The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck: a romance

Name: The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck: a romance
Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

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British Literature Novels

About This Book

The narrative follows a pretender who claims to be a missing royal prince, showing his emergence as a political instrument, the foreign backing and conspiracies that bolster his bid, military adventures, betrayals, and eventual capture and trial. It traces shifting loyalties among nobles and courts and the practical maneuvers of an astute ruler determined to secure the throne. Interweaving documentary detail with imagined scenes, the work explores themes of legitimacy, ambition, deception, and the precariousness of power, and presents a series of episodic scenes that emphasize how public perception and private intrigue shape a disputed succession.

About the Author

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) was an English novelist, best known for her groundbreaking work, "Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus," which is often regarded as one of the first science fiction novels. The daughter of feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and political philosopher William Godwin, Shelley was deeply influenced by the intellectual currents of her time. Her writing often explored themes of creation, responsibility, and the human condition. In addition to "Frankenstein," she authored several other notable works, including "Falkner" and "Lodore." Shelley's literary contributions have left a lasting impact on literature and continue to inspire discussions on ethics and the nature of humanity.