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.

Although 'Mary: or The Birth of Frankenstein' provided a perceptive analysis of Mary's emotions and struggles, I found some areas lacking character development. Specifically, the connections between Mary and the other characters were not fully developed, which left me wanting more complexity and depth. This was particularly noticeable in her interactions with Percy Shelley, Claire, John, and Lord Byron, who were all essential figures in Mary's life during the book's events. Considering their impact on Mary's writing process, I believe the characters' dynamics could have been explored more deeply.
Nonetheless, the book's depiction of its settings was exceptionally well done. The author's descriptions of the Scottish wilderness and the villa on Lake Geneva were vivid and captivating, adding to the story's eerie ambience. The narrative's examination of Mary's past experiences in Dundee was particularly fascinating, with stories of mythical creatures, witches, and spirits.
Fans of Frankenstein or those interested in the creative process behind literary masterpieces will undoubtedly find this book valuable.

Such an amazingly dark and beautiful story of the wonderful Mary Shelley! I always get worried when the life of Mary Shelleg is retold, but Eekhout puts her front and center, exploring her life and grief, packed within the tale of Frankenstein and Mary's time in Dundee (which I had no clue about!) seems to have helped her weave her tale.

This deeply atmospheric tale is the story of Mary Shelley, author of the famous Frankenstein.

Told over two time periods, in 1812 as a young woman sent to leave with the Baxter family in Scotland. And in Italy in 1816, as a wife and mother with a talent for writing battling to free itself.

Mary explores the imagined and real origins of Frankenstein, whilst also introducing the reader to Mary herself. It’s a strong beginning and I enjoyed the read on the whole, I just felt it lost the thread a little by the end. Still, a must read for fans of gothic literature and Frankenstein itself.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this.

This book has dual timelines, exploring Mary Shelley at the time she writes Frankenstein whilst staying on Lake Geneva and a few years earlier when she was recovering from an illness in Scotland and staying in with a family where the mother has recently passed.

I flew threw the first third of this book, I really liked the atmosphere. It’s gothic, stormy weather, mansions, challenging relationships, family secrets.

I found my attention waned after that as it got a little repetitive. It had some good story points towards the end but not enough time was spent on these and there was a lot of other content the books focused on instead.

This had great atmosphere and was an interesting exploration of the inspiration for Frankenstein.

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this eCopy to review

May or the Birth of Frankenstein is an OK story of how Mary came to write Frankenstein. It explores how her time in Dundee, the death of her mother and baby daughter, and her husband's infidelities all came together to allow her to create her renowned novel.

I liked the settings and felt they were great at evoking a sense of place and were very dark and atmospheric with all the storms. The fears of witches and monsters really create a sense of tension within the book

I would have liked her relationships with Percy, Claire, John and Lord Byron to be better developed as I felt there was a marked difference between the Geneva chapters and those set in Dundee with the Baxter family

Please be warned that Mary's daughter's death is discussed a lot which may be triggering for some.

This really wasn't for me. I went in expecting retelling of just how Frankenstein was birthed, but that isn't what I got. It's fantastic writing but it was very slow in places. Thank you for the opportunity to review however.

This is one of those books that when you finish, you say WOW! This fictionalized look into how Mary Shelley came to write Frankenstein is a GREAT read. Mary Shelley would definitely be proud of Anne Eekout's intriguing story that gives us a Mary that has been emotionally traumatized. When she receives a challenge to wrote a scary story, she pulls memories from a long ago vacation then wraps them into the story that would become one of the most well known horror stories of all time. This is definitely an easy 5 star book for me. Read it for yourself. I hope you find it as great as I did.

Fantastic! That’s the best word I can use to describe this novel. Perfect for fans of Frankenstein but I’d imagine that those who have never read it would do so after this! The dark atmosphere was created so brilliantly and the characters were so fleshed-out that I felt as those I was right there with them.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review!

Mary or, The Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout is a haunting and vivid reimagining of the birth of Frankenstein, set against the stormy backdrop of 1816. At just eighteen years old, Mary, tormented by her lover Percy Shelley's infidelities and haunted by the loss of her baby daughter, finds herself in a villa on Lake Geneva. A challenge by Lord Byron to write a ghost story unleashes something fierce and wild within Mary's imagination.

Eekhout weaves a tale that illuminates the past with a flash of lightning, delving into a feverish world of waking dreams where grief intertwines with desire, and the line between beauty and horror blurs. The narrative takes readers on a journey through Mary's experiences in Scotland, where she fell in love with the enigmatic Isabella Baxter, learned of mythical beasts, witches, and spirits, and encountered real monsters lurking both in the wilds and close to home.

The novel skillfully brings to life the famous five, capturing the essence of the challenge that led to the creation of Frankenstein. Eekhout's storytelling is engaging, drawing readers into a dark and foreboding atmosphere that underscores the mistreatment of women in the group, especially the young and talented Mary. The characters, including the self-indulgent and annoying Clare, are portrayed with depth, making the story all the more captivating.

Readers familiar with the Romantic poets and Mary Wollstonecraft will find a fresh perspective in this book, appreciating the dark atmosphere that permeates the narrative. Eekhout's compelling writing style breathes new life into one of the most famous literary characters of all time, making Mary or, The Birth of Frankenstein a must-read for those who enjoy immersive historical fiction and dark, atmospheric tales.

Written in Dutch and beautifully translated by Laura Watkinson, this novel is atmospheric, eerie and compelling, a thought provoking take on the young writer as she creates her masterpiece. If you like stories about women reclaiming their stories, and their rage, this one is definitely for you.

Mary Shelley: wife of Percy, daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, friend of the Romantics and mother of Frankenstein. This is her story of how her monster came to it’s maker. We begin in Switzerland where Mary and her lover Percy are staying near friends, including Lord Byron, and during a stormy, laudanum and wine filled night they decide to write ghost stories. This tale is interspersed with Mary’s diaries of her time in Scotland, only a few years previously, where she found herself beguiled by her host’s daughter.

I really liked this story. The first thing to note is this is not about Frankenstein, it’s about Mary Shelley, although understanding the general premise of Frankenstein adds layers upon layers to this book and heavily influenced my read. Horror in the nineteenth century, when Mary Shelley was writing, was sprung from all kinds of external factors including repression and change and I think Eekhout does a great job stirring this into Mary’s thoughts and experiences. Due to this and her own personal circumstances of sex and age, Mary becomes an unreliable narrator in the story of her own life. Mary’s story alternates between now in Geneva and then in Scotland, the two events are only a few short years apart but feel like someone reminiscing about events twenty years in the past, her youthful voice in Scotland is nowhere to be found when we see her in Geneva. I love the contrast of these two parts and the way you can feel the monster of Frankenstein (neither of who are ever named) building within Mary in Scotland and growing, ready to be birthed through her repression and rage in Geneva. Eekhout wraps this around Mary as a young mother, nursing her baby and mourning the death of her elder child and it is so angry and wonderful. The sense of otherness in her story is so tense, there’s always something lurking in the corner just out of sight and making your neck prickle and this is maintained the whole way through the book which keeps you on edge throughout.

Frankenstein is a title I have long adored, even more so after a course studying it at university. None of my studies ever allowed me insights to and an understanding of the author's life quite like this fictional reimaging did, however.

The timeline was ever shifting throughout but the cuts from scene-to-scene felt very fitting with the emotional nature of the text, both here and in Mary's own writing. These sudden movements to, and removals from, certain scenes allowed the reader an easy insight into how they factored in to other later or earlier sufferings in the author's life. And, then, how all these were reawakened in her gothic writing.

The writing here was mesmerising in its beauty. Each sentence was crisply executed and no emotion was spared the reader as Mary's life was fictionalised for our entertainment. It made me bond all the more with this historical figure and provided a greater appreciation for her creations.

As Taylor Swift once said: “Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, maybe this thing was a masterpiece until you tore it all up.’

I had really high expectations for Mary: Or the birth of Frankenstein but I finished it feeling really confused if I'm honest.

The writing wasn't the smoothest and felt quite disjointed at times but that could purely be the fact that it's translated? But I'm not sure, I've read other translated books that flowed much better.

The story follows our protagonist, Mary Shelley, famously known as the author of Frankenstein, in two timelines. Mary, on holiday with her partner and friends, is planning her novel and reflecting back on her teenage years where she spent a traumatic and life altering summer with a family in Scotland.

What I did enjoy is the research that has gone in to the life of Mary Shelley as a lot of the facts do check out and her struggle to find her place in a predominantly male world of writing while trying to be the wife and mother that everyone else expects.

I have recently read “Frankenstein” with a book group, and was very interested to read Eekhout’s novel describing what experiences might have influenced Mary Shelley and inspired her to write “Frankenstein”.

This novel imagines Shelley’s childhood and adolescence, and portrays the attitude to girls and women in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. It gives the reader a picture of how Shelley, then aged 18, might have managed to cope in the company of big male egos, a child, and a selfish half-sister in order to produce the unique and brilliant work “Frankenstein”.

When I was 17 I wrote a paper at college about the night that sparked the flame that became Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’
I found this book hypnotic and atmospheric and true to how new and strange the world is through the eyes of a teenager.
A good, gothic, monstrous read!

It was Byron's idea. ‘Let’s each write a ghost story....‘Whoever writes the most frightening story wins.’ There is some further discussion. ‘Mary can do it too. Surprise us, Mary.’
And young Mary does surprise them. She surprises everyone by creating one of the greatest horror and science fiction stories ever written.
The story of how Mary Shelley dreamed up the essence of Frankenstein during a holiday at Lake Geneva with her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley and the notorious Lord Byron amongst others during the terrible summer of 1816 is well documented.. But Anne Eekhout explores the origins of Mary's inspiration still further taking us back to an earlier summer from four years before, which young Mary spent in the company of another young girl, Isabella, the daughter of a family friend.
Anne Eekhout's novel is a fascinating read, wonderfully imaginative in teasing out the possible sources of Mary's literary inspiration while hinting at the real-life monsters that may exist, lurking within all of us, waiting only for the necessary electrical charge to be ignited which will one day bring them to life.

For fans of Frankenstein, like myself, I've read and seen a few adaptations telling how she got the idea to write her novel. This book, "Mary: or The Birth of Frankenstein" by Anne Eekhout goes one step further providing a lot more background, including a massively influential time spent in Scotland with the Baxters. It is there that Mary encounters a lot of things including love for a young woman, a dark and foreboding man with a science lab and lots of myths. This, coupled with the trauma of the death of Mary's first child, manifests itself in the book in the form of very disturbing dreams. Whether this is the imagination of Eekhout or fact, no wonder Mary Shelley wrote such a disturbing novel.

While I'm aware of the "Famous Five" and had a vague understanding of their stories, this book really brought Mary's experiences the life. While I found the link between the stories being told in 1812 and 1816 a bit tenuous and wanted there to be a bit more fleshing out of it, this book was very enjoyable. I really felt for Mary - especially when it occurred to me at points how young she was - and enjoyed the way it brought the creation of Frankenstein to life. I felt a few times that the story was a bit slow at points, but none the less it was an enjoyable read.