• news
  • WEDNESDAY MARCH 28 2007 10:00 AM

Who Wrote Frankenstein?

Submitted by PointBlank

Edited by Rahodeb

Tags: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Fraud, Literature



Fittingly, the story behind the creation of the novel Frankenstein is almost as famous as that of the monster itself.

Mary Shelley, only nineteen at the time, spent the cold summer of 1816 with her future husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley; Lord Byron; and Byron’s doctor, John William Polidori. Due to the subnormal temperatures, the group was forced to stay indoors where they entertained each other by reading from a book of German ghost stories. When Lord Byron challenged the group to write their own stories, Mary Shelley came up with the first spark that would become the classic Frankenstein. Remarkably, Polidori was also inspired by Byron that night and later wrote what is considered to be the first modern vampire story, The Vampyre . Two horror greats were born that night. It don't get any more goth than that, people.

Now, however, one scholar is claiming that the story might not be true, at least when it comes to Mary Shelley and her monster. How did a marginally-educated nineteen-year old come up with what is now thought of as one of the first science-fiction novels, and why didn't she ever write anything of merit again? Perhaps she wasn’t the author at all, according to John Lauritsen, who claims that Percy Bysshe Shelley actually wrote the novel.

Lauritsen, a Harvard-educated "independent scholar" who has spent seven years in its libraries comparing the texts of Shelley's great works such as Ozymandias with his wife's subsequent books, says Frankenstein was too profound to have been created by an "ill-educated 19-year-old whose later writings were just ordinary".

He says some of the language, with lines such as "I will glut the maw of death", were pure Shelley, and that the young aristocrat wrote a handful of fashionable horror tales that echo the later tone of Frankenstein. Lauritsen said Shelley had many reasons to disguise his authorship, including hints of "free love" that had already driven him out of England and an undertone of "Romantic, but I would not say gay, male love".

Lauritsen also points out that the first edition of Frankenstein was published with no author credited and was roundly panned by the critics of the time. Obviously, a book like this is going to cause some controversy, but at least one critic, Camille Paglia, writing in Salon sees the novel as not only an important investigation, but a shot fired across the bow of academia as well.

Lauritsen's book is important not only for its audacious theme but for the devastating portrait it draws of the insularity and turgidity of the current academy. As an independent scholar, Lauritsen is beholden to no one. As a consequence, he can fight openly with myopic professors and, without fear of retribution, condemn them for their inability to read and reason.

Will a village of angry scholars armed with pitchforks and torches be coming for Lauritsen when his book, The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein comes out next month? Only time will tell.

  • PERMALINK
  • PRINT
  • Digg This
  • Email To A Friend
 

Previous

PAGE: 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

 ... 8

Next

Comments
Crissis

Crissis

Ecuador
January 2007

MAR 28, 2007 10:08 AM

when i read it in high school i thought the same thing, but the cool thing its about mary having written it, a young 19 year old with mystery horror ideas in her head, why isnt it possible...

aleksa

aleksa

Tacoma, WA
April 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:11 AM

I would think that Frankenstein originally being uncredited would be more evidence of Mary's authorship. A woman writing a horror story would've been harder for the general public to swallow, particularly in her era.

Signon

Signon

Austin, TX
June 2005

MAR 28, 2007 10:16 AM

For my part, my recollections of the book were that it was written by an extraordinarily talented amateur. The core concept was brilliant, but no much some of the execution (e.g. the explanation for the monster learning language).

DeceptiviewFilm

DeceptiviewFilm

Parlin, NJ
February 2004

MAR 28, 2007 10:17 AM

Its...Franken...steen...

RileyStClair

RileyStClair

Los Angeles, CA
September 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:21 AM

i've always been amazed at hearing how all these great authors and composers come up with such brilliant stuff at an age when i (and most of my peers) were primarily concerned with partying all the time.

mozart penned his first symphony at what, ten? carson mccullers wrote the heart is a lonely hunter at 23.

when i was 19, aside from being pretty darn good at theoretical math, i played keyboard in a terrible attempt at a new-wave band and decoupaged (so not a verb) picture frames.

how do these people exist?

anyway, i like the idea of "independent" scholarship giving the finger to the man, and it's an interesting premise. i'll have to read the book. however, i'm not convinced that a tender age and a lack of a first-rate education are insurmountable barriers to genius.

mmm

mmm

I'm lost
March 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:22 AM

There wolf.

grave_chilling

grave_chilling

Bath, ON
September 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:23 AM

Mary and her husband were indeed inseparable back then. It's possible that Percy's influences are overwhelming in the novel, but it's unlikely that he would be the author. Frankenstein is a feminist tale, and while Percy was ahead of his time, he was still a man. Although it's very possible he edited it and added things to it. Why not? Mary likely added things to his poetry as well... they were classic lovers.

RileyStClair

RileyStClair

Los Angeles, CA
September 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:28 AM

wait, your argument is that percy couldn't have written a feminist work because he is a man?

Settled_In_Satin

Settled_In_Satin

Champaign, IL
September 2005

MAR 28, 2007 10:30 AM

grave_chilling said:
Mary and her husband were indeed inseparable back then. It's possible that Percy's influences are overwhelming in the novel, but it's unlikely that he would be the author. Frankenstein is a feminist tale, and while Percy was ahead of his time, he was still a man. Although it's very possible he edited it and added things to it. Why not? Mary likely added things to his poetry as well... they were classic lovers.



This is exactly what I was thinking, I mean what with the helped writing it thing. People who aren't authors but have writers help with the story happen alot....I think?

HeyZeus

HeyZeus

Oakland, CA
August 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:30 AM



an undertone of "Romantic, but I would not say gay, male love".



What does that mean?

aegies

aegies

Oakland, CA
June 2004

MAR 28, 2007 10:32 AM

yourfashionwar said:
i've always been amazed at hearing how all these great authors and composers come up with such brilliant stuff at an age when i (and most of my peers) were primarily concerned with partying all the time.

mozart penned his first symphony at what, ten? carson mccullers wrote the heart is a lonely hunter at 23.

when i was 19, aside from being pretty darn good at theoretical math, i played keyboard in a terrible attempt at a new-wave band and decoupaged (so not a verb) picture frames.

how do these people exist?

anyway, i like the idea of "independent" scholarship giving the finger to the man, and it's an interesting premise. i'll have to read the book. however, i'm not convinced that a tender age and a lack of a first-rate education are insurmountable barriers to genius.



Your life expectancy is also about 30 years longer than theirs was.

NinjaTech

NinjaTech

Minneapolis, MN
November 2003

MAR 28, 2007 10:38 AM

So lets piece this broad back together and ask her a few questions.

RileyStClair

RileyStClair

Los Angeles, CA
September 2006

MAR 28, 2007 10:41 AM

aegies said:

yourfashionwar said:
i've always been amazed at hearing how all these great authors and composers come up with such brilliant stuff at an age when i (and most of my peers) were primarily concerned with partying all the time.

mozart penned his first symphony at what, ten? carson mccullers wrote the heart is a lonely hunter at 23.

when i was 19, aside from being pretty darn good at theoretical math, i played keyboard in a terrible attempt at a new-wave band and decoupaged (so not a verb) picture frames.

how do these people exist?

anyway, i like the idea of "independent" scholarship giving the finger to the man, and it's an interesting premise. i'll have to read the book. however, i'm not convinced that a tender age and a lack of a first-rate education are insurmountable barriers to genius.



Your life expectancy is also about 30 years longer than theirs was.



so they had to get a head start i guess? i guess we have the creation of adolescence to blame.

Margot_Dent

Margot_Dent

Los Angeles, CA
February 2004

MAR 28, 2007 10:49 AM

awesome article, i was actually just discussing this with a friend the other day.

DeceptiviewFilm

DeceptiviewFilm

Parlin, NJ
February 2004

MAR 28, 2007 10:52 AM

Flinty said:
There wolf.



There castle.

Previous

PAGE: 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

 ... 8

Next

featured interviews