Author Description
'The last man! I may well describe that solitary being's feelings, feeling myself as the last relic of a beloved race, my companions extinct before me.' Mary Shelley, Journal (May 1824). Best remembered as the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley wrote The Last Man eight years later, on returning to England from Italy after her husband's death. It is the twenty-first century, and England is a republic governed by a ruling elite, one of whom, Adrian, Earl of Windsor, has introduced a Cumbrian boy to the circle. This outsider, Lionel Verney, narrates the story, a tale of complicated, tragic love, and of the gradual extermination of the human race by plague. The Last Man also functions as an intriguing roman à clef, for the saintly Adrian is a monument to Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his friend Lord Raymond is a portrait of Byron. The novel offers a vision of the future that expresses a reaction against Romanticism, as Shelley demonstrates the failure of the imagination and of art to redeem her doomed characters. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
As a global plague systematically eradicates the human population, the narrator Lionel Verney struggles to maintain his humanity while witnessing the collapse of civilization. Verney, an outsider introduced to the political elite of a future English republic, finds himself caught in the complex social and romantic dynamics of his peers. As the pestilence spreads, the narrative shifts from political intrigue to a desperate, solitary survival. The story is presented through a first-person perspective, documenting the slow dissolution of society and the eventual isolation of the protagonist.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- First-person epistolary-style narration
- Roman a clef characterizations based on historical figures
- Exploration of the failure of Romantic ideals
- Detailed depiction of societal collapse
- Focus on the psychological impact of total isolation
- Philosophical inquiry into the limits of art and imagination
- Setting in a futuristic twenty-first-century republic
- Themes of grief and the inevitability of mortality
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Discussion often centers on the novel's bleak outlook and its departure from the optimistic tropes of the era. Readers frequently highlight the effectiveness of the atmospheric prose in conveying the scale of the global catastrophe. Critics often examine the work as a direct response to the personal losses Shelley experienced, noting the parallels between the fictional characters and her real-life circle. The narrative is widely recognized for its early contribution to the post-apocalyptic genre, providing a somber reflection on human fragility. Many readers appreciate the intellectual depth and the challenging questions the text poses regarding the endurance of the human spirit.
Page Count:
512
Publication Date:
1998-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191611263
ISBN-13:
9780191611261
Dystopian
Science Fiction
Post-Apocalyptic
English & College Success
Classic Literature
English
ROMANTICISM