The Last ManThe Last Man ends in 2100, "the last year of the world." A devastating plague has wiped out humanity, except for one man. This novel of horror, originally published in 1826, was rejected in its time and out of print from 1833 to 1963, when the first Bison Books edition appeared. Some critics now rate The Last Man more highly than Frankenstein, by the same author. This Bison Books edition offers aønew introduction by Anne K. Mellor, who writes, "In our era of AIDS and biological warfare, Shelley's apocalyptic vision of an incurable plague that gradually destroys the entire human species resonates with mythic power." |
Contents
Authors Introduction | 1 |
VOLUME ONE Chapter I | 5 |
Chapter IVA | 43 |
Chapter VI | 64 |
Chapter VII | 75 |
Chapter VIII | 84 |
Chapter IX | 98 |
VOLUME TWO Chapter I | 121 |
Chapter VIII | 192 |
Chapter IX | 212 |
VOLUME THREE Chapter I | 229 |
Chapter II | 236 |
Chapter III | 249 |
Chapter IV | 263 |
Chapter V | 279 |
Chapter VI | 287 |
Chapter II | 132 |
Chapter III | 146 |
Chapter IV | 158 |
Chapter V | 166 |
Chapter VI | 173 |
Chapter VII | 185 |
Chapter VII | 297 |
Chapter VIII | 308 |
Chapter IX | 318 |
Chapter X | 328 |
Common terms and phrases
abode Adrian appeared arrived Athens beauty became beloved brow Castle child Claire Clairmont Clara clouds companion Constantinople cottage countenance cried dark Datchet dead dear death delight deserted despair disease earth encreased endeavoured England entered Evadne eyes father fear feeling felt Frankenstein gave gentle Greece Greek grief hand happiness heard heart hope hour human Idris imagination inhabitants labour leave limbs Lionel living London looked Lord Protector Lord Raymond lost Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft melancholy mind misery mother nature never night numbers nursling pain passed passion Percy Shelley Perdita pestilence plague pleasure present Protector replied repose Rodosto Ryland scene seemed Shelley's shewed sister smile solitude sorrow soul spirit spoke stood strange sweet tears tenderness thought Thrace tomb town trees Valperga Verney voice watched waves wild William Godwin wind Windsor Windsor Castle wonder words youth