The Elder Son

Book excerpt: When Ellen’s parents die, she inherits a pound50,000 fortune and goes to live with her uncle. While there, she falls for one of her two cousins and they secretly marry. However, Ellen’s rashness leads her to regret her actions, and she comes to the realisation that she loves her other cousin. ‘The Elder Son’ (1835) is a classic short story by the English writer Mary Shelley, famous for her best-selling novel ‘Frankenstein’ or ‘The Modern Prometheus’ (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.