Percy Bysshe Shelley

Written by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Narrated by Bertie Carvel

Idealist, atheist, outcast, political radical and, of course, poet – Percy Bysshe Shelley was, in many ways, the epitome of the Romantic artist. His poetry was an outlet for his passionately-held and highly unpopular beliefs; beliefs which resulted in social exclusion, exile, and possibly even his premature death at the age of twenty-nine. His work is a monument to his convictions and to the power of the human spirit, and today it is recognised as a key contribution to Romantic literature. This anthology contains many of his best-known poems, including Ozymandias, The Mask of Anarchy and To a Skylark, as well as excerpts from (among others) Prometheus Unbound and Adonaïs, all read by Bertie Carvel, one of the most talented English actors of his generation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Mar 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9789629546724

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was an English Romantic poet. Born into a prominent political family, Shelley enjoyed a quiet and happy childhood in West Sussex, developing a passion for nature and literature at a young age. He struggled in school, however, and was known by his colleagues at Eton College and University College, Oxford as an outsider and eccentric who spent more time acquainting himself with radical politics and the occult than with the requirements of academia. During his time at Oxford, he began his literary career in earnest, publishing Original Poetry by Victor and Cazire (1810) and St. Irvine; or, The Rosicrucian: A Romance (1811) In 1811, he married Harriet Westbrook, with whom he lived an itinerant lifestyle while pursuing affairs with other women. Through the poet Robert Southey, he fell under the influence of political philosopher William Godwin, whose daughter Mary soon fell in love with the precocious young poet. In the summer of 1814, Shelley eloped to France with Mary and her stepsister Claire Claremont, travelling to Holland, Germany, and Switzerland before returning to England in the fall. Desperately broke, Shelley struggled to provide for Mary through several pregnancies while balancing his financial obligations to Godwin, Harriet, and his own father. In 1816, Percy and Mary accepted an invitation to join Claremont and Lord Byron in Europe, spending a summer in Switzerland at a house on Lake Geneva. In 1818, following several years of unhappy life in England, the Shelleys—now married—moved to Italy, where Percy worked on The Masque of Anarchy (1819), Prometheus Unbound (1820), and Adonais (1821), now considered some of his most important works. In July of 1822, Shelley set sail on the Don Juan and was lost in a storm only hours later. His death at the age of 29 was met with despair and contempt throughout England and Europe, and he is now considered a leading poet and radical thinker of the Romantic era.

Reviews for Percy Bysshe Shelley

[Elle Noel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully composed and conveyed. One of my favourites, and Percy's work is so unique and mesmerising.

[George Szmaj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listening to Shelly creates vivid pictures in my mind’s imagination .

[jburlinson_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It seems absurdly presumptuous of somebody like me grading the work of a certified classic like Shelley. To be frank, while I enjoy Shelley, I do not count him among my favorites. And this volume is only a selection of his poems, neglecting some of the most famous (e.g., "Queen Mab"), while providing only excerpts of many more. My 5-star rating is specifically due to this book's existence as a physical object. It was one of the first of the Folio Society editions and the design and execution are top-notch. Best of all are the wood engravings of John Buckland-Wright. Dozens of wonderful creations, some of which illustrate, some of which ornament, and most of which provide expert commentary of a highly specialized sort.