He was perfect for 16-year-old Mary, although his wife, Harriet, may not have felt the same. He came from a wealthy family, but his parents didn’t approve of his radical ways. He was a poet who had been kicked out of Oxford University for circulating radical pamphlets. But when they saw each other again upon Mary’s return, well, that was that. Years before, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin had been introduced to Percy Shelley, who was known to frequently visit as a supporter and admirer of her father. It was when she met him, or technically re-met. Oil on canvas.1819. National Portrait Gallery, London. “Percy Bysshe Shelley” by Alfred Clint, after Amelia Curran, and Edward Ellerker Williams. When she returned home, in May of 1814, that was when everything changed.

These conflicts got so bad, in fact, that Mary was sent away to live with family friends until things could cool down on the home front.

Shelley was known to butt heads with her new stepmom, giving the story a little bit of a Cinderella undertone for anyone who’s counting references. Extremely affected by the death of her birth mother Mary Wollstonecraft, the future Mrs.

She was a smart, rebellious teenager with a past full of demons, the perfect leading lady. “Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley” by Richard Rothwell. Strap in and grab your popcorn, because theirs is a love affair with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat long past the final page. Today, we celebrate the anniversary of this literary power couple eloping to France on July 28, 1814 by revisiting their tragically beautiful (or tragically tragic, depending on how you look at it) love story. While most of us turn to the latest Hollywood soap opera to get our fix of these addicting dramas, no fiction can compare to the spectacular story of Frankenstein author Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and poet Percy Shelley. What’s a good love story without a little bit of drama? Sure, there’s something to be said of happy couples riding off into the sunset, hand in hand, but what people really want are stories full of pain, struggle, heartbreak, infidelity, poverty, loss, and just enough love left over to keep things interesting.

Mary wollstonecraft godwin shelley