Mary Shelley: Writing Frankenstein
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- čas přidán 4. 08. 2024
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Source/Further reading:
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, in-depth (paywall): www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.109...
Poetry Foundation, in-depth bio: www.poetryfoundation.org/poet...
Romantic Circles, overview: romantic-circles.org/editions...
BBC In Our Time podcast, Frankenstein: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...
History, writing Frankenstein: www.history.com/news/frankens...
New Yorker, the Strange and Twisted Life of Frankenstein: www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...
Guardian, in Search of Frankenstein: www.theguardian.com/books/201...
Percy Shelley death: wordsworth.org.uk/blog/2014/0...
Geographics, Tambora the Year Without a Summer: • Mount Tambora: The Yea...
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How about doing a biography of Peshwa Bajirao I or Sivaji or akber?
Can you do Mustafa Kemal Atatürk one of the greatest politicians or vlado chernozemski one of the greatest terrorists in history
Have you thought about making a video on Owain Glyndwr? Welsh prince who fought against the English in the war of independence.
keep politics out of it. thumbs down.
I think you accidentally put up a picture of Trump when it should have been Biden since he's obviously unqualified. LGB
"I tried to be good and kind but my sunny disposition was darkened by woe and misery made me a fiend." - Mary Shelley at 18.
I know how she feels, and I know what she meant....
Tragedy after tragedy during your life can make even a year feel like a decade, and a decade feel like a century - especially if tragedy first strikes when you're really young...
yerp
I felt that
She was the Original "Goth Girlfriend".
Relatable.
It's crazy to think that this woman lived an entire life full of tragedy and massive success by the time most people in our times are just beginning their lives.
the pain and suffer it is very common in the majory of the world, many of that suffering, is thanks to your nation that always have been spreading the death and devastation.
@@mexicoxv2236 New Zealand? lol
@@mexicoxv2236 yeah not like the rest of the world is perfectly capable of making their own suffering. Look at the middle east it was nothing but peace until the modern era any history book will tell you that. The story of the Jews is one of nothing but good times all the time
19th century seems to just suck for everyone, unless you were rich. And sometimes even that didn't help. Basic sanitation goes a long of keeping people alive, even in the poorest areas these days. Watching this it feels downright insane, that there's growing movement in 1st world against germ theory.
@@Ruosteinenknight that's what happens when you use science as a way of furthering your political game. Science is knowledge it is based in fact whereas politics is the practice of perverting knowledge for one's own use. As soon as every government on Earth had something to say about health and hygiene every three headlines a whole lot of opposition was bound to pop up. Can't blame them I remember very specifically when the US government took a group of syphilitic black men and just observed the progression of the disease while telling them they were receiving treatment. Went on for years. And the thousands of kids that came out fucked up because of thalidomide which many governments cleared for pregnant women to use. And a lot of other times that the government either neglected to supply people with proper medicine or said some completely unsafe carcinogenic toxic medication is fine. Hell TV commercials got three examples of the latter every break. It's about not trusting the government which to me paints the entire scene a different color
Mary Shelley, the OG Goth girl.
She was a wild one.
Alaric:…………………..
What about Amalasuntha?
“Beware, for I am fearless, and therefore powerful”
Mary Shelly
It’s incredible that after all these years just how iconic Frankenstein has become.
It still bothers me that the monster never received a name.
I am reaqding it at the moment, a literaric delight.
@@badluck5647that’s part of the point
Shout to this wonderful woman for creating a wonderful novel.
Yes! I read Frankenstein in my late teens and just loved it. I already knew that the story was a bit deeper than the movies from the 1930s might suggest because I watched this movie with Robert De Niro as the creature. The Novel is beautiful. Then I read Dracula and was a bit disappointed.
@@0ldFrittenfett the de Nero one is probably the only movie that comes close and at least personally I feel it still doesn't stack up as the monster in the film still seems to just do things out of anger and spite and being "animalistic" when the novel definitely goes out of its way to cast victor as the true monster but still a human man with all the same human flaws as the supposed monster none the less.
@@0ldFrittenfett have you read about Bram before reading dracula? It will totally change your perspective on the book knowing where he was coming from as well as the "vampire" history he utilized as dracula is far far far from the first vampire story. I think knowing something as simple as Brams possible bi or gay secret identity and that the vampire stories he gravitated to had these themes especially Camilla, opens the brain up to the complexities he was trying to illustrate in word from
I've been hoping for an episode on her!! What a remarkable woman, I really admire her.
YES SHE WAS
As normal, you put forth your very best work! Doesn't matter how tragic the story maybe it's still beautifully told! You and your team have true talent Mr.Whistler, one to be proud of!
Here here
The reason he puts more effort into the tragic stories is simple. The more tragic the story, the more views he knows it will get. It’s just a fact. CZcams viewers will click on horrifying stories at an alarming rate. If people die, his clicks will rise.
No no. I think you missed the whole comment. "As normal, you put forth your very best work!" Then I go on to say that in fact it doesn't matter if it's a sad, twisted, funny or purely educational, this man and the team he's built, is truly awesome. Especially if you've watched his channels, since their inception. That honestly should speak for itself. Not afraid to be crucial of his work, many times I've had a hard time digesting one thing or another. Doesn't mean it's wrong.
As an amateur volcanologist and an avid fan of all things related to classic literary and movie monsters, I LOVE how the most powerful volcanic eruption in human history and the most famous fictional monster of all time (sorry Godzilla!) are forever intertwined.
Funny that you relate Godzilla; in certain respects, "Godzilla" is a similar telling of "Frankenstein" as being a monster the result of mankind's misunderstanding and experimentation with natural energy science, that is: Frankenstein = electricity; Godzilla = nuclear power.
I dislike the characterization of The Frankenstein Creature as a Monster.
In truth Victor Frankenstein was the true monster in this tale. A god-playing narcissist who brought untold misery and misfortune to those around him.
The "monster" was a victim.
@@jeremyhennessee6604 completely agree.
WAIT A MINUTE I'M NOT PUTTING U DOWN BUT I LOVE GODZILLA
If Godzilla can stay top 5 that's cool. But you at least said the name.
Didn't know about her tragedies. I think she would enjoy that her work is still relevant.
Love how Simon drops jojo references without having a clue or care about JJBA, all his writers need more credit
Good Grief
My baby brother would understand what this means. He obsesses over this show and he always tells me “everything is a Jojo’s reference”.
I was so confused when I heard Dio Brando, I replayed that part 3 times to make sure I heard it right lol
@@Lucifez6160 same lmfao
1:30 - Chapter 1 - A strange birth
5:00 - Chapter 2 - Run to the hills
8:25 - Mid roll ads
10:00 - Chapter 3 - A dark & stormy night
13:40 - Chapter 4 - The book of misfortunes
16:45 - Chapter 5 - When soft voices die
20:20 - Chapter 6 - The last (wo)man
My Dad absolutely loved Mary Shelley, Frankenstein was one of his favorite books and eventually films. I recall him putting me to sleep at night when I was young to the soundtrack of the film, or sometimes that of Dracula.
I think I like hearing the story of Mary Wolstencroft Shelley even more than the story of Frankenstein. Biographics' conclusion, in this telling, even got me a bit misty eyed.
His wife drowned "but Percy Shelley didn't look a gift horse in the mouth"
Grim but funny 😂😂😂
I know, right! That line was seriously f**ked-up funny.
Actually he only married her to get custody of his kids from his first marriage.
This was so fricking good! Thank you Fact Boy and crew 💙
She was only 18 when she wrote Frankenstein
and she was fluent in 4 languages before even being 16.
It is amazing how she did so much so young during a time of extreme misogyny.
In comparison, at 18, I was trying to fart in a jar to see if I could freeze it for later.
"Harriet threw herself into the Thames while pregnant with his child." ... "Percy...didn't look a gift horse in the mouth." Um, Suicide? Yeah, I think not. lol Someone threw Harriet into the Thames, but it wasn't herself. Nobody at the time looked at this and said, "Hmm, that seems quite convenient, doesn't it?"
Not the Thames. The serpentine (boating lake) in Hyde park.
I've been hoping for this review!!!!! Mary Shelley has ALWAYS fascinated me🥰🥰🥰
I think Frankenstein might be one of the greatest novels ever written.
When you consider it's themes, and the time it was written it is incredible.
I would say it is in the top 5 novels ever written
I absolutely adore Mary Shelley... so much so I got her quote from Frankenstein's monster, "Beware, for I am fearless, and therefore powerful," tattooed down my side.
Also, if you haven't, (if you did, I can't find it,) you should do a biographies on Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath
We know so much about Mary because she wrote about her life. It was really until the 20th century that infant mortality was substantially reduced. For most of human history, more infants and children died than survived. She gave a voice to generations of grieving parents and families. Wonderful video!
Mary Shelley meeting Lafayette was a crossover event for which I was unprepared.
Near Darmstadt in Germany there is a castle Frankenstein atop a small hill that many years ago is said to have been the home of someone who experimented on dead bodies. A local set out to prove speculation about its link to Mary Shelly's novel was false but the more he researched the more he came to realise that the place may indeed have provided inspiration for her story as she had visited the area on one of her European tours.
Growing up and hearing all about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I hadn’t the faintest clue or consideration of this woman’s endurance and genius, and at an inspiring yet cruel time in history. Today, I watched the film, then got straight to your video, and I’m beyond words. This is my only comment on CZcams, because something’s moved so deeply in me during a very difficult time in my own life overcome with rejections and neglect. I’ve never been more inspired to turn my sorrows into meaningful work. The fact that Shelley and I share the same birthday is even more encouraging.
Her life is so interesting and the times and places she existed in so compelling. I wish there was more media made on that.
I'd like to see more literary biographies, as well as ones of artists.
You are within the minority. The highest viewership seems to be serial killers and war criminals.
People are F***ed up
I'm with you on that!
Yes!
Though not a faithful adaptation, my favorite movie is "I, Frankenstein" starring Aaron Eckhart. He gives a compelling performance of a monster with feelings and intelligence, transcending the trope of the mindless creation of a mad scientist.
I, Frankenstein is SO UNDERAPPRECIATED. I view it as a pseudo-sequel to the original Frankenstein novel/the 1994 movie adaptation(also underappreciated)
It's all about "Young Frankenstein." (Gene Wilder/Mel Brooks.) j/k. I've yet to see "I, Frankenstein" but I would very much like to watch it if whenever the opportunity presents itself.
I'm always gonna favor the Universal Classics with Karloff.
I always thought that movie was kinda.. terrible, honestly. Maybe I should give it another shot?
@@semaj_5022 is I, Frankenstein flawed? Absolutely. Terrible? No. I’d at least give it another shot, but after reading the original Frankenstein book and/or watching the 1994 movie adaptation.
Just got done learning about the enlightenment where the themes of Frankenstein were developed. I love it.
This is such a coincidence. I just started reading an excerpt of Frankenstein today in English class and before we started reading it, we learned a bit about her life.
Finally, a female biographic. Always a breath of fresh air. Would like to see more women on this channel, there are barely any.
I saw that looming through the videos. For shame!
@@EmoryStudy True, thou for every 1 Biographic about a Woman, there's around 35 about Men. So even thou there are Dozens of Episodes about Famous Women, famous Man are covered far more often.
But at list this channel cover History from all over the world/time periods.
Yessssss I need to see more women in history, there are plenty that we aren't taught about and it's honestly a shame.
@@EmoryStudy I have quickly run through the female catalogue; I can't see myself ever having time to get through the male catalogue, as this channel has a steady output and a hefty history. 5% of representation isn't a lot considering women are 50% of the population. History has always treated women with more subtlety but I can go on and on with famous women this channel hasn't covered. We have immortalized artists, authors, military heroes, but this channel would rather talk about, like, a male factory schemer nobody has ever heard of before they hear the full story of a famous woman.
Learn to code.
What a sad life this poor lady had. May she rest in peace.
Great video, Simon! Always happy to see your face on the CZcams.
I actually listened to Frankenstein on audio book earlier this year. It was good, but God, did it go on for too long and have stories within stories! Like, the drama of a rural family living in the German countryside took up about two hours of the book! I later learned that Percy Shelley encouraged his wife to add a ton of material that wasn't really necessary to the plot because "that's what all the cool kids do." To which I said out loud, "Damn it, Percy!"
Yes I read it to and skipped the parts that were just a travel journal 😁 But it was beautiful none the less, something about the creture beeing denied basic human decency and taking it out on that whiny little b*tch of a “scientist” really resonated with me
Oh yeah, I struggled with that bit too - and yet she's SO good, that when I think about that little family - they were so huge to how Adam learned to "be human" in a way. They were the first thing he really yearned for. And what happened to them, with them - I feel like that set all his further travels in motion.
Well books were one of the only forms of entertainment people had so it was common for them to be long and full of characters.
So interesting 😍
I went to the Mary Shelley house of Frankenstein in Bath a couple of weeks ago
Frankenstein is one of my favorite books. I love Mary Shelley's grasp of gothic horror and galvanization, which was big at the time.
Also... Nice Dio reference. The World!!!
Have been waiting for a biography for Mary Shelley and here it is😊
This was a great video. Mary Shelley was an amazing person.
Really enjoy your stuff!
I love how this night creeps up in 3 different videos - Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Mt Tambora. I want the movie which starts with all 3 headed for this Date.
Clare Claremont lived quite an extraordinary life too. I was hugely influenced by Shelly pollidory, Byron and the women
Shout out to Simon for doing a great job with this one. The outro was 🤌 _MUUAAAH_
Andrew Klavan had an interesting take on the book. He rejected the thesis that Dr Frankenstein was playing God but that he was replacing the miracle or magical power of women to create life. Essentially, erasing women.
Frankenstein was the first novel I ever read, and I read it 2 or 3 times in a row I loved it so much.
Love the new beard trim:-) Very entertaining as always....Thanks
I have loved the novel “Frankenstein” since I first read it as a teenager. I saw the old Boris Karloff movie and kept saying that it was nothing like the book. I really didn’t know that much about Mary Shelley’s life until today. So thank you.
Yes!!! More horror and sci-fi author's please and thank you!
Wonderful video and, maybe I'm odd for thinking this, but I feel quite a lot of appreciation for the derision given to her father in law. So often that kind of behavior is just - not commented on, or waved off as "just how things were then" - or worst of all, "understandable" (Yes, I did have an old male professor who said that.)
So hearing someone basically tell off the "old guard" that way is nice.
Another one of the tests we were made to read, yet constantly revisit along with American Gothic poetry
I just watched the movie Mary Shelly and it left me dumbfounded & curious. I never knew she wrote Frankenstein. And I'm blown away by her story. Thank you for this video.
I didn't expect the very last sentence of the video about Mary's mother to almost make me cry.
Thanks you have filled in some of the gaps in the literary who’s who and lit some paths I didn’t know existed..
Every human being is forced to endure loneliness, misunderstanding, contempt and humiliation. The marks that traumatic experiences leave on people are rarely superficial. There are dark aspects of our personalities that are (and should be) carefully kept invisible through seemingly harmless silences, hypocritical smiles and kind words. Inside each of us there are small or large portions of Frankenstein and the unfortunate creature he gave life and abandoned. This perhaps explains the well-deserved and enduring success of Mary Shelley's book.
You need to do a video about Mary Shelly’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft
Do you think Emily Dickinson could be in the cards for a future bio?
The mother of science fiction.
Great work, as always! Could you do one on E.T.A. Hoffmann? That'd be fantastic!
I've read this book so many times that I could probably rewrite it, word for word. But still, I saw Simon's face speaking words and giving thoughts. So I had to watch
An exceptionally gorgeous novel. Mary's intelligence blazes through every word. The "little family" was essential to the monster learning and understanding human relationships. And understanding what he had been denied.
I love this channel!
"What were rain and storm to me? My mule was brought to the door, and I resolved to ascend to the summit of Montanvert." - Frankenstein heads out to meet his creation xx
Like mother, like daughter! The two Marys are awe-inspiring.
03:36 WRYYYYYYY!
But seriously, knowing more of her life explains where the idea reanimated life came from.
Simon do on Jane Austen writer of Emma pls
What a beautiful tribute of a powerful and fascinating woman. You told it expertly, Simon.
This was very interesting. The man has a great voice!
Excellent!
mary shelley was the original goth and i adore her
Jojo reference in biographics, I have never been prouder
Good video 👍
Next should be Jules Verne. His “Voyage Extraordinaires” series helped bring science fiction into the forefront of literature and solidify the genre for all time.
Not to mention the great influence Jules Verne had on Emmett "Doc" Brown and other future scientists.
Doc Emmett finding his initials inside the old silver mine. Great Scott 👍
@@duncancurtis1758 I know, this is heavy.
I really wish you would do a Biographic video for Zitkála-Šá, the native American woman who was an activist, educator and writer. I'd love to know more if the info is out there!
Would your group do a piece on David Attenborough? Or have I missed it?
Well done! One of my favorite Biographics pieces. If you are looking for other impressive women from history, check out Simone Weil. Absolutely incredible person. She deserves more attention from contemporaries.
Is this the same Lord Byron that abandoned his daughter?
Nothing scarier than a week with no Biographics
I approve of the very sick burn at 3:00 👍🏿
Outward theatrical and prosaic depth along with thematic ubiquity through themes of death, suffering and the cost of exerting power and the nature of humanity around that controlling power merge dramatic novel sensation with the much more real and difficult metaphors of writers lives and suffering along with our own. We can find common ground without struggle and be given all the time we need to find it. With disparity these connections effect reality without violence that is usually all too present.
There are great audiobook readings of her books here on youtube and if people want to get into the discussion about feminism around the book, I recommend the In Our Time podcast which has a brief but concise discussion around the theme.
That was soo interesting
Sadly, modern adaptations seem to be a topsy-turvy interpretation of Shelley's story simply to emphasize the horrific elements from the tragedy.
The tragedy of her life in many ways shaped the novel, Frankenstein and that intimate connection expressing tragedy into art you feel reading her works.
Thank you
3:40 yes jojo's my mans simon is a man of culture
Simon, do you think you could cover another forgotten founding father? The original antifederalist, Luther Martin? Easily one of my favorites.
Thomas Sowell used the works Godwin (and Condorset) as the clearest examples of what he calls the Unconstrained Vision in A Conflict of Visions.
Godwin’s writings were very influential at the time, until his ideas became linked (not unfairly) with the French Revolution.
Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, Harry Morgan, Mary Martin, Larry Hagman...any of these interesting enough for a Biographics? How about Richard Hooker?
Interesting video
That book scared the crap out of me but I never knew exactly what i was afraid of. Just gets under your skin....
We love you Mary x
I had difficulty reading the last chapter. It was disturbing.
Ive always been a horror fan so i'm finally watching the roots of the genre, just got done watching Frankenstein 1931 and LOVED it! I'm just confused why the scientist is called Henry Frankenstein and he's assistant is called Fritz, ive always known it as Victor Frankenstein and Igor?
Beethoven saddest sonata ( but the most beautiful) fits perfectly poor Shelly's life.
I forgot how wonderful your Channel is. Sorry for taking an all too long holiday.
I have had strong interest in Ms. Shelley’s work and found Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus of considerable value. Recently I learned that she thought herself more illiterate than 15 year old boys, regretted having read only her Uncle’s books on traveling by age 14, and regretted being self-educated. Since I heard it only once, I consider the information inconclusive.
What information have you learned of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley being an extensive reader?
fun fact: I am related to Mary Shelley, my mum is named Shelley after her and my middle name is mary after her. She is like my great great great great great grandmother or something
Do one for Mary, Queen of Scots!
This was the first biographics that had me tear up
I’m trying to remember which poetess of that era wrote her verse so they all could be recited or sung to the tune of The Yellow Rose of Texas. One of them goes “Since I could not wait for death he kindly came for me” I think.
Like how she was featured in the Lord Byron episode of Highlander tv series
I learned about a man named Timothy dexter today. From what I read the mans life was overflowing in blind stupid luck. Like a real life Victorian era forest gump. We definitely need a biographic for him!!!
It was interesting to learn that people thought that they could bring a person back to life with electricity. They just did not realize how much voltage you would need and how quickly after death is needs to be.
This story feels like it could be a plot for one of the best drama movies ever made
Ken Russell made Gothic. A colorful and dramatic version of that stay in Switzerland. Good? Maybe not. But some bravura performances by a great cast and psychedelic art direction
I come here to find an aid for my research paper and you, good sir, have the audacity to make a JoJo reference?! Certainly not. Good day!
In all seriousness, this video was really helpful! Thanks :)