The Last Man (Wordsworth Classics)

This novel is a combination of a `roman à clefs' and science fiction, with gothic and autobiographic elements.In her vision of the end of the 21st century, Mary Shelley sees the Greek occupying Istanbul and England as a republic with three political parties (royalists, democrats and aristocrats). The leader of the democrats deserts his responsibilities through fear of the plague, while the intention of the head of the aristocrats (a highly idealized portrait of P.B. Shelley) is `to diminish the power of the aristocracy to effect a greater equalization of wealth and privilege and to introduce a perfect system of republican government.'Byron (Lord Raymond) is not in the same league: `Power was the aim of all his endeavors. The selected passion was ambition.'Her vision of mankind is pessimistic: `There was but one good and one evil in the world - life and death.' For life, `The choice is with us; let us will it and our habitation becomes a paradise.'But, `What is there in our nature that is for ever urging us on towards pain and misery? We are not formed for enjoyment; disappointment is the never-failing pilot of our life's bark, and ruthlessly carries us to the shoals.'`It is a strange fact, but incontestable, that the philanthropist, who ardent in his desire to do good, who disdains other argument than truth, has less influence over men's mind than he who refuses not to adopt any means, nor diffuse any falsehood for the advancement of his cause.'Man doesn't control his destiny and the whole of mankind is wiped out by the plague. But, even on the verge of total destruction, false prophets preach intolerance with their `pernicious doctrines of election and special grace'.This book is brilliantly written: `He was no longer bent to the ground, like an over-nursed flower of spring that, shooting up beyond its strength, is weighed down even by its own coronal of blossoms.'It has a few minus points: slow progression, too idealized main characters and a rather too simplistic cause of the whole destruction of mankind.But, it remains a real discovery and a very worth-while read, with an excellent introduction by Pamela Bickley.Many novels have the plague as subject. I recommend highly `Bassompierre' by Hugo von Hofmannsthal.

I found this book lacking in so many ways that I'm left thinking it hard to recommend (though I do). One fundamental difficulty is that it's set around 2090 yet apart from one reference to balloons taking only 2 days to fly from London to Scotland it could have been set in 1827 (a year after it was written). I don't know, there may be some radical political projections for the time (e.g. Britain helping Greece war against Turkey) but there seems to be no social, moral or cultural changes let alone any technological advancements i.e. even given the ballooning, every transport then mentioned is still either a horse or a sail boat - the author lacked continuity of their idea. Another issue for me is that for over half the book the plague isn't mentioned - this wouldn't be so bad but I didn't get any sense of impending doom.Now here are my reasons for promoting this story: "Give the author a chance" for goodness sake! who could guess 200 years hence what the world would be really like. This is a genuine fictional projection from the past and there aren't many of those, for that reason alone you learn so much (e.g. about the sort of future projecting cues available to the author at the time i.e. very few). The story isn't even about the future it's about a man. We follow him from a roaming rural villain to King's aid to roaming rural loner. The degeneration of society as the plague ravages is apt and realistic. The last quarter of the book is brilliant moving stuff. He looses everything of importance just as we would in 2009 under similar circumstances - what we'd miss is people and that's what we see through his eyes falling by the wayside as the motley crew tramp around France. At the last he does everything you'd think about doing yourself and so you feel even more for him.If you like good literature read this book - if you like good sci-fi avoid. Might I suggest just one small piece of advice: as you come across the few dates in the text substitute 1893 for 2093 it might help.

The few spine tingling moments in this novel came from the fact that it is in places close to the coronavirus pandemic (still occurring at the time I read this), but in general, it was a novel where I kept waiting for something to happen, and then it didn't. Some would say the adventure is in the journey not the destination, but this felt like being lost in a car with three kids constantly asking "are we there yet?"

I am using this book for my BA dissertation and let me tell you it is the best material for a book I have ever held in my hands. Also the book itself is great, read some more Mary Shelley yall.

Now I love Frankenstein and I love dystopian fiction so I really thought I'd like this. I read a lot of classics so I'm used to the 'more difficult' language compared to a lot of today's literature but this was just such hard work that I gave up after 100 pages. The story wasn't going anywhere and it seemed like Shelley had decided that if something was worth saying it was worth using 300 words to say it.

Got bored reading this. Kept wanting more about the plague but disappointed.

arrived in perfect condition, will join a well curated graveyard of unread books