The Last Man

Mary Shelley

May 2014 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

As “the last man,” Lionel Verney is witness to a plague that destroys mankind in the last days of the twenty-first century. As part of the English ruling elite, Lionel and his family are able to escape the epidemic, but as their numbers dwindle, Lionel is eventually left alone to ponder both his fate and that of the world he knew.

First published in 1826, The Last Man is notable for author Mary Shelley’s fictional portrayals of her late husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their close friend, Lord Byron. The novel’s apocalyptic setting provided the backdrop for Shelley to explore themes of selfishness and brutality alongside of loyalty and love.

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Ratings and reviews

This is the story of Lionel Verney, the eponymous Last Man. While the title of the book leaves nothing to guess about the end of it, it narrates a story that's full of color, contrast, and adventure. While sometimes overly dramatic, it is a most pleasant read that starts slow, and picks up pace towards the middle and the harrowing conclusion.

About the author

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, into a life of personal tragedy. In 1816, she married the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and that summer traveled with him and a host of other Romantic intellectuals to Geneva. Her greatest achievement was piecing together one of the most terrifying and renowned stories of all time: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Shelley conceived Frankenstein in, according to her, “a waking dream.” This vision was simply of a student kneeling before a corpse brought to life. Yet this tale of a mad creator and his abomination has inspired a multitude of storytellers and artists. She died on February 1, 1851.