Mathilda
Mathilda is the novella Mary Shelley wrote in 1819 and 1820, after the deaths of two of her children, and sent to her father William Godwin, who kept the manuscript; it was first published in 1959. Told by a dying young woman to the one friend she has made, it recounts a childhood without a mother, the return of a father who had fled his grief for sixteen years, the brief happiness of their reunion, his confession of an incestuous love for her, his suicide and her retreat into solitude, where the poet Woodville fails to draw her back to life. Elizabeth Nitchie's edition prints the full text with the opening of its draft, The Fields of Fancy. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about Mathilda
Mathilda by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read Mathilda online?
Yes. Mathilda opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is Mathilda free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of Mathilda is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is Mathilda in the public domain?
Yes. Mathilda by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read Mathilda?
About 3 h 12 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Mathilda?
Mathilda by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
