As 2018 marked the two hundredth anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein there were a number of books published about Mary Shelley's remarkable life and work. Sharon Dogar's book stands out not least because it is a detailed and closely researched novelisation of the short and frenetic years of Mary's life that led to the creation of Frankenstein but also because it is a tender and intimate portrait of the three sisters; Mary, Claire and Fanny who grew up together in the Godwin household. Sharon Dogar's book is aimed at the young adult audience; the two sisters Mary and Jane (later Claire) who elope with Shelley are after all only sixteen, Shelley himself is just twenty one, though I have no doubt that this novel will appeal far beyond it's target audience. The author brings alive the tangled relationships of the Shelley set, their loves, rivalries, heartbreaks and loss. Death is an ever present spectre at the feast in these shining, intelligent and talented young people's lives. If you don't know the life story of Mary Shelley then this book will be an eye opener but even if you are already familiar with the pain and loss that spurred her creation of an epic novel then this book still has much to offer in bringing to light the other players in this story and in fleshing out the personality of the immensely talented creator of Frankenstein.
Monsters is published by Andersen Press who kindly sent me a copy.
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