A review by louiza_read2live
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon

5.0

A fantastic biography! It is written in alternate chapters to show the connection between the two authors and the huge influence the mother had on her daughter even though they never got to know each other in real life as Mary Wolstonecraft died 8 days after giving birth to Mary Shelley. The alternate chapters, albeit a clever idea and possibly helpful to most people, were confusing to me, so I decided to read first all Mary Wolstoncraft's chapters and then all Mary Shelley's chapters. Reading the book this way, the strong connection between the two authors was still illuminating, but less confusing to me than going back and forth through the different time periods they lived. I loved the writing style, the historical information, and the information on their lives. I also enjoyed getting a good look not only at the mother and daughter, their writings, and their family relationships, but also we get to know closely the men in their lives and their works: William Godwin and Percey Shelley, as well as a glimpse in Lord Byron. I had known a little that they were bad, especially Lord Byron, but I wasn't prepared for the seemingly narcisstic personalities that these three men exhibited. A wonderful biography that I highly recommend!