#Evocative of none other than Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein, this is a stellar re-imagining of a most famous story. In 19th century America, 18-year-old Mary endeavours to cope with the desolation of loss, infidelity, and haunting recollections, all ordeal which makes her assail herself and question her own object. As the story goes, one stormy night at Lake Geneva, Lord Byron challenges everyone to write a ghost story, and it stirs up something fierce in Mary. We follow along her past which shows mythical beasts, witches and real monsters. Delirium tremens, the intense version that is the novel, where terrible intoxicants of grief, desire and horror have overlaid a fevered montage of waking dreams.

This is another marvellous reimagining of Frankenstein, with complex and deeply human characters, in which Eekhout brings us Gothic prose by the bucketload. — and Mary Shelley fans everywhere should definitely check it out.

This novel takes the origin story of Frankenstein and has Mary Shelley dive more into her past for inspiration.

I liked the idea here, but found it very slow, I do appreciate a lot of the themes the author chose to add more depth to this story though.

Who – or what–is going to loom out of the dark?

If you are a fan of Frankenstein, and like historical fiction and know the Frankenstein story very well then you will relish reading this. It’s a tale of dark passions, mysterious deaths and unconventional goings on. A historical fiction (which I’m a sucker for), but not what I expected. I started to zone out and get alittle bored in places as in concentrated mainly on Mary’s earlier life and this suppose love interest but not the actual night we all want to know about and read about. I feel it could have been shorter and what it’s advertised as being about is what it should actually be about.

There are two main timelines: Mary Goodwin being sent to Scotland, by her father a man of letters and political philosopher William Godwin. Then Mary Shelley four years later, in Lake Geneva, where she and her husband poet Shelly gather with Byron and doctor John Polidori, author of ‘The Vampyre’ and have a competition to see who can write the best horror piece.

Both these settings are very well drawn and provide an eerie backdrop to each part of the story. Mary in Geneva talking about the torment of the loss of her baby girl, her frustration with the infidelities of her unfaithful, unsympathetic husband. Also Mary trying to meet the egotism of her needy, emotionally demanding stepsister Claire Clairmont, as well as coping with a whole catalogue of male egos. Them not believing she can write as well as them.

I will say the writing really helps show that Mary had enough grief, conflict and trauma in her life already to provide the spark before her time in Geneva to concoct the story of Frankenstein. But I wanted more from this and about her process rather than what.was included. Overall disappointed when I got to the end as really enjoyed the start and was eager to get stuck in

A wonderfully translated gothic, sapphic story. A reimagining of Mary Shelley in her teenage years (which for me was the absolute best timeline in the story) as she is sent from London to Scotland to stay with the Baxter's. Here, the family are free to play, let their imaginations run wild and once a week when Mr Booth visits they tell stories to each other as a sort of skit, and seeing as though gothic horrors are just beginning to form as literature of the day, they are dark, weird oral tales or local legends.
These tales and myths of the local Dundee landscape were fantastic and are told throughout the book by everyone they encounter.
Mr Booth is a strange creepy man, the brother-in-law of the Baxter's and seems to take quite a shine to the 2 girls Isabella and Mary. And as the girls relationship develops so does Mr Booths behaviour. He distorts and changes, turning up at odd times, and he seems to be trying to put Mary off Isabella telling her she is wicked and mustn't be trusted.
And then the other timeline is Mary married and in an open relationship (seemingly not her idea) as she begins to write a story that will change everything at the bequest of Lord Bryon.

When I read the description for this book I was sold. I hoped it would live up to my expectations of it and it most certainly did.

It was such interesting premise and was executed wonderfully. I really enjoyed this.

Thank you for the arc in return for an honest review.

Mary's story start when she was 14 years old. It is takes several more years to find her own place and voice in the men's world. We all knew Mary Shelley as long as we recognized her story, Frankenstein. This book will reimagines her earlier life and written from two timeline.
The writing is great with classical vibes and luscious prose. The pace is perfect and presented suitable atmosphere of the story. I love the journey of Mary personal growth to become one of the greatest woman.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press Publisher from Pushkin Publisher for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 2 Nov 2023

Really interesting relationship drawn between Isabella and Mary. Visions of the monster, woven with feelings of desire and discovery and grief. Enjoyed this retelling.

I'm learning this type of genre is very hit or miss with me and I'm yet to work out what makes it for me. Sadly this was a miss. Perhaps it was something lost in translation but some parts felt lazy while others were full of purple prose and I just didn't care.

Just finished and I'm already wanting to reread it!

Anyone with a fascination for the Frankenstein story, which still grips popular imagination 200 years and more after its publication, or even a passing interest, will relish reading this ‘backstory’ to the novel. As gothic as ‘Frankenstein’ itself, it’s a tale of dark passions, mysterious deaths and unconventional goings on.

There are two main settings and timelines: Scotland, to where Mary is packed off by her father, man of letters and political philosopher William Godwin and, four years later, Lake Geneva, where she and poet Shelly gather with Byron and his doctor John Polidori, author of ‘The Vampyre’.

Both these settings are very well drawn and provide an eerie backdrop to each part of the story. Jeopardy lurks on every page. Who – or what–is going to loom out of the dark?

For me, the later narrative worked better. Poor Mary Shelley: tormented by the loss of her baby daughter, frustrated with infidelities of her unfaithful, unsympathetic husband, and trying to meet the egotism of her needy, emotionally demanding stepsister Claire Clairmont, as well as coping with a whole catalogue of male egos.

I was never quite convinced that what happened in Scotland would trigger the creation of Frankenstein. IT seems Mary had enough grief, conflict and trauma in her life already to provide the spark.

A super read and one that, with the last page turned, I’m more than ready to revisit!

This was well written but I think better suited to someone who knows the story of Frankenstein and its conception better than I do. Full of historical detail it's stunning but some of it was lost on me I'm afraid!

I absolutely loved this amazing novel of Mary Shelley's story!

As someone who does not know an awful lot about Mary Shelley and how the story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster came to be, this book completely blew me away with the level of research and detail as well as entertainment that had been thrown in. Mary Shelley's story is a tragic one and one that I feel is perfectly represented in this book. Her relationships with those closest to her and the tragedy of her daughter's passing is something that Anne Eekhout pays an extraordinary level of care and compassion into as you can truly feel how Mary must have felt during this horrific period in her life.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a beautiful, gothic, emotional novel about Mary Shelley and how the tragedies she suffered in life inspired her to write one of history's most beloved and classic books.

This book was not at all what I expected. This book is really well written, but I just did not enjoy the story at all. I think that was maybe a me issue as I was expecting something else. I feel the title is misleading to what the story is. I just didn't care for the story or characters 😔 This would have been a 2 star based on my enjoyment how I usually rate but I take on that it is beautifully written so will go with 3 stars.

I listened to this on audio, and it was well read and easy to follow along.

Thank you to Netgalley, Anne Eekhout, Pushkin Press, and Bolinda Audio for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Everyone has heard of the famous novel Frankenstein and Mary Shelley the master behind the gothic tale. This story by Anne Eekhout paints a picture of the life that Mary led leading up to her success and the inspiration from her time living in Edinburgh. This story follows two time lines; 1812 when Mary is sent off to Edinburgh by her father and then 4 years later where she is in Geneva with her husband and other poets and writers. This was a slow atmospheric and gothic read. This is a character driven novel that tends to delve into supernatural elements and how troubled Mary's experiences give birth to Frankenstein.

This was challenging to read. This took a long way round the story and is definitely one for lovers of the story who want to know more about Mary. It was entwined and interesting, but just took a while to get there.

This just wasn't what I was expecting. I had hoped for a story of that night, when the competition was announced, and Mary came up with the draft of Frankenstein, but most of the story took place 4 years earlier, and sadly, rather bored me.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

“They have been here two weeks now, in Geneva, and ever since they arrived, storms and thunder have performed a frenzied ritual almost every day. Mary loves it when the sheet lightning persists, stretching like a cat and lighting up the skies for seconds at a time, painting it a pale purple, as if it were a canvas”

My thanks to Pushkin Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Mary, or the Birth of Frankenstein’ by Anne Eekhout. It was translated from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson.

This work of literary historical fiction unfolds over two timelines. The first is Geneva in 1816 where 18-year-old Mary Shelley and her lover Percy Shelley, along with her stepsister, Claire Clairmont, spend the summer in a villa close to the poet, Lord Byron (Albe) and his friend and doctor, John Polidori. It is here where Lord Byron challenges everyone to write a ghost story and Mary ends up creating ‘Frankenstein’.

The second timeline is set in the summer of 1812. Mary is sent to Dundee to spend the summer with the Baxters, friends of her father. Mary finds herself falling in love with the enigmatic Isabella Baxter. Isabella relates to Mary tales of mythical beasts, witches, and spirits. In addition, the Baxter family have a tradition of gathering for monthly storytelling sessions, echoing the events in Geneva.

In 1816, Mary remembers that summer as well as the death of she and Percy’s infant daughter. Fuelled by longing, grief, and laudanum, the seeds of her story take root.

There is a dreamlike atmosphere to this novel that also calls into question Mary’s memories of her time with Isabella, though she might also be the victim of gaslighting. It’s left ambiguous.

Anne Eekhout’s writing is elegant and lyrical as she slowly builds up her characters and moves between the two periods. I was pleased that she opened her novel with a list of characters as it proved quite helpful, especially for the Scottish sections.

While I had read a number of books featuring Mary Shelley, usually her story begins when she first meets Percy. So it was interesting to learn about her earlier life and especially the time in Dundee.

Overall, I felt that Anne Eekhout had a great deal of empathy with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Throughout ‘Mary, or the Birth of Frankenstein’ the youth of Mary is quite evident. It is an atmospheric novel that celebrates the Gothic tradition.

This book was so good! It was intriguing and really drawed me in. I'll be reading more of this authors work.

This novel is split between two timelines and places: 1812 in Dundee, and 1816 in Geneva.

In 1812, young Mary Godwin arrives in Dundee to stay with the Baxter family, who are very kind to her. She immediately feels at home there and is drawn to mysterious and enigmatic Isabella, who spends most of her time shut away in her room. However, Mary manages to persuade Isabella to leave the comfort of her bedroom, and the two young females quickly become friends.

In 1816, Mary stays in Geneva with her lover and poet, Percy Shelley. They are accompanied by Mary’s step-sister, Claire, and her lover and poet, Lord Byron. Mary has a newborn son, William, but she is still grieving the loss of her baby daughter. This is the time where she first drinks laudanum laced wine, and Lord Byron dares everyone to write a ghost story.

Something awakens in Mary. Something that was always there…

I enjoyed this Gothic re-imagining of how Mary Shelley’s ideas for the novel was first born. The reader discovers the potential inspiration for Mary’s book: her time spent with the Baxters’ and their story nights, meeting Mr Baxter and listening to his tales, her friendship with Isabella and what the two young females went through and saw.

I liked the dual timeline, but I must admit, that I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. I think that was the author’s purpose, but I still would have liked to know for sure.

There is vivid imagery in the story: the raging storms, cold, chilly nights spent by the candlelight, strange dreams, and perilous journeys.

Thank you to Pushkin Press for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

As a Mary Shelley stan, I was excited to come across Mary: or the Birth of Frankenstein. Perhaps because I've read several other fantastic novel adaptations of her life and work this season, I found this book a bit underwhelming. I love an atmospheric gothic as much as the next Shelley devotee, but I struggled to complete the first hundred pages of this book. Despite the dual timelines toggling between the infamous summer at Villa Diodati (a story I could retell from memory) and Mary's summer in Scotland (a period I know far less about), the pacing is slow. The ominous undercurrents aren't quite strong enough to build the tension that hooks me into my favorite gothics.

However, I appreciated the attention paid to several elements of Mary's biography besides her work and her multiple (in)famous relationships. Mary's grief over the death of her infant daughter, particularly how it interacts with the haunting of her mother's death in childbirth, is one of the elements of her biography that I find the most compelling. Both are vividly drawn. I also appreciated that this book made bolder gestures to the possibility that Mary experienced sapphic attraction, in addition to her great love for Percy.

Readers who want a literary entry point to Shelley's life and work, who perhaps are less familiar than I am with the stories of the Villa Diodati Romantics, will enjoy this book.

Mary was, in all honesty, a pretty unmemorable book for me. I don’t often get on with books about real people, so I really should have seen this one coming. It wasn’t embarrassing in the way I sometimes find books like that (The Rose Code springs to mind), but neither was it that compelling.

The story splits between the “present” day, where Mary Shelley is on the verge of writing the first drafts of Frankenstein and the past when she was a ward of the Baxters before her marriage with Percy Bysshe Shelley, during which time she falls for their daughter. There’s more that happens too but I kind of only have a vague recollection of it. A creepy brother in law? Maybe? But anyway.

This is what I mean by it’s sort of an unmemorable book. Even with characters such as both Shelleys and Lord Tennyson, it didn’t stick out for me. Again, perhaps this is something I could have seen coming since I’m not that interested in reading about that particular period of history, let alone individuals within it. So most of what I struggled with about this book can probably simply be put down to being the wrong reader for it.

Honestly, it was such a strongly-only-okay read that I don’t really have anything more to say about it. While I can’t say there was anything I truly disliked about it, neither was there anything I can point to as having liked. It was an okay reading experience. It didn’t excite me but it didn’t piss me off immeasurably. Just. Okay.

However, as ever, everyone’s a different reader! What I didn’t love here might be right up another person’s alley so, if this book appeals to you, give it a go.