The Parvenue

When Fanny is 17 years old, a house fire nearly kills her entire family and destroys their home. Lord Reginald Desborough saves her from the flames and the couple marry, but her father’s demands put her happiness in jeopardy and leaves Fanny with an impossible decision.

This story mirrors the author’s relationship with her own father, in its depiction of the money troubles that plague Fanny’s family and their constant demands on Lord Reginald.

‘The Parvenue’ (1836) is a classic, short story by the English writer Mary Shelley, famous for her best-selling novel ‘Frankenstein’.

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.