Valperga

by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Book Overview

Valperga is a historical novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author of the famous novel Frankenstein. The book is set in the 14th century in Italy and follows the story of the powerful Countess of Valperga, Caterina, and her struggle to maintain control of her territory during a time of political upheaval.The novel begins with Caterina's marriage to Euthanasius, the Duke of Athens, who is determined to conquer Valperga and add it to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1162715596
• ISBN13: 9781162715599
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

i liked it

Valperga is Shelley's 1823 historical and fictional account of the life of Castruccio Castracani who lived in the 14th century. You don't need to know anything about Italian history to become immersed and interested in this political novel. Shelley's story is exciting, and the Oxford edition provides numerous notes to clarify the historical figures and situations that are a part of the story. The novel follows the life of Castruccio, from his birth and the exiling of his Ghibelline family by the Guelphs to his rise as a commanding, powerful and tyrannical prince. Shelley writes about Castruccio's political and social endeavors which intertwine with the prince's relationships with two women, the devout, loyal, and powerful Guelph, Euthanasia, and the eccentric and heretical Beatrice. This novel of loyalty, love, war, religion, politics, and the desire for power is a novel that anyone seeking out more work by Mary Shelley should read.

Interesting

I thought this novel was very interesting. It was an Italian tale written by an English authoress, who did a very fine job of it. Unfortunately, this book is not as recognized as some of Mary Shelley's other work, but hopefully it will be soon.