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Rating: 
Summary: Groundbreaking Scholarship, Beautifully Written.
Review: From the time that *Frankenstein* was first published
anonymously, in January 1818, there have always been those who
knew that the "Author of Frankenstein" was Percy Bysshe Shelley
himself, rather than, as later claimed, his second wife, Mary.
But for one reason or another, those in the know remained silent,
confined themselves to hints, or went along with the Mary Shelley
myth. Phyllis Zimmerman is the first person to make the case
directly, with supporting evidence. Phyllis Zimmerman's thesis: Percy Bysshe Shelley was a great
novelist as well as a great poet and playwright. However, with
the exception of two juvenile romances, he chose to relinquish
authorship, attributing his later novels to friends or to Mary,
who in consequence became famous as the "author of Frankenstein". Zimmerman is well aware what she is up against: "Most of the
evidence, no matter who created it, points to Mary's authorship."
But she is undaunted: "The novel itself, however, provides a
different kind of evidence, a kind that cannot be falsified." Therefore, she analyzes passages from *Frankenstein* and
other novels of Shelley, in comparison with passages written by
the pseudo-authors. She makes her case so compellingly, that much
of her book would be overkill, if it were not so interesting. This is a book that is long, but never "tedious". It is a
pleasure to read slowly, as a good book should be read. I thought
I was thoroughly familiar with the 1818 text of *Frankenstein*,
but Zimmerman time and again made me appreciate the beauty and
significance of passages that I had previously skimmed over. Her
knowledge of ancient and modern literature is formidable. Some of
her interpretations may be overly audacious, but they are never
without merit. She writes very well, with none of the jargon that
has ruined so many books and English departments. Her summation of the case for Percy Bysshe Shelley's
authorship of *Frankenstein*: "*Frankenstein* is a profound tragedy; it reaches into the
author's inner being. It is a nightmare that expresses the
turmoil of Shelley's feelings in language of singular
beauty, with symbolism of exceptional complexity, and with a
richness of literary allusion that Mary Shelley never
attained. It is an enduring myth created by a myth-making
poet." Although self-published, *Shelley's Fiction* is well
produced: good paper, good design, and good typography. This is
an important, ground-breaking work. It's too bad it was not
published by a major publisher and widely reviewed. It will be
shameful if Romantic scholars continue to give it the silent
treatment.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking Scholarship, Beautifully Written.
Review: From the time that *Frankenstein* was first published
anonymously, in January 1818, there have always been those who
knew that the "Author of Frankenstein" was Percy Bysshe Shelley
himself, rather than, as later claimed, his second wife, Mary.
But for one reason or another, those in the know remained silent,
confined themselves to hints, or went along with the Mary Shelley
myth. Phyllis Zimmerman is the first person to make the case
directly, with supporting evidence. Phyllis Zimmerman's thesis: Percy Bysshe Shelley was a great
novelist as well as a great poet and playwright. However, with
the exception of two juvenile romances, he chose to relinquish
authorship, attributing his later novels to friends or to Mary,
who in consequence became famous as the "author of Frankenstein". Zimmerman is well aware what she is up against: "Most of the
evidence, no matter who created it, points to Mary's authorship."
But she is undaunted: "The novel itself, however, provides a
different kind of evidence, a kind that cannot be falsified." Therefore, she analyzes passages from *Frankenstein* and
other novels of Shelley, in comparison with passages written by
the pseudo-authors. She makes her case so compellingly, that much
of her book would be overkill, if it were not so interesting. This is a book that is long, but never "tedious". It is a
pleasure to read slowly, as a good book should be read. I thought
I was thoroughly familiar with the 1818 text of *Frankenstein*,
but Zimmerman time and again made me appreciate the beauty and
significance of passages that I had previously skimmed over. Her
knowledge of ancient and modern literature is formidable. Some of
her interpretations may be overly audacious, but they are never
without merit. She writes very well, with none of the jargon that
has ruined so many books and English departments. Her summation of the case for Percy Bysshe Shelley's
authorship of *Frankenstein*: "*Frankenstein* is a profound tragedy; it reaches into the
author's inner being. It is a nightmare that expresses the
turmoil of Shelley's feelings in language of singular
beauty, with symbolism of exceptional complexity, and with a
richness of literary allusion that Mary Shelley never
attained. It is an enduring myth created by a myth-making
poet." Although self-published, *Shelley's Fiction* is well
produced: good paper, good design, and good typography. This is
an important, ground-breaking work. It's too bad it was not
published by a major publisher and widely reviewed. It will be
shameful if Romantic scholars continue to give it the silent
treatment.
Rating: 
Summary: vanity press
Review: Phyllis Zimmerman is convinced that Percy Shelley is a genius, and that Mary and others are not. Her way of arguing that "Frankenstein" (and other works) is written by Percy, is one of three:
1) A passage is similar to something Percy has written
2) A passage is similar to something Percy was going to write
and, if neither 1)or 2) suits:
3) This is too good to be written by anyone else than Percy This is what Zimmerman needs 600 pages to tell us.
300 of them are quotes (sic!) Very boring, very unacademic. A totally waste.
Rating:
Summary: vanity press
Review: Phyllis Zimmerman is convinced that Percy Shelley is a genius, and that Mary and others are not. Her way of arguing that "Frankenstein" (and other works) is written by Percy, is one of three:
1) A passage is similar to something Percy has written
2) A passage is similar to something Percy was going to write
and, if neither 1)or 2) suits:
3) This is too good to be written by anyone else than Percy This is what Zimmerman needs 600 pages to tell us.
300 of them are quotes (sic!) Very boring, very unacademic. A totally waste.
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