The Pole

This short story tells the tale of a Polish man who intervenes in a fight between Marietta, a defenceless Italian girl, and Giorgio, a young army officer. His actions set in motion a chain of events that will change all their lives forever.

‘The Pole’ was written in collaboration with Claire Clairmont and published in 1832. Mary Shelley wrote several successful books but is best known for her highly acclaimed novel ‘Frankenstein’ (1818).

Mary Shelley (1797–1851) was an English author and travel writer best known for her ground-breaking Gothic novel ‘Frankenstein’ (1818). Considered one of the first true works of science-fiction, the book became an instant bestseller.

It has been adapted for TV, stage and film on many occasions, with Boris Karloff famously playing Frankenstein’s monster on screen in 1933. Other adaptations include ‘Mary Shelley's Frankenstein’ (1994) starring Kenneth Branagh and Robert De Niro and ‘Viktor Frankenstein’ (2015) starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy.

Shelley’s other novels include Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835), Falkner (1837) and the posthumously published Mathilde (1959). However, she will always be remembered as the creator of Frankenstein.

The book continues to influence filmmakers, writers and popular culture to this day, inspiring and terrifying new audiences the world over.