St. Leon
by William Godwin
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Description
Set in Europe during the Protestant Reformation and first published in 1799, St. Leontells the story of an impoverished aristocrat who obtains the philosopher's stone and the elixir of immortality. In this philosophical fable, endless riches and immortal life prove to be curses rather than gifts and transform St. Leon into an outcast. William Godwin's second full-length novel explores the predicament of a would-be philanthropist whose attempts to benefit humanity are frustrated by show more superstition and ignorance. This Broadview edition includes a critical introduction and full annotation. The appendices include contemporary reviews of the novel; Godwin's writings on immortality, the domestic affections, and alchemy; and selections from works influenced by St. Leon, most notably Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. show lessTags
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Not nearly as good as Caleb Williams, by my reckoning.
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Author Information
67+ Works 2,360 Members
Writer William Godwin was born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire on March 3, 1756. He attended Hoxton Presbyterian College and became a minister. He left the ministry in 1787 in order to become a full-time writer. His best-known works are Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793) and The Adventures of Caleb Williams (1794). In 1797, he married feminist show more writer Mary Wollstonecraft and they had a child who later became known as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley the author of Frankenstein. He primarily wrote novels during his later years, including Mandeville (1817), Cloudesley (1830) and Deloraine (1833). He died on April 7, 1836. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1800
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Statistics
- Members
- 86
- Popularity
- 369,077
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.44)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 15
