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Zastrozzi and St. Irvyne
Written when Shelley was not yet 20, these novels were published at the height of popularity for Gothic fiction and are filled with the trappings of the genre. The heroes and heroines of these novels are psychologically complex figures caught up in a tragedy of vengeance and
dehumanization.
dehumanization.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1810
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90 people want to read
About the author
Percy Bysshe Shelley
1,613 books1,387 followersWorks of Percy Bysshe Shelley, British romantic poet, include "To a Skylark" in 1820;
Prometheus Unbound
, the lyric drama; and "Adonais," an elegy of 1821 to John Keats.
The Cenci , work of art or literature of Percy Bysshe Shelley of 1819, depicts Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman.
People widely consider Percy Bysshe Shelley among the finest majors of the English language. He is perhaps most famous for such anthology pieces as Ozymandias , Ode to the West Wind , and The Masque of Anarchy . His major long visionary Alastor , The Revolt of Islam , and the unfinished The Triumph of Life .
Unconventional life and uncompromising idealism of Percy Bysshe Shelley combined with his strong skeptical voice to make an authoritative and much denigrated figure during his life. He became the idol of the next two or three generations, the major Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Algernon Charles Swinburne, as well as William Butler Yeats and in other languages, such as Jibanananda Das and Subramanya Bharathy . Karl Marx, Henry Stephens Salt, and [authorm:Bertrand Russell] also admired him. Famous for his association with his contemporaries Lord Byron, he also married Mary Shelley, novelist.
The Cenci , work of art or literature of Percy Bysshe Shelley of 1819, depicts Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman.
People widely consider Percy Bysshe Shelley among the finest majors of the English language. He is perhaps most famous for such anthology pieces as Ozymandias , Ode to the West Wind , and The Masque of Anarchy . His major long visionary Alastor , The Revolt of Islam , and the unfinished The Triumph of Life .
Unconventional life and uncompromising idealism of Percy Bysshe Shelley combined with his strong skeptical voice to make an authoritative and much denigrated figure during his life. He became the idol of the next two or three generations, the major Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Algernon Charles Swinburne, as well as William Butler Yeats and in other languages, such as Jibanananda Das and Subramanya Bharathy . Karl Marx, Henry Stephens Salt, and [authorm:Bertrand Russell] also admired him. Famous for his association with his contemporaries Lord Byron, he also married Mary Shelley, novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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June 12, 2022PRE-READING:
*squeeee* Thank you, Dover, for reissuing Shelley’s little gothics. I’ve wanted to read these for years, but was put off by the pricey, battered OOP paperbacks. Now I can sit back & anticipate the mayhem with a clear conscience. *rubs hands* 😈🖤
*squeeee* Thank you, Dover, for reissuing Shelley’s little gothics. I’ve wanted to read these for years, but was put off by the pricey, battered OOP paperbacks. Now I can sit back & anticipate the mayhem with a clear conscience. *rubs hands* 😈🖤
July 25, 2011
Two novellas put Shelley, then 18 years old, to the test. The finer of the pair, St. Irvyne, is unfinished save two brief paragraphs he appended for his publisher. Zastrozzi has an ending but also feels unfinished.
The same themes run through both Gothic romances - male loners who are abandoned by the world, fair maidens who are exploited, shadowy figures with mysterious motives persecuting them. Castles, barren landscapes, walls of granite, potions with poisons, suicidal tendencies, etc.
Clearly Shelley had far to go as a writer, and the novel was not his strong suit.
The same themes run through both Gothic romances - male loners who are abandoned by the world, fair maidens who are exploited, shadowy figures with mysterious motives persecuting them. Castles, barren landscapes, walls of granite, potions with poisons, suicidal tendencies, etc.
Clearly Shelley had far to go as a writer, and the novel was not his strong suit.
July 10, 2012
So far, average rating. I'm reading this sheerly because I am curious about Shelley's early writing. Fascinating to think he wrote these at such a young age. This book is 'of the time,' i.e. tropes, themes, but I'm curious to see what he does with the form, if anything.
December 12, 2017
Absolutely loved Zastrozzi. Such a great story and character. St. Irvyne was a little disappointing. I wrote a longer review on my site if you're interested.
April 10, 2013
zastrozzi was far better than st. irvyne.
February 4, 2021
I gave it five stars on the strength of zastrozzi. 19th century gothic literature at its finest. St. Irvyne was just fine. lost me here and there.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews