Maurice, Or The Fisher's Cot

'Maurice' was written in 1820, two years after the publication of her great Gothic novel, 'Frankenstein', at a time when Mary, still only 22, was sunk in depression. She had eloped with Shelley at 16, born him four children and seen three of them die. It is of enormous interest, then, that below the surface simplicity and attractiveness of the story there runs a deep current of melancholy. Set on the Devon coast near Torquay, it begins with a funeral and tells of a boy who has lost his parents and of a father whose son has been abducted. Although the story ends happily for the boy, there is a sad twist even here. This Viking edition represents the very first publication of 'Maurice'. The text itself is given in full, including a number of changes, deletions and errors made by the author. And in a long introduction Claire Tomalin discusses the literary and psychological significance of the story, and investigates the history of the two extraordinary households which were linked by Mary's gift to Laurette.