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The Last Man

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

  • Fantasy
  • Book language: English
  • 419 pages

The Last Man is Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s apocalyptic novel from 1826. It follows people in a future world as a devastating plague sweeps humanity, exploring survival, loss and isolation. It is worth listening to for its moving vision of human endurance amid catastrophe.

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Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.

Opening of the book

The Last Man
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN.
1826.

Contents
VOL. I.
INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
VOL. II.
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER IX.
VOL. III.
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.

VOL. I.

INTRODUCTION.

I visited Naples in the year 1818. On the 8th of December of that year, my companion and I crossed the Bay, to visit the antiquities which are scattered on the shores of Baiæ. The translucent and shining waters of the calm sea covered fragments of old Roman villas, which were interlaced by sea-weed, and received diamond tints from the chequering of the sun-beams; the blue and pellucid element was such as Galatea might have skimmed in her car of mother of pearl; or

Cleopatra, more fitly than the Nile, have chosen as the path of her magic ship. Though it was winter, the atmosphere seemed more appropriate to early spring; and its genial warmth contributed to inspire those sensations of placid delight, which are the portion of every traveller, as he lingers, loath to quit the tranquil bays and radiant promontories of Baiæ.

We visited the so called Elysian Fields and Avernus; and wandered through various ruined temples, baths, and classic spots; at length we entered the gloomy cavern of the Cumæan Sibyl. Our Lazzeroni bore flaring torches, which shone red, and almost dusky, in the murky subterranean passages, whose darkness thirstily surrounding them, seemed eager to imbibe more and more of the element of light. We

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Contents

  1. The Last Man
  2. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN. 1826.
  3. Contents
  4. VOL. I.
  5. INTRODUCTION.
  6. CHAPTER I.
  7. CHAPTER II.
  8. CHAPTER III.
  9. CHAPTER IV.
  10. CHAPTER IV.
  11. CHAPTER V.
  12. CHAPTER VI.
  13. CHAPTER VII.
  14. CHAPTER VIII.
  15. CHAPTER IX.
  16. CHAPTER X.
  17. VOL. II.
  18. CHAPTER I.
  19. CHAPTER II.
  20. CHAPTER III.
  21. CHAPTER IV.
  22. CHAPTER V.
  23. CHAPTER VI.
  24. CHAPTER VII.
  25. CHAPTER VIII.
  26. CHAPTER IX.
  27. VOL. III.
  28. CHAPTER I.
  29. CHAPTER II.
  30. CHAPTER III.

and 8 more chapters

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