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Arguing with the Dead
The year is 1839, and Mary Shelley - the woman who wrote Frankenstein - is living alone in a tiny cottage on the banks of the river Thames in Putney. As she sorts through the snowstorm of her husband's scattered papers she is reminded of their the half-ruined villas in Italy, the stormy relationship with Shelley and her stepsister Claire, the loss of her children, the attempted kidnapping of Claire's daughter Allegra from a prison-like convent in Florence. And finally, her husband's drowning on the Gulf of Spezia as they stayed in a grim-looking fortress overlooking the sea. What she has never confided in anyone is that she has always been haunted by Shelley's drowned first wife, Harriet, who would come to visit her in the night as she slept with her two tiny children in a vast abandoned villa while Shelley was away litigating with lawyers. Did Mary pay the ultimate price for loving Shelley? Who will Harriet come for next?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2019
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Alex Nye
11 books35 followersAlex Nye is the author of EVEN THE BIRDS GROW SILENT, and is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund at the University of Glasgow. She grew up in Norfolk by the sea, but has lived in Scotland for most of her adult life where she finds much of her inspiration in Scottish history. At the age of 16 she won the W H Smith Young Writers' Award out of 33,000 entrants, and has been writing ever since. Her first children's novel, CHILL, won the Royal Mail Award. Previous titles include FOR MY SINS about Mary Queen of Scots, ARGUING WITH THE DEAD, a novel about the life of Mary Shelley, WHEN WE GET TO THE ISLAND, DARKER ENDS, and the classic Kelpies series CHILL and SHIVER. She divides her time between walking the dog, swimming, scribbling in notebooks in strange places, staring at people without meaning to, and tapping away on her laptop. She also teaches and delivers atmospheric candlelit workshops on creative writing/ghost stories/Scottish history. She studied at King's College, London more years ago than she cares to remember.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 9, 2019
Mary Shelly (1797-1851) is the author of one of the most famous Gothic horror novels of all time - Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus.
She was the daughter of the celebrated proto-feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the political philosopher William Godwin. Her mother's book, A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), argued for that men and women were naturally equal, but women were being subjugated by the lack of education: she believed that women should be free to live how they wished and indeed, and she lived a most unorthodox and bohemian lifestyle herself - one which gained her much notoriety.
Although Mary Shelley's mother died when she was a tiny baby, her legacy was a huge influence on Mary. Mary's father, Godwin, allowed her a great deal of freedom, letting her read freely from his library, and impressed upon her from a very young age that her mother's ideology was something to be admired. Not surprisingly, Mary was the most unorthodox child herself and her life was one of extraordinary experiences for the early 19th Century.
At the beginning of this account of Mary's life by Alex Nye, the year is 1839 and Mary finds herself living alone in a tiny, damp cottage by the river Thames. She spends her waking hours trying to piece together a living for herself and her son, by sorting through and editing the papers of her late husband, the infamous Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, for publication.
While doing so, she looks back on her life, telling of her travels through Europe, her stormy relationship with her husband, and the consequences of her upbringing.
This is her story...
*********************************************************************************
This is not the first book I have read about the life of Mary Shelly, although it is my favourite, by a country mile!
Whenever I read something about Mary Shelley, I am constantly amazed that most people know so little about her amazing life when she is the author of such a famous novel as Frankenstein! This woman was a pioneer of feminism, taking up the torch left by her mother, but while the mother is now remembered for her landmark book, it was a hard cross to bear for the daughter.
The struggle Mary faced, living in the shadow of her mother, comes across so clearly in this book - yes, she shared many of her mother's principles (she had no choice, given her education), but she comes to learn that there can be uncomfortable consequences when choosing to live an unconventional life.
Mary could never forget that, although her mother's ideology was so lauded by Godwin, when it came down to the practicalities, he was a hypocrite and happy to secretly perpetuate the patriarchy. However admirable the principles advocated by his late wife, her life was eclipsed by the destruction of her reputation.
From the very beginning, Mary Shelley was enamoured of the liberal and romantic philosophy of her parents. She knew no other way of thinking. When her father remarried, therefore, and their way of living changed so completely, the sparks were always going to fly.
Mary was not brought up to live a conventional life and it should have been no surprise that she was attracted to the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when they met. In fact, it seems hard to believe that Godwin was so blind as to the disposition of his daughter, although he had moulded her this way. For all the protestations by the men in Mary's life that women should be free, in the end, they want their women to be in thrall of them and under their control.
In any case, it was inevitable that, at sixteen, Mary would fall in love with Percy and think nothing of running away with him, even though he was married to another woman. Perhaps, she did not anticipate that her step-sister would want to tag along too, but Percy's charms were clearly infectious. And so Mary stepped onto a treadmill that it proved impossible to escape from.
The most delicious thing about this book is the way Alex Nye has so skillfully crafted Mary's life into the quintessential Gothic novel. I have not seen this done before and am amazed at how well this works. Mary is, in fact, the perfect Gothic heroine - here is a young girl, with modern ideas, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of her home-life; she meets a dashing and mysterious man who offers her passion and wild adventure, among haunted, ruined villas in exotic locations; but she finds, to her cost, that not is all as it seems, and jealousy, betrayal, death and destruction await. It seems so obvious!
At the same time, Alex Nye weaves the development of Mary's Frankenstein so cleverly into the fabric of her experiences. The wondrous landscapes Mary sees spark something within her and she is compelled to write the kind of story that has not been seen before - something incredible from the mind of such a young woman. Remember that Mary was only 19 years old when she wrote her masterpiece!
I was very impressed by the way Alex Nye reflects the changing relationship between Mary and Percy in Mary's attitude towards Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Mary conceives Frankenstein to be eager to do right and follow his dreams at first, but later on, she realises that it is in fact the Monster who deserves sympathy, as he is rejected by his creator and doomed to solitude.
This works so well with her own feelings about Percy - at first she was so in love and keen to be the person Percy thought she was, but as time goes by, she feels rejected and is worn down by Percy's betrayals: Mary sees she has become a "monster" in the eyes of the man she loves, but is powerless to do anything about her situation. Mary has been mercilessly taken advantage of by Percy and finds herself the victim of the loss of her reputation, in much the same way as her mother.
This is classy writing! What a fine interpretation of the development of the story of Frankenstein! Although I suspect that Percy never felt dragged down by guilt in the way Victor so clearly does.
This is historical fiction at its finest. Alex Nye has manged to tell the story of Mary Shelley in a compelling and very readable way, whilst also offering us something new and refreshing. It has really made me think differently about Mary Shelley and has increased my admiration of her - something I did not think was actually possible!
I am now re-reading Frankenstein (also listening to the audio book) and looking at it with new eyes - not bad for a novel that has been around for over 200 hundred years!
My compliments to Alex Nye!
She was the daughter of the celebrated proto-feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the political philosopher William Godwin. Her mother's book, A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), argued for that men and women were naturally equal, but women were being subjugated by the lack of education: she believed that women should be free to live how they wished and indeed, and she lived a most unorthodox and bohemian lifestyle herself - one which gained her much notoriety.
Although Mary Shelley's mother died when she was a tiny baby, her legacy was a huge influence on Mary. Mary's father, Godwin, allowed her a great deal of freedom, letting her read freely from his library, and impressed upon her from a very young age that her mother's ideology was something to be admired. Not surprisingly, Mary was the most unorthodox child herself and her life was one of extraordinary experiences for the early 19th Century.
At the beginning of this account of Mary's life by Alex Nye, the year is 1839 and Mary finds herself living alone in a tiny, damp cottage by the river Thames. She spends her waking hours trying to piece together a living for herself and her son, by sorting through and editing the papers of her late husband, the infamous Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, for publication.
While doing so, she looks back on her life, telling of her travels through Europe, her stormy relationship with her husband, and the consequences of her upbringing.
This is her story...
*********************************************************************************
This is not the first book I have read about the life of Mary Shelly, although it is my favourite, by a country mile!
Whenever I read something about Mary Shelley, I am constantly amazed that most people know so little about her amazing life when she is the author of such a famous novel as Frankenstein! This woman was a pioneer of feminism, taking up the torch left by her mother, but while the mother is now remembered for her landmark book, it was a hard cross to bear for the daughter.
The struggle Mary faced, living in the shadow of her mother, comes across so clearly in this book - yes, she shared many of her mother's principles (she had no choice, given her education), but she comes to learn that there can be uncomfortable consequences when choosing to live an unconventional life.
Mary could never forget that, although her mother's ideology was so lauded by Godwin, when it came down to the practicalities, he was a hypocrite and happy to secretly perpetuate the patriarchy. However admirable the principles advocated by his late wife, her life was eclipsed by the destruction of her reputation.
From the very beginning, Mary Shelley was enamoured of the liberal and romantic philosophy of her parents. She knew no other way of thinking. When her father remarried, therefore, and their way of living changed so completely, the sparks were always going to fly.
Mary was not brought up to live a conventional life and it should have been no surprise that she was attracted to the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when they met. In fact, it seems hard to believe that Godwin was so blind as to the disposition of his daughter, although he had moulded her this way. For all the protestations by the men in Mary's life that women should be free, in the end, they want their women to be in thrall of them and under their control.
In any case, it was inevitable that, at sixteen, Mary would fall in love with Percy and think nothing of running away with him, even though he was married to another woman. Perhaps, she did not anticipate that her step-sister would want to tag along too, but Percy's charms were clearly infectious. And so Mary stepped onto a treadmill that it proved impossible to escape from.
The most delicious thing about this book is the way Alex Nye has so skillfully crafted Mary's life into the quintessential Gothic novel. I have not seen this done before and am amazed at how well this works. Mary is, in fact, the perfect Gothic heroine - here is a young girl, with modern ideas, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of her home-life; she meets a dashing and mysterious man who offers her passion and wild adventure, among haunted, ruined villas in exotic locations; but she finds, to her cost, that not is all as it seems, and jealousy, betrayal, death and destruction await. It seems so obvious!
At the same time, Alex Nye weaves the development of Mary's Frankenstein so cleverly into the fabric of her experiences. The wondrous landscapes Mary sees spark something within her and she is compelled to write the kind of story that has not been seen before - something incredible from the mind of such a young woman. Remember that Mary was only 19 years old when she wrote her masterpiece!
I was very impressed by the way Alex Nye reflects the changing relationship between Mary and Percy in Mary's attitude towards Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Mary conceives Frankenstein to be eager to do right and follow his dreams at first, but later on, she realises that it is in fact the Monster who deserves sympathy, as he is rejected by his creator and doomed to solitude.
This works so well with her own feelings about Percy - at first she was so in love and keen to be the person Percy thought she was, but as time goes by, she feels rejected and is worn down by Percy's betrayals: Mary sees she has become a "monster" in the eyes of the man she loves, but is powerless to do anything about her situation. Mary has been mercilessly taken advantage of by Percy and finds herself the victim of the loss of her reputation, in much the same way as her mother.
This is classy writing! What a fine interpretation of the development of the story of Frankenstein! Although I suspect that Percy never felt dragged down by guilt in the way Victor so clearly does.
This is historical fiction at its finest. Alex Nye has manged to tell the story of Mary Shelley in a compelling and very readable way, whilst also offering us something new and refreshing. It has really made me think differently about Mary Shelley and has increased my admiration of her - something I did not think was actually possible!
I am now re-reading Frankenstein (also listening to the audio book) and looking at it with new eyes - not bad for a novel that has been around for over 200 hundred years!
My compliments to Alex Nye!
March 25, 2021
This was honestly one of my favourites of the year so far. Alex Nye’s children’s book ‘Chill’ was actually one of the few books that I read last year. When she told me that she actually had an adult book inspired by the life of Mary Shelley, I knew that I had to check it out. While I am a lover of ‘Frankenstein’, and have some knowledge of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetry, I must admit that I knew little of their lives together and the notoriety which it brought them.
When I told Leanne some of the things that I learned she said to me “I love that you are getting caught up in 19th century gossip!” While Arguing with the Dead does draw on fact, it also features a terrifying haunting figure in the form of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s deceased first wife. At it’s very core, it is a story about what it meant to be a woman in the 19th century, and perhaps most crucially, what it meant to be a mother. In a world dominated by men, Nye shows how one of the most successful women writers of the 19th century challenged what was expected of her. It is a Gothic tale which is perfectly told through stunning prose. I must admit, I shed a lot of tears.
https://thebooknookstirling.co.uk/jas...
When I told Leanne some of the things that I learned she said to me “I love that you are getting caught up in 19th century gossip!” While Arguing with the Dead does draw on fact, it also features a terrifying haunting figure in the form of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s deceased first wife. At it’s very core, it is a story about what it meant to be a woman in the 19th century, and perhaps most crucially, what it meant to be a mother. In a world dominated by men, Nye shows how one of the most successful women writers of the 19th century challenged what was expected of her. It is a Gothic tale which is perfectly told through stunning prose. I must admit, I shed a lot of tears.
https://thebooknookstirling.co.uk/jas...
September 16, 2020
The best thing I can say about this book is that it takes someone we think we know and brings her to life in a way that puts us close to the character. Alex Nye writes the sort of deceptively effortless yet literary fiction that suits me perfectly.
January 13, 2020
Novelisation of Mary Shelley's sad and intetesting life - made me want to read Frankenstein.
December 1, 2019
I feel bad only giving this book three stars but here are my reasons: the story was a little disjointed, it sometimes felt like it could do with a little more editing. Mary made me feel angry and sad at the same time. Although they lived a very unconventional life, what about love and care and commitment!? Percy was an absolute bastard if half of the things written in this book are true. I felt like there were gaps in the story that we were supposed to guess at, almost like the author assumed we knew.
It was obviously meticulously researched and even today I think their relationship would have been frowned upon. Oh, and the cover needs sorting!
It was obviously meticulously researched and even today I think their relationship would have been frowned upon. Oh, and the cover needs sorting!
August 11, 2019
There are many people throughout History who continue to interest and enrapture readers year upon year, and this is a book about one of those people. Mary Shelley is certainly a feminist Icon for those who read about her life, although I continually find it surprising that people know so little about the person behind the story. Ask a person what Frankenstein is about, and most will be able to at least give you a general Idea, but ask who Mary Shelley was and they will tell you she wrote Frankenstein, and chances are this is the limit to their knowledge of the person.
For myself, I am sad to say that I was one of those people! I knew nothing about the person behind the book, her life or her reasons... I knew nothing beyond her name.
Having sunk into this book, I went on google Scholar and spent hours reading about her, and I was wonderfully glad to find that the Author had clearly researched far and wide to create this story, obviously having an interest in creating a story that was based on reality as far as possible. The Characters within were true to many of the facts I found, obviously this is a fictional story, however the facts used within it were used well to make the story feel more like Mary is telling us her story, we’re walking beside her and experiencing her life at the same time.
The way the story is written is in the perfect tone, as with before it makes the story feel more real, written with a similar inflection that you can imagine was used at the time, they way phrases are turned and attitudes come out. I absolutely loved it, it worked gloriously with the story, with the imagery of the time and place.
The story lets us see life from Marys view, with a mother who was a feminist but died in childbirth, seeing her try to come to terms with this and then the changes that happen when her father remarries. From seeing her living under her mothers shadow, and how Mary dealt with the various attitudes around that. I loved seeing things from her perspective, delving into the mind that created Frankenstein, and starting to better appreciate how and why the story come to fruition.
And that's the historical side to the story... considering the fictional story, this was so much fun! It was just creepy and eerie enough, I was never sure what was going to happen next! The story wasn't Fast paced, but then it isn't an action slasher book, the pace is perfect for the tone. It keeps you gripped and has you eager to see what the next chapter holds! There really wasn't anything I could fault this book for!
All in all, this is a truly brilliant historical Fiction, it contains enough fact that you really need to think ti remember it IS fictional, and gives you enough information that you learn whilst sinking into the beautiful story the Author has created. It certainly intrigued me enough that I looked further into the life of Mary Shelley!
I sincerely hope this Author will write more in the same vein, taking people we perhaps haven’t considered much but know their names, because this was an absolute delight!!
Whether you enjoy historical fiction usually, have enjoyed Frankenstein, or are new to both, I wholeheartedly recommend this as an opening to the Genre! This is certainly an Author to be watching for more from!
For myself, I am sad to say that I was one of those people! I knew nothing about the person behind the book, her life or her reasons... I knew nothing beyond her name.
Having sunk into this book, I went on google Scholar and spent hours reading about her, and I was wonderfully glad to find that the Author had clearly researched far and wide to create this story, obviously having an interest in creating a story that was based on reality as far as possible. The Characters within were true to many of the facts I found, obviously this is a fictional story, however the facts used within it were used well to make the story feel more like Mary is telling us her story, we’re walking beside her and experiencing her life at the same time.
The way the story is written is in the perfect tone, as with before it makes the story feel more real, written with a similar inflection that you can imagine was used at the time, they way phrases are turned and attitudes come out. I absolutely loved it, it worked gloriously with the story, with the imagery of the time and place.
The story lets us see life from Marys view, with a mother who was a feminist but died in childbirth, seeing her try to come to terms with this and then the changes that happen when her father remarries. From seeing her living under her mothers shadow, and how Mary dealt with the various attitudes around that. I loved seeing things from her perspective, delving into the mind that created Frankenstein, and starting to better appreciate how and why the story come to fruition.
And that's the historical side to the story... considering the fictional story, this was so much fun! It was just creepy and eerie enough, I was never sure what was going to happen next! The story wasn't Fast paced, but then it isn't an action slasher book, the pace is perfect for the tone. It keeps you gripped and has you eager to see what the next chapter holds! There really wasn't anything I could fault this book for!
All in all, this is a truly brilliant historical Fiction, it contains enough fact that you really need to think ti remember it IS fictional, and gives you enough information that you learn whilst sinking into the beautiful story the Author has created. It certainly intrigued me enough that I looked further into the life of Mary Shelley!
I sincerely hope this Author will write more in the same vein, taking people we perhaps haven’t considered much but know their names, because this was an absolute delight!!
Whether you enjoy historical fiction usually, have enjoyed Frankenstein, or are new to both, I wholeheartedly recommend this as an opening to the Genre! This is certainly an Author to be watching for more from!
August 4, 2019
Before I read this book I didn't know anything about Mary Shelley apart from the fact that she was the author of Frankenstein. (I have to confess that I don't actually like that book! Sorry to any of you who love it). I now feel much more educated about this remarkable woman.
She had such a fascinating life - I had no idea! I loved reading this story which brilliantly blended the historical facts with a fictional imagined life. Mary's life was really unusual for a women in the early 19th century. She had a difficult life from when she was a child and right through her adult life. She travelled widely throughout Europe and enjoyed the wild, dramatic landscapes she encountered, which she drew upon in her famous novel. She mixed with some of the biggest names in literature, not just Percy Shelley who she eventually married, but also Lord Byron. She suffered such unimaginable losses from a modern point of view which, due to lack of knowledge and our modern medicine, would have been so commonplace at the time.
She lived with an unconventional life for the time in that she wasn't initially married to the father of her children. Her step sister Claire also lived with them in a very unusual arrangement that even these days would raise an eyebrow or two! Frankly, Mary Shelley was scandalous, and broke all the rules of society.
Alex Nye brings Mary Shelley vividly to life as well as the historical era in which she lived. Although Mary courageously lived an unorthodox lifestyle, she and all women were still at the mercy of men and had little or no rights in law. This is an excellent book, very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
She had such a fascinating life - I had no idea! I loved reading this story which brilliantly blended the historical facts with a fictional imagined life. Mary's life was really unusual for a women in the early 19th century. She had a difficult life from when she was a child and right through her adult life. She travelled widely throughout Europe and enjoyed the wild, dramatic landscapes she encountered, which she drew upon in her famous novel. She mixed with some of the biggest names in literature, not just Percy Shelley who she eventually married, but also Lord Byron. She suffered such unimaginable losses from a modern point of view which, due to lack of knowledge and our modern medicine, would have been so commonplace at the time.
She lived with an unconventional life for the time in that she wasn't initially married to the father of her children. Her step sister Claire also lived with them in a very unusual arrangement that even these days would raise an eyebrow or two! Frankly, Mary Shelley was scandalous, and broke all the rules of society.
Alex Nye brings Mary Shelley vividly to life as well as the historical era in which she lived. Although Mary courageously lived an unorthodox lifestyle, she and all women were still at the mercy of men and had little or no rights in law. This is an excellent book, very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 8, 2019
Mary Shellys' Frankenstein has long been a favourite book of mine, and I couldn't wait to read this tale that Nye has weaved of Mary's life. Arguing with the Dead will transport you back in time to the late 17th Century as we follow Mary's rather exciting and sometimes dark life.
It is clear that Alex Nye has done her research in to Mary's life and I loved the story she told about her relationship with Percy and her step sister Jane. They all had a strange relationship that was frowned upon in those days, Percy was very much a player and believed in free love despite being married once before he married Mary. Mary goes through a lot of heartbreak in this tale, losing many children, and a lot of growing up as well as penning her novel Frankenstein.
At the begining I struggled with the narrative sometimes as Mary kept jumping back and forth but I found my groove, I also disliked how its switched from first names to surname - for example Mary would call her husband by Percy in one sentence and the very next call him by Shelly, I didn't really enjoy the switch it felt weird and out of place - but that is just my take.
Overall lovers of Mary Shelly will love this tale, Alex Nye has done a great job of portraying her life.
It is clear that Alex Nye has done her research in to Mary's life and I loved the story she told about her relationship with Percy and her step sister Jane. They all had a strange relationship that was frowned upon in those days, Percy was very much a player and believed in free love despite being married once before he married Mary. Mary goes through a lot of heartbreak in this tale, losing many children, and a lot of growing up as well as penning her novel Frankenstein.
At the begining I struggled with the narrative sometimes as Mary kept jumping back and forth but I found my groove, I also disliked how its switched from first names to surname - for example Mary would call her husband by Percy in one sentence and the very next call him by Shelly, I didn't really enjoy the switch it felt weird and out of place - but that is just my take.
Overall lovers of Mary Shelly will love this tale, Alex Nye has done a great job of portraying her life.
November 4, 2019
Arguing With The Dead, tells the tale of Mary’s struggles with guilt from being borne to a mother who dies from childbirth complications and highlighting the unadulterated reality of living in 17th century London and further afield in Europe.
It's a dark tale that is beautifully written. Alex Nye has captured Mary Shelley in a way that I didn’t think we’d see. To most she’s just the author of Frankenstein but she is so much more than that. In a time when women were pressured into being dependent on a man, Nye has given Mary a voice, which would certainly have been frowned upon during this period. It’s bizarre to think that Mary wrote Frankenstein at aged 19, only 19! I can only assume that not in her wildest dreams would she ever think that her writing would be the benchmark for all future horror novelists.
Historical fiction is not what I usually read but this has given me the taste for more because I absolutely loved it.
It's a dark tale that is beautifully written. Alex Nye has captured Mary Shelley in a way that I didn’t think we’d see. To most she’s just the author of Frankenstein but she is so much more than that. In a time when women were pressured into being dependent on a man, Nye has given Mary a voice, which would certainly have been frowned upon during this period. It’s bizarre to think that Mary wrote Frankenstein at aged 19, only 19! I can only assume that not in her wildest dreams would she ever think that her writing would be the benchmark for all future horror novelists.
Historical fiction is not what I usually read but this has given me the taste for more because I absolutely loved it.
October 17, 2019
Great book
I knew nothing about Shelley or Byron except that they seemed to have been seen as exciting romantic adventurous people and I knew even less about Mary Shelley. Such an insight into how women were treated in those days. I must read Frankenstein now and set aside glamorised images of rich poets!!!
I knew nothing about Shelley or Byron except that they seemed to have been seen as exciting romantic adventurous people and I knew even less about Mary Shelley. Such an insight into how women were treated in those days. I must read Frankenstein now and set aside glamorised images of rich poets!!!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews