As "the last man, " Lionel Verney is witness to a plague that destroys mankind in the last days of the twenty-first century. As part of the English ruling elite, Lionel and his family are able to escape the epidemic, but as their numbers dwindle, Lionel is eventually left alone to ponder both his fate and that of the world he knew. First published in 1826, The Last Man is notable for author Mary Shelley's fictional portrayals of her late husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their close friend, Lord Byron. The novel's apocalyptic setting provided the backdrop for Shelley to explore themes of selfishness and brutality alongside of loyalty and love. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

The Last Man

Quelle créature monstrueuse est plus célèbre que celle imaginée par Mary Shelley ? Son roman, écrit en 1816, a ouvert toutes les portes du fantastique et de la science-fiction modernes. Pourtant, Frankenstein est un des grands malentendus de la littérature mondiale. Car il n'est pas le monstre, mais son créateur, jeune homme désireux de percer à jour l'essence même de la vie. Pour cela, il crée un être vivant de toutes pièces. Mais le résultat né de cadavres assemblés est si effroyable que Viktor Frankenstein préfère fuir. Livrée à elle-même, la créature douée d'intelligence et assoiffée d'amour doit apprendre à survivre, à affronter l'effroi et la haine que son apparence génère. Y a-t-il d'autres réponses possibles à son indicible solitude que s'abandonner à la détestation des hommes, au meurtre et à la traque impitoyable de son créateur ? C'est alors que le roman de Mary Shelley interpelle : qui est le monstre en réalité ?

Frankenstein ou le Prométhée moderne

Victor Frankenstein, traversé par une ambition scientifique démesurée, assemble dans son laboratoire des morceaux de plusieurs cadavres afin de donner vie à une créature. Horrifié par sa création hideuse et surhumaine, il prend la fuite. La créature sans nom livrée à elle même s'échappe alors du laboratoire et commence à tuer des innocents. Jusqu'à ce que, un jour, Frankenstein décide de la traquer...

Véritable chef-d'ouvre de la littérature mondiale, et un incontournable du genre gothique, la légende de Frankenstein constitue l'ouvrage iconique de Marie Shelley. Elle puisa son inspiration lors d'un voyage en Suisse aux cotés de Percy Shelley, et leur ami Lord Byron, dans un château un soir d'orage. Ce dernier proposa que chacun écrive une histoire d'épouvante. À seulement dix-neuf ans, Marie Shelley, rédigea l'ouvre la plus aboutie et effrayante de toutes : « Frankenstein ou le Prométhée moderne ». À la fois gothique, épistolaire, horrifique et philosophique, l'ouvre de Mary Shelley fait aujourd'hui partie des textes précurseurs de la science-fiction. Parmi les innombrables adaptations cinématographique, la plus récente est « Victor Frankenstein » avec James McAvoy et Daniel Radcliffe.

Mary Shelley (1797-1851) est une écrivaine anglaise de science-fiction, de fiction historique, de voyage, et de roman gothique. Épousant dès 1816 l'écrivain Percy Bysshe Shelley, elle baigne depuis toute petite dans un milieu favorable au développement de son talent littéraire. Elle jouera un grand rôle dans la diffusion des ouvres posthumes de son mari.

La plus grande ouvre de Marie Shelley est le roman qui inspirera le genre de la science-fiction : « Frankenstein ». Marie Shelley a eu l'idée du roman à l'âge de seulement dix-huit ans alors qu'elle était en vacances en Suisse avec Lord Byron et John William Polidori. Elle a aussi écrit de nombreux ouvrages iconiques tels que le roman apocalyptique « Le dernier homme » et le conte de fiction historique « Valperga ».

Frankenstein

" "C'est alors qu'à la lueur blafarde et jaunâtre de la lune qui se frayait un chemin au travers des volets, je vis cet être vil - le misérable monstre que j'avais créé". Le savant Victor Frankenstein a réussi à fabriquer une créature d'apparence humaine, mais aux traits si repoussants qu'elle n'inspire que terreur et dégoût. Rejeté par tous, le monstre se cache mais il promet à son créateur une abominable vengeance. Edition adaptée facile à lire : malvoyance ; fatigue visuelle ; troubles de l'apprentissage ; troubles cognitifs ; troubles DYS ; dyslexie ; dysgraphie ; TDA/H ; alphabétisation, FLE. "

THE other nations of Europe were yet immersed in barbarism, when Italy, where the light of civilization had never been wholly eclipsed, began to emerge from the darkness of the ruin of the Western Empire, and to catch from the East the returning rays of literature and science. At the beginning of the fourteenth century Dante had already given a permanent form to the language which was the offspring of this revolution; he was personally engaged in those political struggles, in which the elements of the good and evil that have since assumed a more permanent form were contending; his disappointment and exile gave him leisure to meditate, and produced his Divina Comedia.

Lombardy and Tuscany, the most civilized districts of Italy, exhibited astonishing specimens of human genius; but at the same time they were torn to pieces by domestic faction, and almost destroyed by the fury of civil wars. The ancient quarrels of the Guelphs and the Ghibelines were started with renovated zeal, under the new distinctions of Bianchi and Neri. The Ghibelines and the Bianchi were the friends of the emperor, asserting the supremacy and universality of his sway over all other dominion, ecclesiastical or civil: the Guelphs and the Neri were the partizans of liberty. Florence was at the head of the Guelphs, and employed, as they were employed by it in their turn, the Papal power as a pretext and an instrument.

Valperga

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is the original 1818 'Uncensored' Edition of Frankenstein as first published anonymously in 1818. This original version is much more true to the spirit of the author's original intentions than the heavily revised 1831 edition, edited by Shelley, in part, because of pressure to make the story more conservative. Many scholars prefer the 1818 text to the more common 1831 edition.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by Mary Shelley about a creature produced by an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was nineteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley's name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823.
Shelley had travelled in the region of Geneva, where much of the story takes place, and the topics of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her future husband, Percy Shelley. The storyline emerged from a dream. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for weeks about what her possible storyline could be, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made. She then wrote Frankenstein.

Frankenstein (The Original 1818 'Uncensored' Edition)

En 1816 Mary Shelley, surtout connue pour son célèbre Frankenstein, et son mari Percy Shelley entament, avec leur grand ami et poète Lord Byron, un voyage de deux mois qui passe par Genève et Chamonix. La découverte de paysages " sublimes et grandioses " leur inspire des lettres enthousiastes. La révélation de ces lettres inédites en français est que Frankenstein est né de la contemplation des glaces.

Frankenstein sur la Mer de Glace - Ou le voyage de Genève à Chamonix

The Last Man is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Mary Shelley, which was first published in 1826. 

The book tells of a future world that has been ravaged by a plague.

(from wikipedia.org)

The last Man

Witness a chilling tale of ambition and creation gone awry. Dr. Victor Frankenstein, driven by a thirst for knowledge, assembles a grotesque creature from stolen body parts. Horrified by his creation, he abandons it, setting off a chain of tragic events. The lonely and misunderstood creature seeks revenge on its creator, unleashing a haunting battle between man and monster. Shelley's masterpiece delves into themes of ethics, identity, and the consequences of playing god. A gripping Gothic novel that continues to resonate, "Frankenstein" is a cautionary tale that explores the boundaries of science and the depths of the human soul. ABOUT THE AUTHORMary Shelley (1797-1851) was a brilliant and pioneering British writer, best known for her groundbreaking novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus." Born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, she emerged as a literary prodigy, fusing Gothic horror with thought-provoking themes of science, ethics, and the human condition. Her iconic creation, the tormented scientist Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation, has become a timeless symbol of the consequences of unchecked ambition and the essence of humanity. As the daughter of esteemed intellectuals Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, Shelley was destined for literary greatness. Her tumultuous life, marked by personal loss and intense creativity, profoundly influenced her literary works. A true trailblazer in a male-dominated era, she defied convention and carved a path for female writers, leaving an indelible mark on literature and inspiring generations of authors to come. Mary Shelley's legacy endures as a testament to the power of the imagination and the enduring fascination with the dark corners of the human psyche.

The Last Man

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