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Transformation
Surely never such had existed before—a misshapen dwarf, with squinting eyes, distorted features, and a body deformed, till it became a horror to behold.
Having squandered his wealth, the feckless Guido returns home to claim the hand of the celestial Juliet, but finds himself censured by her father. Petulant at his chastisement, his Byronic temperament gets the better of him, and he is punished with banishment. Plotting his revenge, he witnesses a mighty tempest, and from the raging sea emerges a strange figure. Although he is initially repelled by the dwarfish form before him, the stranger soon makes him an offer he can't refuse, but by surrendering his identity and selling his soul to this mysterious creature, Guido makes yet another fatal error.
A macabre, sinister and supernatural tale, Mary Shelley's Transformation is a masterpiece of Gothic writing. It is accompanied by The Mortal Immortal and The Evil Eye, two further stories of the supernatural, both of which display the perfection of Shelley's literary craft.
Having squandered his wealth, the feckless Guido returns home to claim the hand of the celestial Juliet, but finds himself censured by her father. Petulant at his chastisement, his Byronic temperament gets the better of him, and he is punished with banishment. Plotting his revenge, he witnesses a mighty tempest, and from the raging sea emerges a strange figure. Although he is initially repelled by the dwarfish form before him, the stranger soon makes him an offer he can't refuse, but by surrendering his identity and selling his soul to this mysterious creature, Guido makes yet another fatal error.
A macabre, sinister and supernatural tale, Mary Shelley's Transformation is a masterpiece of Gothic writing. It is accompanied by The Mortal Immortal and The Evil Eye, two further stories of the supernatural, both of which display the perfection of Shelley's literary craft.
83 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1831
About the author
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
2,307 books9,304 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 349 reviews
March 11, 2015
El romanticismo de Mary Shelley es maravilloso. En este cuento confluyen el amor, el orgullo y el titanismo byroniano en un amante dispuesto a todo por lograr el corazón de Juliet. También contiene la temática del doble. Es profundamente agradable leer a Mary Shelley...
December 28, 2021
"Un demonio poseía mi alma, irritándola hasta la locura"
En esta antología encontraremos tres relatos, todos muy buenis y con una particularidad que comparten en el desarrollo, son una explicación de cómo sus protagonistas llegaron a lo que son en su presente, ligado al sentimiento de pérdida.
▪️La transformación (1831) es una historia en la que tras gastar todo su dinero y no lograr tener a la mujer que desea, un hombre es desterrado de su hogar por ciertos motivos. Se va con un pensamientos de venganza y para su sorpresa un enano desfigurado se le aparece a orillas del mar, este ser le propone un trato (pacto) que favorecería a ambos, pero el coste es su propio cuerpo.
▪️El Mortal inmortal (1833) un hombre de más de 300 años nos relata cómo es que se convirtió en lo que extrañamente es, tras ingerir un brebaje.
▪️El Mal de Ojo (1829) un relato ligado al mar, en el que el protagonista, Dmitri, tras el asalto de unos piratas pierde a su mujer y su hija. Esto desencadenó una serie de hechos que lo dejaron desfigurado y creyendo que todo lo terrible que le había pasado era a causa de un Mal de ojo. Luego se embarcará en un viaje, que lo llevará a descubrir mucho más.
Todos tienen contextos que giran en torno a la tragedia, fatalidad, el miedo, amor, dolor, la soledad y desesperación, con escenarios que nos muestran mutaciones y transformaciones desencadenantes de la alquimia y de la magia.
En esta antología encontraremos tres relatos, todos muy buenis y con una particularidad que comparten en el desarrollo, son una explicación de cómo sus protagonistas llegaron a lo que son en su presente, ligado al sentimiento de pérdida.
▪️La transformación (1831) es una historia en la que tras gastar todo su dinero y no lograr tener a la mujer que desea, un hombre es desterrado de su hogar por ciertos motivos. Se va con un pensamientos de venganza y para su sorpresa un enano desfigurado se le aparece a orillas del mar, este ser le propone un trato (pacto) que favorecería a ambos, pero el coste es su propio cuerpo.
▪️El Mortal inmortal (1833) un hombre de más de 300 años nos relata cómo es que se convirtió en lo que extrañamente es, tras ingerir un brebaje.
▪️El Mal de Ojo (1829) un relato ligado al mar, en el que el protagonista, Dmitri, tras el asalto de unos piratas pierde a su mujer y su hija. Esto desencadenó una serie de hechos que lo dejaron desfigurado y creyendo que todo lo terrible que le había pasado era a causa de un Mal de ojo. Luego se embarcará en un viaje, que lo llevará a descubrir mucho más.
Todos tienen contextos que giran en torno a la tragedia, fatalidad, el miedo, amor, dolor, la soledad y desesperación, con escenarios que nos muestran mutaciones y transformaciones desencadenantes de la alquimia y de la magia.
December 19, 2021
Tre racconti:
- “Metamorfosi “(Transformation 1831) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- "Il mortale immortale" (The Mortal Immortal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- "Il malocchio" (The Evil Eye) ⭐⭐⭐
Tre declinazioni in cui il soprannaturale s’insinua nella vita degli uomini.
Mary Shelley ai miei occhi si riconferma maestra nel dipingere le atmosfere e gli animi umani sconvolti da eventi più che insoliti.
Dall’arrogante sete di vendetta di cui rimane vittima Guido protagonista del primo racconto, attraverso il gesto impulsivo di Winzy che pagherà con una tormentosa eternità fino al personaggio di Dmitri che, nell’ultimo racconto, traslato in altre terre (Albania) e in altre situazioni concentra forse l’essenza degli altri due (peccato che abbia trovato più contorta la narrazione).
I primi due racconti sono narrati in prima persona dagli stessi protagonisti bisognosi di lasciare testimonianza delle loro avventura:
” Ho sentito dire che quando a un essere umano è occorsa una qualsivoglia avventura strana, soprannaturale, negromantica, quell’essere umano, per quanto desideroso di occultarla possa essere, si sente in certi periodi lacerato, per così dire, da un terremoto intellettuale, ed è costretto a denudare le profondità più intime del suo spirito con qualcun altro.”
L’ultimo racconto, invece, è frutto del narratore onnisciente, quasi un modo di prendere distanza dagli eventi seguendoli con un occhio esterno.
Le storie macabre portano alla luce questioni essenziali:
il valore del proprio corpo, del tempo e della propria identità.
Possiamo perdere tutto e un gesto compiuto in un attimo può essere la condanna di sempre.
"«Vieni, vieni, non aver paura, amico», disse lo sciagurato: «sono bonario quando sono contento; e anche se sembri un po’ afflitto, nel tuo corpo ben proporzionato e nel tuo bel viso c’è qualcosa che mi piace. Tu hai vissuto un naufragio terrestre - io, uno marino. Forse potrò calmare la tempesta delle tue fortune così come ho calmato la mia. Vogliamo essere amici?»"
- “Metamorfosi “(Transformation 1831) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- "Il mortale immortale" (The Mortal Immortal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- "Il malocchio" (The Evil Eye) ⭐⭐⭐
Tre declinazioni in cui il soprannaturale s’insinua nella vita degli uomini.
Mary Shelley ai miei occhi si riconferma maestra nel dipingere le atmosfere e gli animi umani sconvolti da eventi più che insoliti.
Dall’arrogante sete di vendetta di cui rimane vittima Guido protagonista del primo racconto, attraverso il gesto impulsivo di Winzy che pagherà con una tormentosa eternità fino al personaggio di Dmitri che, nell’ultimo racconto, traslato in altre terre (Albania) e in altre situazioni concentra forse l’essenza degli altri due (peccato che abbia trovato più contorta la narrazione).
I primi due racconti sono narrati in prima persona dagli stessi protagonisti bisognosi di lasciare testimonianza delle loro avventura:
” Ho sentito dire che quando a un essere umano è occorsa una qualsivoglia avventura strana, soprannaturale, negromantica, quell’essere umano, per quanto desideroso di occultarla possa essere, si sente in certi periodi lacerato, per così dire, da un terremoto intellettuale, ed è costretto a denudare le profondità più intime del suo spirito con qualcun altro.”
L’ultimo racconto, invece, è frutto del narratore onnisciente, quasi un modo di prendere distanza dagli eventi seguendoli con un occhio esterno.
Le storie macabre portano alla luce questioni essenziali:
il valore del proprio corpo, del tempo e della propria identità.
Possiamo perdere tutto e un gesto compiuto in un attimo può essere la condanna di sempre.
"«Vieni, vieni, non aver paura, amico», disse lo sciagurato: «sono bonario quando sono contento; e anche se sembri un po’ afflitto, nel tuo corpo ben proporzionato e nel tuo bel viso c’è qualcosa che mi piace. Tu hai vissuto un naufragio terrestre - io, uno marino. Forse potrò calmare la tempesta delle tue fortune così come ho calmato la mia. Vogliamo essere amici?»"
September 1, 2019
"LA TRANSFORMACIÓN" de Mary Shelley
Bueno la historia trata de Guido, un joven genovés muy atractivo y millonario que sin embargo en el transcurso de su vida se arruinará debido a gastos y disipaciones, algo por entonces quizás muy frecuente entre la aristocracia antigua, pues este cuento está ambientado en el siglo XV. París será la fuente de perdición para este joven (los escritores ingleses siempre con su tema contra Francia). Guido nos cuenta cómo el orgullo fue una fuerza que nunca pudo resistir a lo largo de su vida, por lo menos así lo dice, siempre el "hacer lo que quiera" fue su impulso y tótem para más bien arruinar su vida, claro, en realidad, eso oculta todos los vicios y demás conductas injustificables, pero por lo menos Guido pretende al parecer que esa "libertad" fue la que siempre lo llevó a no esperar nada de nadie y no obedecer a los consejos más prudentes de sus allegados. Sin embargo esto no es lo principal en esta trama ya que en un momento el protagonista se hallará ante un ser sobrenatural que aparte de inspirarle un miedo terrible le propondrá un buen trato.
Interesante y fácil de leer.
Bueno la historia trata de Guido, un joven genovés muy atractivo y millonario que sin embargo en el transcurso de su vida se arruinará debido a gastos y disipaciones, algo por entonces quizás muy frecuente entre la aristocracia antigua, pues este cuento está ambientado en el siglo XV. París será la fuente de perdición para este joven (los escritores ingleses siempre con su tema contra Francia). Guido nos cuenta cómo el orgullo fue una fuerza que nunca pudo resistir a lo largo de su vida, por lo menos así lo dice, siempre el "hacer lo que quiera" fue su impulso y tótem para más bien arruinar su vida, claro, en realidad, eso oculta todos los vicios y demás conductas injustificables, pero por lo menos Guido pretende al parecer que esa "libertad" fue la que siempre lo llevó a no esperar nada de nadie y no obedecer a los consejos más prudentes de sus allegados. Sin embargo esto no es lo principal en esta trama ya que en un momento el protagonista se hallará ante un ser sobrenatural que aparte de inspirarle un miedo terrible le propondrá un buen trato.
Interesante y fácil de leer.
October 6, 2019
I spotted the slim Alma 101 edition of Mary Shelley's Transformation and Other Stories in the library. I was unaware of these tales beforehand, and thus wrestled the tiny book out from the very packed-full shelf accordingly. I adore Frankenstein, and have been so keen to pick up more of Shelley's work for years, but rarely find it.
The three stories collected here are great. They are science-fiction-esque; normally, this is a genre which I do not enjoy, but Shelley does it so well. Her tales are highly inventive and clever, and were nowhere near as creepy as I was expecting. Engrossing, beautifully written, and so well formed, Transformation would be an excellent choice for anyone to pick up.
The three stories collected here are great. They are science-fiction-esque; normally, this is a genre which I do not enjoy, but Shelley does it so well. Her tales are highly inventive and clever, and were nowhere near as creepy as I was expecting. Engrossing, beautifully written, and so well formed, Transformation would be an excellent choice for anyone to pick up.
September 27, 2019
Byron had been dead for I think seven years and Mary Shelley said to herself "I do miss that freaky son of a bitch" and she sat down and wrote this
June 29, 2021
I’ve been trying to find more of Mary Shelley’s stories and this collection was excellent. If there is one thing we can say about it is that she had a wild and quirky imagination. All three stories are well developed and have some interesting plot twists.
”He encontrado una cana. ¡Estúpido! ¿Me lamento por ello? Así es.”
Si alguien sabe de alguna buena biografía de Mary Shelley, coméntenla. Entre más les daba vueltas a las tres historias de esta pequeña colección mas me abrumaba que todas trataran con la perdida de algo. Y aunque las tres entran en el género de ciencia ficción o fantasía, en realidad lo que mas resalta son las emociones contradictorias de los personajes ya que pasamos mas tiempo en sus cabezas que fuera de ellas.
El Mortal Inmortal siendo mi favorito también es el mas existencial, ligeramente depresivo incluso. Sobre alguien que ha vivido mucho y ha llevado una miserable existencia como textualmente dice la historia. En verdad ocupo una biografía de MS ya de ya
Lo que me llevo de esta colección es como la autora crea toda una atmosfera para la soledad de sus personajes. Se que tiene más escritos por ahí y aunque sean algo difíciles de encontrar de a poco en poco los iré adquiriendo.
”He encontrado una cana. ¡Estúpido! ¿Me lamento por ello? Así es.”
Si alguien sabe de alguna buena biografía de Mary Shelley, coméntenla. Entre más les daba vueltas a las tres historias de esta pequeña colección mas me abrumaba que todas trataran con la perdida de algo. Y aunque las tres entran en el género de ciencia ficción o fantasía, en realidad lo que mas resalta son las emociones contradictorias de los personajes ya que pasamos mas tiempo en sus cabezas que fuera de ellas.
El Mortal Inmortal siendo mi favorito también es el mas existencial, ligeramente depresivo incluso. Sobre alguien que ha vivido mucho y ha llevado una miserable existencia como textualmente dice la historia. En verdad ocupo una biografía de MS ya de ya
Lo que me llevo de esta colección es como la autora crea toda una atmosfera para la soledad de sus personajes. Se que tiene más escritos por ahí y aunque sean algo difíciles de encontrar de a poco en poco los iré adquiriendo.
July 27, 2018
" أيها الترقُّب، كم أنت شيء مخيف عندما يُشعِلك الخوف أكثر من الرجاء!
كيف تلتفُّ من حول القلب وتُعذِّب خفقاته!
كيف تُسدِّد إلى أنحاء الجسد الضعيفة آلامًا غير معروفة تُهشِّمنا تارةً مثل الزجاج المكسو، ويمنحنا العدم قوة جديدة تارةً أخرى، لكنها قوة لا تستطيع فعل شيء "
قصة عن الغرور والكبرياء فالعناد الذي يؤجج الغضب والرغبة في الانتقام.
جويدو شاب ثري وسيم جامح ومغرور على الرغم من حبه لجولييت الجميلة الطيبة إلا أنه ينساق وراء أهواءه ويفقد إرثه من أبيه كاملا تنفيذا لرغباته وعندما يعود ليطالب بخطيبته يفاجيء بطلبات والدها الكريم فقط أراد له أن يتوب ويستقيم في حياته ولكنه أبى فلن يستطيع أحد ترويضه هو حر متمرد عنيد، لذا يعقد مع الشيطان صفقة تحوُّل.
وتتم الصفقة وتحوُّل حياته كلها وتكشف له أخطاءه الجسيمة.
"إلا أنني كلما تأملتُ الماضي، اعتقدتُ في الغالب أنها ربما كانت رُوحًا خيرة، لا روحًا شريرة، أرسلها ملاكي الحارس ليُريَني حماقة الغرور وشقاءه "
استمتعوا…
دمتم قراء... ❤❤❤
December 5, 2021
Tenía bastante miedo o respeto al leer este conjunto de relatos breves, porque para mí, Frankenstein dejo el listón altísimo. Pero me ha encantado leerlos, tienen una profundidad y un estilo,...no descarto volver a leerlos. Genial.
May 20, 2026
First review:
3.75 - Men I tell ya. This is my second work by Mary Shelley that I've read, although I have read Frankenstein multiple times. In ways you can see some similarities to Frankenstein in this story. Desire, greed, control, and obsession, and our main character embodies all the elements at play within Frankenstein.
Second review:
3.75 - Truly love this one. It showcases obsession, control, and lust so well and how all consuming it can become. It's also very well done to showcase how men truly can feel as though they have some sort of authority over women and their bodies and a "claim" to them. Yet they never see how monstrous that makes them in the eyes of others.
3.75 - Men I tell ya. This is my second work by Mary Shelley that I've read, although I have read Frankenstein multiple times. In ways you can see some similarities to Frankenstein in this story. Desire, greed, control, and obsession, and our main character embodies all the elements at play within Frankenstein.
Second review:
3.75 - Truly love this one. It showcases obsession, control, and lust so well and how all consuming it can become. It's also very well done to showcase how men truly can feel as though they have some sort of authority over women and their bodies and a "claim" to them. Yet they never see how monstrous that makes them in the eyes of others.
January 15, 2011
This is a good little book: just three stories collected together, but they're all interesting.
The first two are in the Gothic tradition: the title story, Transformation is a story of the squandering of youth's potential, of decadence and selfishness. A morality tale, but not overbearingly so. The scene of Guido on the desolate shore, meeting with the dwarf cast up from the stormy sea is very effective.
The second story, The Mortal Immortal tells of the growing loneliness and despair felt by Winzy (who considers himself to be a young immortal, being only 323 years old) as all that he knows and loves passes away. This is a take on the Sorcerer's Apprentice motif and the most tragic in tone of the three stories.
The last story, The Evil Eye, is not Gothic, but would, I'm sure, have been received as rather exotic at the time of its original publication (1829). Set in Albania and Greece, this is a tale of sibling rivalry, vengeance and treachery, piracy, banditry and abduction. The unlikely coincidences are forgiveable in such an engagingly-told story.
I liked the way Shelley switched the focus on characters as you're not at first sure where your sympathies should lie. I think it's good when authors skew your expectations and don't immediately give you everything on a plate.
The first two are in the Gothic tradition: the title story, Transformation is a story of the squandering of youth's potential, of decadence and selfishness. A morality tale, but not overbearingly so. The scene of Guido on the desolate shore, meeting with the dwarf cast up from the stormy sea is very effective.
The second story, The Mortal Immortal tells of the growing loneliness and despair felt by Winzy (who considers himself to be a young immortal, being only 323 years old) as all that he knows and loves passes away. This is a take on the Sorcerer's Apprentice motif and the most tragic in tone of the three stories.
The last story, The Evil Eye, is not Gothic, but would, I'm sure, have been received as rather exotic at the time of its original publication (1829). Set in Albania and Greece, this is a tale of sibling rivalry, vengeance and treachery, piracy, banditry and abduction. The unlikely coincidences are forgiveable in such an engagingly-told story.
I liked the way Shelley switched the focus on characters as you're not at first sure where your sympathies should lie. I think it's good when authors skew your expectations and don't immediately give you everything on a plate.
October 6, 2022
The first two stories of this volume were quite good, the last was a little uninteresting, and more of an adventure than a supernatural tale.
February 11, 2021
Di Mary Shelley avevo letto solo Frankenstein; e molto colpevolmente, perché è davvero un'autrice da scoprire anche nelle altre sue opere. Di questi tre racconti ho apprezzato particolarmente i primi due, con le loro atmosfere gotiche e cupe. Il terzo non ha uno stile molto diverso ma nonostante la brevità ha così tanti personaggi che diventa un po' confusionario. Ottima questa edizione col testo originale a fronte.
March 22, 2015
Mary Shelley is best known for "Frankenstein" and, to a lesser extent, her end-of-days novel "The Last Man". However, apart from a number of other novels, she also wrote several short stories, often with a supernatural or fantastic theme. Three of these are included in this attractive paperback edition published by Hesperus Classics. The title piece - "Transformation" - describes the narrator's Faustian pact with a devilish dwarf, and is rich in Gothic tropes. "The Mortal Immortal" features a hapless protagonist who drinks an elixir of life and eventually discovers that immortality is more of a bane than a blessing. "The Evil Eye" is a tale of warring tribes and family feuds set in the Balkans. Despite its title, its subject is not overtly supernatural but, in its exoticism and unexpected plot twists it recalls respectively the "Oriental Gothic" and the then budding genre of "sensation literature". All three stories are finely crafted and reveal an active imagination at work. "Frankenstein" was certainly no one-off.
July 15, 2025
mary shelley truly was the queen of gothic literature. maybe not as genius as her magnum opus but still great stories, specially the last one - the mortal imortal
August 20, 2020
Guido il cortese
La transformación precisa de Guido, quien, guiado por el orgullo y enajenación, se ve desbocado hacía un abismo de lo más impío e insano, y, como es natural aquí en la vida moral y digna, pierde absolutamente todo.
Y ahora, ¿Qué será lo que le depara a este ser desdichado y sufriente? El despotismo implantado en su alma clama venganza, y la tendrá.
Qué fascinante me ha parecido este relato gótico de Shelley, que ha pesar de ser tan corto, los elementos que plasma en él convergen en sintonía tal que lo he sentido como una composición musical completa e idónea.
La transformación precisa de Guido, quien, guiado por el orgullo y enajenación, se ve desbocado hacía un abismo de lo más impío e insano, y, como es natural aquí en la vida moral y digna, pierde absolutamente todo.
Y ahora, ¿Qué será lo que le depara a este ser desdichado y sufriente? El despotismo implantado en su alma clama venganza, y la tendrá.
Qué fascinante me ha parecido este relato gótico de Shelley, que ha pesar de ser tan corto, los elementos que plasma en él convergen en sintonía tal que lo he sentido como una composición musical completa e idónea.
October 21, 2018
Valutazione per singolo racconto:
Metamorfosi = ⭐️⭐️
Il mortale immortale = ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Il Malocchio = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 15, 2026
3 1/2 stars!! I love Mary Shelley so bad
My favorite from this was The Mortal Immortal .
“A sailor without rudder or compass, tossed on a stormy sea - a traveller lost on a widespread heath, without landmark or stone to guide him - such have I been: more lost, more hopeless than either. A nearing ship, a gleam from some far cot, may save them; but I have no beacon except the hope of death.
Death! mysterious, ill-visaged friend of weak humanity! Why alone of all mortals have you cast me from your sheltering fold? Oh, for the peace of the grave! the deep silence of the iron-bound tomb! that thought would cease to work in my brain, and my heart beat no more with emotions varied only by new forms of sadness!”
She perfectly captured why immortality is actually a curse . It is nothing to be desired , even by someone with the most ardent fervor and passion for living!
My favorite from this was The Mortal Immortal .
“A sailor without rudder or compass, tossed on a stormy sea - a traveller lost on a widespread heath, without landmark or stone to guide him - such have I been: more lost, more hopeless than either. A nearing ship, a gleam from some far cot, may save them; but I have no beacon except the hope of death.
Death! mysterious, ill-visaged friend of weak humanity! Why alone of all mortals have you cast me from your sheltering fold? Oh, for the peace of the grave! the deep silence of the iron-bound tomb! that thought would cease to work in my brain, and my heart beat no more with emotions varied only by new forms of sadness!”
She perfectly captured why immortality is actually a curse . It is nothing to be desired , even by someone with the most ardent fervor and passion for living!
October 23, 2025
Transformation is a gothic short story that has a little bit of everything : romance, greed, hubris and an identity crisis. The concept and some of the writing was very interesting but overall this story needed more attention and probably length in order to do this idea justice. That said, Mary Shelley on Hoopla? Yes, please !
September 12, 2025
ABANDONADO 83%
Cuentos:
Transformación -> 2'5
El mortal inmortal -> 3
El mal de ojo -> Abandonado (solo he leído un capítulo)
Mery Shelly en Frankenstein despliega un talento descomunal y tiene una pluma exquisita. Pero estos cuentos no me podían dar más igual.
Los dos primeros se salvan pero el tercero ya no sabía ni de qué estaba yendo la historia.
Por supuesto habla de temas transcendentales, como la inmortalidad o la redención, y es súper interesante. pero no puedo recomendar esta recopilación, si acaso 'El mortal inmortal'.
Cuentos:
Transformación -> 2'5
El mortal inmortal -> 3
El mal de ojo -> Abandonado (solo he leído un capítulo)
Mery Shelly en Frankenstein despliega un talento descomunal y tiene una pluma exquisita. Pero estos cuentos no me podían dar más igual.
Los dos primeros se salvan pero el tercero ya no sabía ni de qué estaba yendo la historia.
Por supuesto habla de temas transcendentales, como la inmortalidad o la redención, y es súper interesante. pero no puedo recomendar esta recopilación, si acaso 'El mortal inmortal'.
February 27, 2018
Me gustaron mucho mucho los dos primeros cuentos: Transformación(creo que este es mi favorito) y El inmortal mortal. El tercer cuento, El mal de ojo, me llegó algo menos. Es una antología muy recomendable.
November 24, 2025
why is every mary shelley protagonist the human equivalent of a wet cat
April 3, 2011
Another small book containing more short tales from Mary Shelley. I was reading something a while ago about the loss Mary suffered in her life, and her later works actually mirror her grief, notably in The Last Man and the collection of short stories in both The Pilgrims and here, in Transformation. Themes of loss, love, despair and sorrow are all too frequent in these books. She also had a heritage to live up to, both being the child of the radical philosopher William Godwin as well as the archetypal Feminist - Mary Wollstonecraft. Not only that, but she mixed with the radical elite of the day, such as Lord Byron, Keats and she married Percy Shelley, the famous and talented poet, both of whom died relatively young.
I love reading about this era, the changing world, the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, the wide-sweeping political French Revolution and later Napoleonic Wars as well as the Romantic movement in art during those late 18thC and early 19thC years. Mary and her coterie were a major part of this period - and when we do for instance think of the Romantic Poets at the very least, Shelley, Keats and William Blake come to mind. Anyway, a nice little collection of stories contained here, worth a perusal if you be a fan of Mary.
I love reading about this era, the changing world, the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, the wide-sweeping political French Revolution and later Napoleonic Wars as well as the Romantic movement in art during those late 18thC and early 19thC years. Mary and her coterie were a major part of this period - and when we do for instance think of the Romantic Poets at the very least, Shelley, Keats and William Blake come to mind. Anyway, a nice little collection of stories contained here, worth a perusal if you be a fan of Mary.
April 1, 2013
I did wonder why the publishers decided to publish two such short short story collections instead of combing them into one reasonable sized books. I must say I prefered the stories in the Pilgrims, if only for having more women characters. I enjoyed the first two stories which were nice melancohly gothic tales but not so much the third which was more of a standard historical story. The first story as about a man who swapped bodies with a hideous dward, the second about a man who had unwittingly drunk a potion of immortality thinking it would free him from his obsession with love when it just made him sadder. I do really like Mary Shelly's writing and am glad I have a few more things to read by her.
June 20, 2011
This book contains three stories that vary greatly in standard. The first (and by far and away the best) of the stories is Transformation - this story is worth reading (I would rate this 4 star). The second, The Mortal Immortal, is interesting, but not a real page turner, I would rate this 3 stars. I found the last story, The Evil Eye, to be disappointing, I would only give this 1 star.
August 28, 2020
Dear Mary, I gave you a second chance, but it is blatantly obvious that, alas, this is not working out. It's not you - it's me.
May 29, 2020
Una selección de cuentos góticos de la gran Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, como bien lo menciona Marian Womack en la introducción de este ejemplar, Mary fue una de las precursoras del relato corto, y en estas historias breves podemos encontrar las incipientes insinuaciones hacia lo que sería el género del cuento como lo conocemos actualmente; no sólo merece méritos por este hecho, sino que cada una de las tres narraciones que componen esta antología es sobresaliente por sí misma, y una muestra de que la Madre de Frankenstein posee mucho más material literario que vale completamente la pena prestarle atención y apreciarlo.
En estos relatos se describen algunos de los sentimientos más intensos de los que somos poseedores como humanos, desde la inmensa dicha, hasta desoladora soledad, todo ello, sin olvidar el aspecto fantástico que también se encuentra presente. Cada uno de ellos, escrito de una forma tan maravillosa que no recordaba, pero que me alegro de haber vuelto a leer a esta mente maestra de la literatura universal.
"¡La muerte! ¡Misteriosa, fea amiga de la débil humanidad! ¿Por qué de entre todos los mortales me has elegido para expulsarme del resguardo de tu redil? ¡Oh, quien alcanzara la paz de la tumba! ¡Los silencios profundos de la tumba recubierta de hierro! ¡Ojalá este pensamiento abandonase mi mente, y mi corazón dejara de latir con emociones que solo varían en sus nuevas formas de tristeza!".
- El mortal inmortal.
"La miseria es un visitante al que damos la bienvenida cuanto más oscuros sean sus ropajes y nos envuelve en un negro perpetuo, puesto que entonces el corazón ya no está marchito con esperanzas decepcionadas".
- El mal de ojo.
En estos relatos se describen algunos de los sentimientos más intensos de los que somos poseedores como humanos, desde la inmensa dicha, hasta desoladora soledad, todo ello, sin olvidar el aspecto fantástico que también se encuentra presente. Cada uno de ellos, escrito de una forma tan maravillosa que no recordaba, pero que me alegro de haber vuelto a leer a esta mente maestra de la literatura universal.
"¡La muerte! ¡Misteriosa, fea amiga de la débil humanidad! ¿Por qué de entre todos los mortales me has elegido para expulsarme del resguardo de tu redil? ¡Oh, quien alcanzara la paz de la tumba! ¡Los silencios profundos de la tumba recubierta de hierro! ¡Ojalá este pensamiento abandonase mi mente, y mi corazón dejara de latir con emociones que solo varían en sus nuevas formas de tristeza!".
- El mortal inmortal.
"La miseria es un visitante al que damos la bienvenida cuanto más oscuros sean sus ropajes y nos envuelve en un negro perpetuo, puesto que entonces el corazón ya no está marchito con esperanzas decepcionadas".
- El mal de ojo.
May 2, 2020
Libros recomendados: ‘’La transformació’’, de Mary Shelley. Catalán. L’Art de la Memòria Edicions. Relato breve. Leyendas, aprendizaje, misterio…
En pocas páginas y con ese narrar arcaico y folclórico, nos encontramos con una lección más que doble: cómo alguien que se ha creído el ser supremo, puede convertirse en lo contrario a sus creencias.
Una tempestad traerá consigo un ser que hará una propuesta de la que depende tu vida: por dentro y por fuera…
¿Hasta qué punto puede aprender el hombre?, ¿hasta qué punto puede engañarnos la vista?
Quizás veamos lo que se ha aprendido hasta ahora; aunque no tengo mucha fe…
El libro en papel me costó caro para las páginas que son. Y esperaba algo más ‘novedoso’; aunque una lección breve es más sencilla de aprender, ¿no?
La foto está tomada antes de la cuarentena, creo que en enero, cuando me leí el relato…
***La carátula de mi libro es otra.
En pocas páginas y con ese narrar arcaico y folclórico, nos encontramos con una lección más que doble: cómo alguien que se ha creído el ser supremo, puede convertirse en lo contrario a sus creencias.
Una tempestad traerá consigo un ser que hará una propuesta de la que depende tu vida: por dentro y por fuera…
¿Hasta qué punto puede aprender el hombre?, ¿hasta qué punto puede engañarnos la vista?
Quizás veamos lo que se ha aprendido hasta ahora; aunque no tengo mucha fe…
El libro en papel me costó caro para las páginas que son. Y esperaba algo más ‘novedoso’; aunque una lección breve es más sencilla de aprender, ¿no?
La foto está tomada antes de la cuarentena, creo que en enero, cuando me leí el relato…
***La carátula de mi libro es otra.
April 23, 2026
Frankenstein is my favourite book, so I was very excited to find this book of short stories by Mary Shelley! Of the 3 stories (Transformation, The Invisible Girl, The Mortal Immortal) the Mortal Immortal was my favourite (4/5). It was a fun short read!
September 9, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
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