mary wollstonecraft shelley's frankenstein 1818

Stuck indoors during an unseasonably cold summer-the aftermath of a catastrophic volcanic explosion in Indonesia-the writers competed to see who could compose the most compelling ghost story. Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin wrote the first draft of her groundbreaking novel in 1816, while on a trip to Lake Geneva with her soon-to-be husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend, the famed poet Lord Byron. Sales from Baum’s collection netted more than $9 million altogether, according to the statement. Other titles sold include copies of Bram Stoker’s Dracula(1897), Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day(1919) and James Joyce’s Dubliners(1914). It numbers among dozens of rare first editions featured in the auction house’s sale of antiquarian book collector Theodore B. It recently sold at auction for $1.17 million.Ĭhristie’s notes that this edition of Frankenstein is the first of its kind to sell at auction since 1985. This original copy of Shelley's Frankenstein : or, the Modern Prometheus was published anonymously on January 1, 1818.

“Overall, it’s a very strong market and we are seeing increased demand for fine examples of literary high spots.” “The is incredibly fragile and as a result very scarce, so a copy like this, particularly in fine condition, is highly desirable to collectors,” a Christie’s spokesperson tells the Guardian. Nineteenth-century publishers used these disposable coverings to bind and sell books, with the expectation that the tomes’ new owners would eventually replace them with a permanent cover.

The record-breaking copy of Frankenstein stands out because it retains its original boards-the blueish gray pasteboards that cover each volume. The lot’s pre-sale estimate was $200,000 to $300,000.Īs Alison Flood reports for the Guardian, the previous world record for a printed work by a woman was set in 2008, when a first edition of Jane Austen’s 1816 novel Emma sold for around $205,000. Per a statement, the three-volume set broke the auction record for a printed work by a woman. A first edition of Mary Shelley’s iconic Gothic novel Frankenstein shattered expectations last week when it sold at Christie’s for a whopping $1.17 million.

Mary wollstonecraft shelley's frankenstein 1818