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Genre: Biography, Literary History, Non-Fiction
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5)

Book Review:
Fiona Sampson’s biography is a gripping and deeply feelingful exploration of the extraordinary life behind one of literature's most enduring myths. ''In Search of Mary Shelley'' does more than just recount the facts; it compellingly uncovers the complex, resilient woman who, as a teenager, created Frankenstein.

Sampson masterfully sifts through letters and diaries to paint a vivid portrait of Mary Shelley—not just as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, but as a friend, intellectual, grieving mother, and ambitious writer in her own right. The book vividly captures her tumultuous life, marked by radical thinkers, personal tragedy, debt, and a fierce determination to write at a time when it was a costly undertaking for a woman.

Published to mark the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein, this biography is as much of a page-turner as the novel it examines. Sampson gives life to her subject with such skill that Mary Shelley convincingly ''aches and bleeds'' on the page. It is an essential read for anyone interested in literary history, Gothic fiction, or the story of a remarkable creative genius.