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Crónica de un viaje de seis semanas
A la edad de 16 años, la joven Mary Shelley se fugó con su amante, el poeta Percy Shelley, en un viaje por Europa, lo que supuso un escándalo para la sociedad inglesa de la época. Su travesía los llevó, entre otros lugares, hasta Suiza, donde pudieron deleitarse con el formidable paisaje alpino, escribir, leer y vivir ajenos a las rígidas normas de la sociedad británica. Crónica de un viaje de seis semanas recopila los diarios y las cartas que Mary escribió y envió durante su travesía por tierras europeas. Además de una lectura apasionante para adentrarse en los textos más personales de su autora, los lectores podrán disfrutar de un magnífico retrato de la Europa convulsa de principios del XIX bajo los efectos de la Revolución Francesa y las guerras napoleónicas.
At the age of 16, young Mary Shelley eloped with her lover, the poet Percy Shelley, on a trip to Europe, which was a scandal for English society at the time. Their journey took them, among other places, to Switzerland, where they could enjoy the formidable Alpine landscape, write, read, and live outside the rigid rules of British society. Crónica de un viaje de seis semanas compiles the diaries and letters that Mary wrote and sent during her journey through European lands. In addition providing an exciting reading experience and delves into the most personal thoughts of its author, readers will be able to enjoy a magnificent portrait of the turbulent Europe of the early 19th century under the effects of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars.
At the age of 16, young Mary Shelley eloped with her lover, the poet Percy Shelley, on a trip to Europe, which was a scandal for English society at the time. Their journey took them, among other places, to Switzerland, where they could enjoy the formidable Alpine landscape, write, read, and live outside the rigid rules of British society. Crónica de un viaje de seis semanas compiles the diaries and letters that Mary wrote and sent during her journey through European lands. In addition providing an exciting reading experience and delves into the most personal thoughts of its author, readers will be able to enjoy a magnificent portrait of the turbulent Europe of the early 19th century under the effects of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1817
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About the author
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
2,342 books8,509 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 15, 2023
But how should we proceed? After talking over and rejecting many plans, we fixed on one eccentric enough, but which from its romance, was very pleasing to us. In England we could not have put it in execution without sustaining continual insult and impertinence: the French are far more tolerant of the vagaries of their neighbours.
This book is actually two books in one. The first being the titular History of a Six Weeks' Tour Through a Part of France, Switzerland, Germany and Hollan while the second book is represented in only some of the editions titles as with letters descriptive of a sail round the Lake of Geneva, and of the glaciers of Chamouni. The first part takes place in 1814 and is in all important aspects PBS & MWS honeymoon (even though they obviously aren't married at this point). The second part of the book takes place in 1816, in the year without summer when Mary was writing Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.
The first part of the book would have been an easy five star from me. It was HILARIOUS. It reminded me of low budget traveling bloggers from our days. Imagining those three young people setting on a trip on foot (with an ass or a mule) through post-war France without thinking much of it... carrying half of their fucking library with them 😂😂😂 Alright, to be honest, we never learn how many books are they carrying, but it's enough to make a bag of its own.
The only downside of the book is the stereotypic nationalism and generalisms that permeate the book. The Frech are like this, the Swiss like that and we are missing English whatever. But I wasn't too bothered by it since it's to be expected...
The second half of the book wasn't so strong. There are heaps of nature descriptions in the first half too (and I love them!), but the second half is almost purely those descriptions and the wit and humour from the first half is missing. It's still an interesting read, because the descriptions of glaciers and alpine nature are highly resembling of the nature descriptions in Frankenstein and it's nice to see the places that inspired the novel. The whole book ends on Percy's poem Mont Blanc which... I am biased, okay, I don't really like long poetry so this one wasn't for me.
If you don't let yourself get completely carried away, the second part with its descriptions of glaciers can also be full of environmental sorrow, because... the places Shelleys' describe for us look nowhere near similar today. You can see some pictures in this video. It's true though that after finishing this book, I want to visit the places it describes even more so than I wanted before.
Carl Hackert: Vue de la Mer de Glace (1781)
Overall, I really loved this book and would recommend it, but I feel like it's really for the enthusiasts only - this book is amazing if you want to learn more about Shelleys, love nature descriptions, have an interest in historical travelougues. If you can't say yes to at least one of those, I would guess this book isn't for you...
Now... I'm really pumped to read Letters Written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark which partially inspired this book and The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, because she too made an expedition to Mont Blanc, so... would like to compare notes...
P.S. You can find this book for free on Project Guttenberg!
November 6, 2020
As cartas possuem mais detalhes do que o diário em si; gostei também do anexo de linhas escritas. Foi levemente desesperador ver o tanto de desconforto e os perigos que Mary Shelley e cia. passaram.
July 15, 2017
Didn't find the contents to be terribly fascinating of itself, but I was intrigued by the origin and development of this text, which was a collaborative project that grew out of a shared journal that Mary and PB Shelley both wrote in during their initial elopement journey and subsequent European travels together. Echoes of their respective descriptions of places and people appeared in autonomously-credited later works by both authors. Some sections attributed to Mary were actually written by Percy, and other sections Mary completely rewrote from her own original journal entries. In the preface, Percy is writing intentionally and explicitly *as* Mary, recasting the "History" for publication as a conventional female-authored travel journal, rather than a collaboratively-created documentation of the scandalous elopement of a 16-year-old girl and a married man. Very interested in the ideas and questions this raises about collaborative authorship and gender roles in Romantic literature.
April 5, 2025
Magnificently fascinating. It’s incredible to read the narrative of a trek across Europe undertaken by Mary Godwin (16-17), her step-sister Claire Claremont (16), and Percy Shelley (21-22). They really do interact with the locals like snobbish, British teenagers. Mary’s writing is very straightforward, describing where they went, how they traveled, and some of what they saw. Percy’s writing carries all his poetic spirit in beautiful prose. He takes much more time describing the sights in exquisite detail. His poem to Mont Blanc at the end is filled with intensely rich imagery and metaphor that touches one’s soul.
April 4, 2023
Buen libro si solo buscas entretenerte y conocer un poco de la personalidad de la autora Mary Shelley (medio sangrona, si me permiten decir) y un poco el punto de vista de lo ocurrido en europea en esas épocas. Realmente no es algo muy profundo, pero es interesante leerlo.
December 19, 2024
Your fav aristocratic couple turned radicals, travel blogging and writing dramatic TripAdvisor reviews. This collection includes the now famous little stay on Lake Geneva, where Frankenstein was conceived. There's also some reflections on the French Revolution and Rousseau. A little comment on servants by Mary Shelley (then known as Mary Godwin, carrying the surname of her anarchist father):
"There is more equality of classes here than in England. This occasions a greater freedom and refinement of manners among the lower orders than we meet with in our own country. I fancy the haughty English ladies are greatly disgusted with this consequence of republican institutions, for the Genevese servants complain very much of their scolding, an exercise of the tongue, I believe, perfectly unknown here. The peasants of Switzerland may not however emulate the vivacity and grace of the French. They are more cleanly, but they are slow and inapt. I know a girl of twenty, who although she had lived all her life among vineyards, could not inform me during what month the vintage took place, and I discovered she was utterly ignorant of the order in which the months succeed to one another. She would not have been surprised if I had talked of the burning sun and delicious fruits of December, or of the frosts of July."
A lot of interesting little generalizations like that throughout. I also love how some of the writing in here basically reads like bitter Airbnb reviews:
"When we had ascended the hills for about a mile and a half, we found our voiturier at the door of a wretched inn... Our beds were too uncomfortable to allow a thought of sleeping in them: we could only procure one room, and our hostess gave us to understand that our voiturier was to occupy the same apartment. It was of little consequence, as we had previously resolved not to enter the beds... The night was passed by the kitchen fire in a wretched manner, striving to catch a few moments of sleep, which were denied to us. At three in the morning we pursued our journey."
"There is more equality of classes here than in England. This occasions a greater freedom and refinement of manners among the lower orders than we meet with in our own country. I fancy the haughty English ladies are greatly disgusted with this consequence of republican institutions, for the Genevese servants complain very much of their scolding, an exercise of the tongue, I believe, perfectly unknown here. The peasants of Switzerland may not however emulate the vivacity and grace of the French. They are more cleanly, but they are slow and inapt. I know a girl of twenty, who although she had lived all her life among vineyards, could not inform me during what month the vintage took place, and I discovered she was utterly ignorant of the order in which the months succeed to one another. She would not have been surprised if I had talked of the burning sun and delicious fruits of December, or of the frosts of July."
A lot of interesting little generalizations like that throughout. I also love how some of the writing in here basically reads like bitter Airbnb reviews:
"When we had ascended the hills for about a mile and a half, we found our voiturier at the door of a wretched inn... Our beds were too uncomfortable to allow a thought of sleeping in them: we could only procure one room, and our hostess gave us to understand that our voiturier was to occupy the same apartment. It was of little consequence, as we had previously resolved not to enter the beds... The night was passed by the kitchen fire in a wretched manner, striving to catch a few moments of sleep, which were denied to us. At three in the morning we pursued our journey."
April 29, 2021
[read for ENGL 19500] why is she 16 traveling with a 21 year old hello???
May 19, 2023
Me ha resultado tan aburrido, que su único mérito es su brevedad. Pensé que me encontraría al menos con alguna mísera señal de Frankenstein, pero no. Solo son descripciones, marcadas por unos fuertes prejuicios por parte de Mary y Percy, de sus recorridos. O quizás esté allí lo bello, en descubrir la mentalidad de la autora dentro de su escritura.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2016
Brief, curious, very descriptive, beautifully written.
September 14, 2024
still not too fond of travel narratives, but it was written by the Shelley’s soooo… they could literally write a cookbook and i’d read it
it does kinda make you think about how different travelling had to be two centuries ago. we’re so used to getting anywhere in the world within 24 hours that it sounds very alien to read about people travelling for days through the Alps on - of all things - mules and donkeys.
it’s also interesting to read this travelogue in the bigger picture of their lives, knowing Shelley’s poetry, his early death and Mary’s wonderful Frankenstein.
a final note:
i demand justice for Percy Shelley. one of the greatest poets of the English language yet today only known as ‘husband of’ - simply because Mary wrote one (ONE) good novel… (i must admit it’s an incredible story, but still: justice for Percy, y’all go read his poetry)
(also, shout-out Emma for bringing a copy from England. this review would not have been possible without her)
it does kinda make you think about how different travelling had to be two centuries ago. we’re so used to getting anywhere in the world within 24 hours that it sounds very alien to read about people travelling for days through the Alps on - of all things - mules and donkeys.
it’s also interesting to read this travelogue in the bigger picture of their lives, knowing Shelley’s poetry, his early death and Mary’s wonderful Frankenstein.
a final note:
i demand justice for Percy Shelley. one of the greatest poets of the English language yet today only known as ‘husband of’ - simply because Mary wrote one (ONE) good novel… (i must admit it’s an incredible story, but still: justice for Percy, y’all go read his poetry)
(also, shout-out Emma for bringing a copy from England. this review would not have been possible without her)
March 9, 2020
This was fun to read, but the most thought-provoking aspect was seeing how different travel was in 1814 than now. I can't imagine blithely setting off into a nation recently devastated by war, with no itinerary, limited money, and no effective means of communication, especially in a small group where everyone was between 16 and 22 years old. People then were either more adventurous or more oblivious to danger. Or probably both.
Also, it's hilarious how the author continually disparages the locals. Each village is more wretched and barbarous than the last.
Also, it's hilarious how the author continually disparages the locals. Each village is more wretched and barbarous than the last.
March 2, 2023
enjoyability 3/5 but educational wise like a 4 it was v fun seeing their influence on each others writing
August 27, 2015
I’m a big fan of Mary Shelley and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley so I had to read their travelogue of two separate trips to Europe in 1814 and 1816. I was a little disappointed, mostly by their condescending remarks about the people they met in France, Germany, Switzerland and Holland. They also weren’t too happy with the towns and accommodations along their trip. It reminded me a little of Mary’s mother’s travelogue: Letters Written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
However, the descriptions of nature are striking, especially Percy’s thoughts in his second letter about Mont Blanc and the glaciers around Chamouni (called Chamonix today). Of Mont Blanc, he writes “Nature was the poet, whose harmony held our spirits more breathless than that of the divinest” (p. 152). And reflecting on a glacier, “there is an awful grace in the very colours which invest these wonderful shapes” (p. 155). I actually enjoyed Percy Shelley’s prose descriptions of nature more than his poem, Mont Blanc: Lines Written in the Vale of Chamouni, which closed out this volume.
However, the descriptions of nature are striking, especially Percy’s thoughts in his second letter about Mont Blanc and the glaciers around Chamouni (called Chamonix today). Of Mont Blanc, he writes “Nature was the poet, whose harmony held our spirits more breathless than that of the divinest” (p. 152). And reflecting on a glacier, “there is an awful grace in the very colours which invest these wonderful shapes” (p. 155). I actually enjoyed Percy Shelley’s prose descriptions of nature more than his poem, Mont Blanc: Lines Written in the Vale of Chamouni, which closed out this volume.
November 9, 2022
Crónica de un viaje de seis semanas, 1817
Mary Shelley
Editorial Jus, 2020
Traducción de Susana Inés Pérez
El primer libro de Mary Wollstonecraft Goodwin se publicó unos meses antes de Frankenstein.
Narra el viaje que emprende la joven de dieciséis años en julio de 1814, al huir de su hogar en compañía de Percy Shelley, poeta y protegido de su padre, el filósofo William Goodwin, que se niega a aceptar la relación de su hija con un hombre casado.
Acompañados por la medio hermana de Mary, Claire Clairmont, la joven pareja atraviesa el Canal en una infernal travesía para recorrer después diversos parajes de Francia, Alemania, Holanda y Suiza.
Desbordantes de juventud y energía viajan a pie, en carruaje o en barcaza por los ríos alemanes y caen extasiados ante las bellezas naturales.
El espíritu romántico empapa toda la travesía por la Europa que se recupera de las guerras napoleónicas y se asoma a un convulso nuevo siglo.
Trimestre viajero del @clubclasicosjuveniles
#leeresvivir #leermola #leoautoras #womenwriters #maryshelley #cronicadeunviajedeseissemanas
Mary Shelley
Editorial Jus, 2020
Traducción de Susana Inés Pérez
El primer libro de Mary Wollstonecraft Goodwin se publicó unos meses antes de Frankenstein.
Narra el viaje que emprende la joven de dieciséis años en julio de 1814, al huir de su hogar en compañía de Percy Shelley, poeta y protegido de su padre, el filósofo William Goodwin, que se niega a aceptar la relación de su hija con un hombre casado.
Acompañados por la medio hermana de Mary, Claire Clairmont, la joven pareja atraviesa el Canal en una infernal travesía para recorrer después diversos parajes de Francia, Alemania, Holanda y Suiza.
Desbordantes de juventud y energía viajan a pie, en carruaje o en barcaza por los ríos alemanes y caen extasiados ante las bellezas naturales.
El espíritu romántico empapa toda la travesía por la Europa que se recupera de las guerras napoleónicas y se asoma a un convulso nuevo siglo.
Trimestre viajero del @clubclasicosjuveniles
#leeresvivir #leermola #leoautoras #womenwriters #maryshelley #cronicadeunviajedeseissemanas
June 14, 2013
This is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what it would have been like to travel France and Switzerland just after the Napoleanic Wars ended. And what could be more amusing than reading a description of Shelley knocking down another boat passenger who was being rude?
This gets four stars simply for the inclusion of Mont Blanc at the end.
This gets four stars simply for the inclusion of Mont Blanc at the end.
November 3, 2024
I mostly read this on the road to my own little vacation, but unlike Mary Shelley, I was headed to the beach with my family, rather than through a war-torn country with a lover. I've found that a lot of readers prefer the second half of the updated version of the book, that chronicles the Shelleys' trip to Switzerland culminating in Percy Shelley's poem "Mont Blanc", and while there is no doubt more literary merit to be found in that half of the book, and in Shelley's recounting of subjects like Rousseau, I found myself enjoying the original six weeks' tour that composes the first half a good bit more. It's very relatable stuff - hearing her recount all of the little ways that her party has to adjust to shortcomings and sudden issues and shortages of money and modes of transportation brought me back to some of the more stressful moments I have undergone in my life in the name of vacation, and I feel like most readers will feel the same.
Shelley's recounting of her walk through the towns of the French countryside in the aftermath of their destruction at the hands of Cossack forces during the immediately previous battles of the Napoleonic Wars are probably the bits that stuck with me the most. Really not my idea of a perfect vacation. It kind of made me wonder why they wanted to do that anyway - seemed like a pretty fucked-up way to spend your time, and maybe a little insensitive to a group of worn-down, war-stricken people. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this comes across at times as a narrative of a relatively privileged woman of high society being exposed to the world outside of her sheltered little bubble, and that's basically exactly what that first account is, for the most part anyway. Still, the many ways that they deal with their rapidly-diminishing funds is something to behold, in ways both comedic and stressful.
Overall, I didn't find this to be some great piece of literature or anything like that. It was just nice to get some context for Shelley's life before diving into any of her notable works. It is, after all, just a journal of her vacation, heavily-edited by herself and mixed in with diary entries from Percy Shelley and a few letters and eventually "Mont Blanc". It's kind of messy, but works more than it doesn't. The biggest issue I had with it besides the relative messiness of the work's structure was the tone Shelley has with regard to certain groups of people. She romanticizes the French, and hates the fuck out of the Germans, to the point where I really began to wonder where her hate was coming from. She's kinda a mean bitch here and there, like in one instance where she writes for a bit about how stupid a random girl she'd encountered was. Kinda getting hater vibes from Mrs. Shelley, that's all I'm trying to say. I have hope that the other travel narrative that bookends her literary career is a lot better than this one, which leaves a lot to be desired but is by no means terrible.
Shelley's recounting of her walk through the towns of the French countryside in the aftermath of their destruction at the hands of Cossack forces during the immediately previous battles of the Napoleonic Wars are probably the bits that stuck with me the most. Really not my idea of a perfect vacation. It kind of made me wonder why they wanted to do that anyway - seemed like a pretty fucked-up way to spend your time, and maybe a little insensitive to a group of worn-down, war-stricken people. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this comes across at times as a narrative of a relatively privileged woman of high society being exposed to the world outside of her sheltered little bubble, and that's basically exactly what that first account is, for the most part anyway. Still, the many ways that they deal with their rapidly-diminishing funds is something to behold, in ways both comedic and stressful.
Overall, I didn't find this to be some great piece of literature or anything like that. It was just nice to get some context for Shelley's life before diving into any of her notable works. It is, after all, just a journal of her vacation, heavily-edited by herself and mixed in with diary entries from Percy Shelley and a few letters and eventually "Mont Blanc". It's kind of messy, but works more than it doesn't. The biggest issue I had with it besides the relative messiness of the work's structure was the tone Shelley has with regard to certain groups of people. She romanticizes the French, and hates the fuck out of the Germans, to the point where I really began to wonder where her hate was coming from. She's kinda a mean bitch here and there, like in one instance where she writes for a bit about how stupid a random girl she'd encountered was. Kinda getting hater vibes from Mrs. Shelley, that's all I'm trying to say. I have hope that the other travel narrative that bookends her literary career is a lot better than this one, which leaves a lot to be desired but is by no means terrible.
December 18, 2018
"Nature was the poet, whose harmony held our spirits more breathless than that of the divinest."
Una giovanissima Mary, la sua sorellastra Claire e Percy Shelley percorrono in un viaggio di sei settimane parte della Francia, Germania, Svizzera e Olanda. Vista la scarsa disponibilità economica saranno costretti a prendere decisioni discutibili, come percorrere la Francia a piedi (sì, avete capito bene, a piedi), ma con uno spirito di avventura, un entusiasmo e una positività tipica della gioventù.
Questo delizioso libricino è per veri appassionati di Mary e Percy Shelley o per chi adora le descrizioni naturalistiche. Non ci sono grandi avvenimenti, anche se alcuni sono degni di nota e mi hanno strappato più di una risata: il disprezzo verso quasi ogni abitante incontrato sul loro cammino (poveri tedeschi), gli incidenti che sono quasi costati la vita a qualcuno, lo stoicismo con cui Shelley e Byron hanno rischiato di affondare con la loro barchetta. Pagherei oro per essermi trovata con loro in alcuni momenti.
Questo diario di viaggio è stato scritto sfruttando sia le note di viaggio di Mary sia quelle di Percy. Prestando un po' di attenzione in più, e soprattutto leggendolo in inglese, si notano gli stili dei due autori fondersi in maniera perfetta, ma allo stesso tempo preservando le loro caratteristiche distintive. Mary è schietta, precisa, anche nel descrivere le emozioni che il paesaggio le suscita. Percy, invece, è poeta anche in prosa. Il poeta romantico che è in lui si fa spazio fra le descrizioni dei monti, delle persone e della natura.
Utilissime sono state le note presenti a fine libro che hanno permesso una contestualizzazione maggiore di alcuni episodi.
Inutile dire che li adoro sempre di più.
Una giovanissima Mary, la sua sorellastra Claire e Percy Shelley percorrono in un viaggio di sei settimane parte della Francia, Germania, Svizzera e Olanda. Vista la scarsa disponibilità economica saranno costretti a prendere decisioni discutibili, come percorrere la Francia a piedi (sì, avete capito bene, a piedi), ma con uno spirito di avventura, un entusiasmo e una positività tipica della gioventù.
Questo delizioso libricino è per veri appassionati di Mary e Percy Shelley o per chi adora le descrizioni naturalistiche. Non ci sono grandi avvenimenti, anche se alcuni sono degni di nota e mi hanno strappato più di una risata: il disprezzo verso quasi ogni abitante incontrato sul loro cammino (poveri tedeschi), gli incidenti che sono quasi costati la vita a qualcuno, lo stoicismo con cui Shelley e Byron hanno rischiato di affondare con la loro barchetta. Pagherei oro per essermi trovata con loro in alcuni momenti.
Questo diario di viaggio è stato scritto sfruttando sia le note di viaggio di Mary sia quelle di Percy. Prestando un po' di attenzione in più, e soprattutto leggendolo in inglese, si notano gli stili dei due autori fondersi in maniera perfetta, ma allo stesso tempo preservando le loro caratteristiche distintive. Mary è schietta, precisa, anche nel descrivere le emozioni che il paesaggio le suscita. Percy, invece, è poeta anche in prosa. Il poeta romantico che è in lui si fa spazio fra le descrizioni dei monti, delle persone e della natura.
Utilissime sono state le note presenti a fine libro che hanno permesso una contestualizzazione maggiore di alcuni episodi.
Inutile dire che li adoro sempre di più.
January 28, 2018
Here is a short but very beautifully written travelogue chronicling the European travels of the married Percy Shelley with his teenage mistress, Mary Godwin, who would later marry him and take his name. It was during this trip that Mary Shelley was inspired to write Frankenstein, a worthy classic of romantic literature. I was disappointed to not find any explicit references to that inspiration in this book, nor any insight into the Shelleys' relationship(s) with Lord Byron. As a travelogue, though beautifully written, the book doesn't offer a great deal of insight into the places or people visited. In fact, I found the tone to be insufferably arrogant. It would have put me off Percy Shelley entirely if it wasn't for the gorgeous poem about Mont Blanc included at the end. I cannot deny his talent.
As for Percy Shelley, though the book was attributed to Mary Shelley, the attribution is controversial. Most now believe much of the book is originally Percy Shelley's, with additions and rewrites by his lover. This may bring up interesting thoughts about the politics of their relationship in the light of book sales.
Personally, I think most readers can skip this book. Those very interested in these particular voices will find it interesting. As a travelogue, it offers little. For the prose, other books by both these authors are worth reading first, I'm sure.
☠
Ebook, online
(https://archive.org/stream/sixweekhis...)
Originally published in 1817
Three stars
January 27-28, 2018
☠
As for Percy Shelley, though the book was attributed to Mary Shelley, the attribution is controversial. Most now believe much of the book is originally Percy Shelley's, with additions and rewrites by his lover. This may bring up interesting thoughts about the politics of their relationship in the light of book sales.
Personally, I think most readers can skip this book. Those very interested in these particular voices will find it interesting. As a travelogue, it offers little. For the prose, other books by both these authors are worth reading first, I'm sure.
☠
Ebook, online
(https://archive.org/stream/sixweekhis...)
Originally published in 1817
Three stars
January 27-28, 2018
☠
July 8, 2022
A rather fascinating travel narrative from the perspectives of Mary Shelley & her husband, Percy Shelley (with her sister Claire) from trips taken 1814 & 1816.
Part journal, part letters, & one poem, 'Mont Blanc' (Percy Shelley), the details recorded are often stunning looks at the countries through which the party travelled, but also offer a far more realistic outlook as well. The heat, questionable people, travel issues, terrible lodgings, to mention a few.
I read this out of a desire to further understand the life of Mary Shelley, & while the travelogue often presents a more romantic worldview, the reality of Mary's life during these years were often anything but. Miscarriages, infidelity, depression, societal ostracism, poverty... these were all recurring & often devastating themes of Mary's life.
Overall, a helpful collection for the lay historian, or those who simply want to further understand Mary & the era itself.
Part journal, part letters, & one poem, 'Mont Blanc' (Percy Shelley), the details recorded are often stunning looks at the countries through which the party travelled, but also offer a far more realistic outlook as well. The heat, questionable people, travel issues, terrible lodgings, to mention a few.
I read this out of a desire to further understand the life of Mary Shelley, & while the travelogue often presents a more romantic worldview, the reality of Mary's life during these years were often anything but. Miscarriages, infidelity, depression, societal ostracism, poverty... these were all recurring & often devastating themes of Mary's life.
Overall, a helpful collection for the lay historian, or those who simply want to further understand Mary & the era itself.
June 30, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ Una lectura que cumple su propósito, aunque no es para todo el mundo.
Este libro no me encantó del todo, pero reconozco que logra su objetivo. Es una lectura que puede resultar densa o poco atractiva para quienes buscan algo similar a Frankenstein o a sus cuentos.
Algo que no me gustó tanto fue la inclusión de algunos versos de Percy Shelley :/
Compré este libro con la intención de leer exclusivamente a Mary, y me desilusionó un poco encontrar parte del contenido dedicado a su esposo. Aunque entiendo que sus vidas y obras estuvieron entrelazadas, en este caso yo buscaba una experiencia centrada en su voz.
También debo reconocer que no leí la sinopsis antes de empezar, así que en parte la confusión fue mía. Sin embargo, siempre que tengo la oportunidad de leer algo de Mary Shelley, la aprovecho.
Este libro no me encantó del todo, pero reconozco que logra su objetivo. Es una lectura que puede resultar densa o poco atractiva para quienes buscan algo similar a Frankenstein o a sus cuentos.
Algo que no me gustó tanto fue la inclusión de algunos versos de Percy Shelley :/
Compré este libro con la intención de leer exclusivamente a Mary, y me desilusionó un poco encontrar parte del contenido dedicado a su esposo. Aunque entiendo que sus vidas y obras estuvieron entrelazadas, en este caso yo buscaba una experiencia centrada en su voz.
También debo reconocer que no leí la sinopsis antes de empezar, así que en parte la confusión fue mía. Sin embargo, siempre que tengo la oportunidad de leer algo de Mary Shelley, la aprovecho.
May 12, 2024
Il tour di sei settimane Mary e la sorellastra Claire lo fecero con Shelley nell'estate calda del 1814, dopo la fine di Napoleone, in una Francia devastata dalla guerra, per poi passare in Svizzera e tornare in Gran Bretagna via Germania e Paesi Bassi, per mancanza di soldi.
Le lettere invece sono dell'estate del 1816, quella che portò alla creazione de Il Vampiro di Polidori ma soprattutto del Frankenstein della Mary Wollstonecraft stessa. Non ne parla, e descrive il girovagare in Svizzera e soprattutto il giro del Lemano in barca e la gita a Chamonix per vedere il Monte Bianco.
Interessante per capire un poco come andavano le cose per gli Inglesi nel loro Grand Tour sul continente, ma nulla di più di un interesse antropologico e storico.
2 stelle
Le lettere invece sono dell'estate del 1816, quella che portò alla creazione de Il Vampiro di Polidori ma soprattutto del Frankenstein della Mary Wollstonecraft stessa. Non ne parla, e descrive il girovagare in Svizzera e soprattutto il giro del Lemano in barca e la gita a Chamonix per vedere il Monte Bianco.
Interessante per capire un poco come andavano le cose per gli Inglesi nel loro Grand Tour sul continente, ma nulla di più di un interesse antropologico e storico.
2 stelle
June 10, 2025
Ahora que Mary se volvió a poner de moda por Guillermo del Toro, recordé que tenía este librito de crónica de un viaje que hizo con su hermanastra Claire, su novio Percey y ella, esto sucede dos años antes de que se vayan a Villa Diodati, Mary tiene la capacidad de contar su viaje que parece, en ocasiones un viaje de terror. Enfermedades, problemas, malcomer, maldormir, caminatas largas con descripciones, malos pueblos, buenos pueblos, luagres infames donde dormir, retazos de la hsitoria napoléonica... todo en uno. Las sorpresas son tu como caminante con ellos cuando describe los lugares hermosos a los que llega.
No es más que una pieza de literatura que nos permite viajar con ellos a pie en los 1815.
No es más que una pieza de literatura que nos permite viajar con ellos a pie en los 1815.
July 24, 2024
Interesting to read how Mary Shelley husband and sister set off on an exploration of four European countries. They seem to have wondered without much of a plan and little money, taking means of transport as they appeared. Her observations on the local people she encountered are good fun. As a long term Geneva resident I enjoyed reading about her travels in this area and the name changes that have occurred. Description rather than story but full of good observations for the 21st century reader and traveller.
November 4, 2021
Es un viaje al pasado que los que conozcan los pueblos y ciudades europeas del recorrido podrán disfrutar con mayor sorpresa. Me hizo pasar un buen rato y reír con lo que podría ser interpretado como las quejas de Mary por la falta de comodidades en algunos sitios y de modales de algunas personas que encontró durante su viaje. Me dieron muchas ganas de ir a Suiza y tomar unas vacaciones tan largas como las del texto, alguna vez en mi vida.
March 26, 2023
“The ravine, clothed with gigantic pines, and black with its depth below, so deep that the very roaring of the untameable Arve, which rolled through it, could not be heard above - all was as much our own, as if we had been the creators of such impressions in the minds of others as now occupied our own. Nature was the poet, whose harmony held our spirits more breathless than that of the divinest.”
May 31, 2025
Oh, she does not like the locals. Reads like the most earnest travel blogger of her era, both wide-eyed at what she sees, and intolerant of anyone else's behaviour.
Glad to have finally started reading her personal writings; it's extraordinary she wrote this travelogue at such a young age and just busted out her first drafts of Frankenstein on the same trip.
Glad to have finally started reading her personal writings; it's extraordinary she wrote this travelogue at such a young age and just busted out her first drafts of Frankenstein on the same trip.
July 9, 2025
Obra corta y entretenida par leer de una sentada, que para ser escrito entre los 16 y 18 años no está nada mal. Crónicas atractivas de un viaje de distracción, acerca de las vivencias de estos jóvenes decubriendo sitios, con gentes y costumbres diversas. Por momentos Mary se torna chauvinista y elitista en sus chocantes consideraciones sobre otras culturas. ¿Pecados de juventud?
August 10, 2023
Pero qué maravillosamente bien escribía esta mujer con tan sólo 16 años. No me esperaba gran cosa y me he encontrado una desvergüenza divertidísima en la descripción de gentes, lugares, países y personajes que se fueron encontrando Mary y su querido Percy en esta pequeña fuga amorosa.
October 21, 2025
A wondrous travelogue!
Mary Shelley devotes herself to beautiful prose, particularly in describing her surroundings when in the Alps and Mont Blanc in particular. I love her writing- the poetry at the end is a joy to read.
Mary Shelley devotes herself to beautiful prose, particularly in describing her surroundings when in the Alps and Mont Blanc in particular. I love her writing- the poetry at the end is a joy to read.
October 14, 2018
nice little travel book. if only shy knew the parts we'll be most interested in...
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