Romantic OutlawsRomantic Outlaws
Score Modern
What it's about
Mary Wollstonecraft, the pioneering feminist, and Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, were mother and daughter, yet never knew each other: Wollstonecraft died days after her daughter's birth. Charlotte Gordon weaves their lives together for the first time, showing how both lived as rebels against their age.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography. It's a gripping dual biography of two extraordinary women.
You'll love it if you liked
Frankenstein
A Room of One's Own
The Second SexGood to know
Its chapters alternate between mother and daughter.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #204 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #840 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1560 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Romantic Outlaws worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography. It ranks #1,560 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Romantic Outlaws about?
Mary Wollstonecraft, the pioneering feminist, and Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, were mother and daughter, yet never knew each other: Wollstonecraft died days after her daughter's birth. Charlotte Gordon weaves their lives together for the first time, showing how both lived as rebels against their age.
How long does it take to read Romantic Outlaws?
About 17 hours (674 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Romantic Outlaws won?
NBCC Award (Biography) winner (2015).
What should I read after Romantic Outlaws?
If you liked it, try Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf or The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.