be repeats of Frankenstein, because it would only prove how bad a writer Shelley is (with no ability for versatility) and not how good a searcher, and finder, of similar stories to Frankenstein I am.
I will keep searching and maybe, just maybe, I'll learn something for once.
May 22, 2015
Very good.Five powerful and thought-proviking stories from Mary Shelley.They reflect the tragic details of her life through the theme of premature mortality and loss.
December 17, 2013
This is a collection of five short Gothic tales written by the hand that brought Frankenstein and his creation to life. These are traditional darkly Gothic tales that revolve around each of the characters and their loves and loss and all those goes between. Each tale is set in its own world from desolate and isolated castles to the open seas and these reflect the tone and emotional feel of the story taking the reader deeper into the story and into the characters lives. A superb collection that shows Shelley's versatility and ease with the human condition.
June 20, 2011
I found this book to be disappointing. There are some interesting ideas / stories in this book, but I found only two of them worth reading, The False Rhyme and The Mourner.
June 24, 2016
Though written and set in the early 1800s, these stories reminded me of medieval romances. Vocabulary increased by +12 words :)
October 26, 2016
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. The stories were short but I really got into them and liked the clever plot twists. My favorite one was "The False Rhyme."
May 27, 2018
So I kind of expected a set of mysterious novels, Jane Eyre-style. It was nothing like that.
December 12, 2021
I think the first two short stories in this book are best described as medieval romance, rather than gothic romance, yes there is heartbreak and suffering but nothing truly cruel and they appear to me to be almost perfect as fairy tales although there are no fairy tale elements, perhaps then, modern myth or legend (well modern is a relative term here). There is one story called The Invisible Girl which has a cruel aunt which is for that reason slightly gothic. The final tale is perhaps the most gothic in both flavour and ending. No spoilers but I will say Mary Shelley seems to have a real predilection for the word, umbrageous, it is repeated in almost every story and while I accept that the language is somewhat dated, it is also rich and lovely so this repetition gets a tad tiresome, it means shady by the way...
October 30, 2020
I found the first 3 stories pretty uninteresting but very dramatic, but then the last 2, 'The Invisible Girl' and 'The Mourner' were absolutely fantastic.
While it is aguable that the first 3 stories are initially each depressing in there situations I find that they have happier endings which I don't necessarily care for.
However, the last 2 stories had such a strong sense of melancholy wonder that even the ending was so greatly attune to the authors depression. I wish I could have such a fine understanding and respect for sadness and despair.
I did write a review of the invisible girl after reading it because I just felt so strongly for Rosina and the imagery associated with that small story.
While it is aguable that the first 3 stories are initially each depressing in there situations I find that they have happier endings which I don't necessarily care for.
However, the last 2 stories had such a strong sense of melancholy wonder that even the ending was so greatly attune to the authors depression. I wish I could have such a fine understanding and respect for sadness and despair.
I did write a review of the invisible girl after reading it because I just felt so strongly for Rosina and the imagery associated with that small story.
August 25, 2021
“The Pilgrims”
Beautiful gothic tale of the tragic romantic genre.
“… because I dare assert the truth in the courts of princes. But since my tongue cannot frame itself to speak that which my heart does not dictate..”
Beautiful gothic tale of the tragic romantic genre.
“… because I dare assert the truth in the courts of princes. But since my tongue cannot frame itself to speak that which my heart does not dictate..”
May 10, 2023
This slim volume of gothic short stories by the creator of 'Frankenstein' is a curiosity more than anything. The tales are atmospheric and the writing erudite (lots of new words to learn - like umbrageous and equinoctial) but I didn’t find them particularly engaging.
July 23, 2021
Shelley writes poetically; her stories are atmospheric and lyrical. They are all rather sad.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews