Valperga (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca (Historical Novel)By Mary Shelley
Length18h 40m
About this audiobook
Mary Shelley's Valperga; or, The Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca is a historical romance that reimagines fourteenth-century Italy through the conflict between political ambition and ethical responsibility. Centering on the Ghibelline warlord Castruccio Castracani and the fictional countess Euthanasia, the novel blends documentary history, Gothic intensity, philosophical dialogue, and Romantic sensibility. In the context of post-Waverley historical fiction, Shelley transforms the genre into a meditation on tyranny, republican virtue, gendered power, and the moral cost of conquest. Written after Frankenstein and during Shelley's intellectually formative years in Italy, Valperga reflects her deep engagement with classical republicanism, medieval chronicles, and the political ideals shared and debated within the Shelley-Godwin circle. The daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, Shelley inherited a rigorous concern with liberty, education, and social justice. Personal grief, exile, and her observation of European political unrest further sharpened her interest in the fragility of humane ideals under historical pressure. This is an essential work for readers interested in Romanticism beyond the Gothic canon. Valperga rewards those who value intellectually ambitious fiction, morally complex characters, and historical narrative shaped by feminist and political insight.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreHistorical Fiction, Literary Classics
Length18 hrs 40 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 12, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Frankenstein (The Complete Uncensored 1818 Edition) (Annotated)Mary Shelley9h 36m$2 · $0.00
MARY SHELLEY Premium Collection: Novels & Short Stories, Plays, Travel Books & Biography (Annotated)Mary Shelley163h 42m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Mary Shelley (Annotated)Mary Shelley128h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (Annotated)Mary Shelley21h 33m$2 · $0.00
The Collected Works of Mary Shelley (Illustrated Edition) (Annotated)Mary Shelley167h 16m$2 · $0.00
The Last Man (Annotated)Mary Shelley21h 5m$2 · $0.00
The Last Man (Dystopian Novel) (Annotated)Mary Shelley20h 58m$2 · $0.00
Frankenstein & St. Irvyne (Annotated)Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley12h 45m$2 · $0.00
Frankenstein o el moderno Prometeo (Anotado)Mary Shelley9h 11m$2 · $0.00
Frankenstein & The Last Man (Annotated)Mary Shelley28h 26m$2 · $0.00
Frankenstein (The Uncensored 1818 Edition) (Annotated)Mary Shelley9h 25m$3 · $0.00
Mary Shelley: The Complete Novels (The Giants of Literature - Book 27) (Annotated)Mary Shelley128h 26m$2 · $0.00
La noche de los monstruosMary Shelley, Lord Byron, John William Polidori12h 53m$9 · $0.00
FrankensteinMary Shelley7h 49m$12 · $0.00
FrankensteinMary Shelley7h 56m$1 · $0.00
The Last ManMary Shelley18h 57m$2 · $0.00
Lives of the Most Eminent Literary and Scientific Men & Women (Vol. 1-5)Mary Shelley70h 4m$1 · $0.00
FrankensteinMary Shelley9h 10m$1 · $0.00
MathildaMary Shelley3h 34m$4 · $0.00
The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)Jackie French14h 58m$33 · $0.00
With Fire and Sword (Annotated)Henryk Sienkiewicz36h 6m$2 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m$53 · $0.00
MusashiEiji Yoshikawa53h 20m$30
The Eighth Life (for Brilka)Nino Haratischwili41h 10m$53 · $0.00
War and Peace - The Unabridged Maude Translation (Annotated)Leo Tolstoy64h 48m$2 · $0.00
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m$33 · $0.00
Their Castilian OrphanAnna Belfrage14h 45m$27
Lieutenant Hornblower (Annotated)C. S. Forester11h 41m$2 · $0.00
The Complete 13 Novels & longer fiction: Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Black Arrow, Kidnapped, The Master of Ballantrae, The Wrong Box and more...Robert Louis Stevenson106h 29m$1 · $0.00
Eagles over BritainLee Jackson12h 26m$23
Rilla of InglesideLucy Maud Montgomery11h 44m$2 · $0.00
The Viennese DressmakerKathryn Gauci11h 46m$23 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m$33 · $0.00
Under the Light of the Italian MoonJennifer Anton12h 28m$23 · $0.00
THE COMPLETE PALLISER NOVELS (All 6 Novels in One Edition)Anthony Trollope172h 46m$2 · $0.00
Jubilee, 50th Anniversary EditionMargaret Walker15h 43m$25 · $0.00
Arch of TriumphErich Maria Remarque15h 51m$28
Serenade for NadiaZülfü Livaneli9h 9m$20
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen14h 44m$2 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens819h 4m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë203h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, Patrick & Branwell BrontëCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë138h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Annotated)Oscar Wilde126h 19m$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of the Brontë Family Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë140h 13m$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain415h 9m5.0 (2)$2 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
Ivanhoe (Annotated)Walter Scott22h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of G. K. Chesterton (Annotated)G. K. Chesterton421h 37m$1.99 · $0.00
All NovelsGeorge Orwell53h 48m$10 · $0.00
The Complete Works of TolstoyLeo Tolstoy412h 44m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Louisa May Alcott (Annotated)Louisa May Alcott226h 24m$0.99 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes series - completeArthur Conan54h 8m$3.50 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
The Count of Monte Cristo (With Original Illustrations)Alexandre Dumas54h$1 · $0.00
H. P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft50h 45m$2 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m$29 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Charlotte Brontë (Annotated)Charlotte Brontë80h 42m$2 · $0.00
You may also like
Valperga Volume 3 (of 3)Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley2h$2.30
Valperga Volume 2 (of 3)Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley2h 52m$2.30
The PrinceNiccolo Machiavelli5h 3m$7 · $0.00
Fiesco; or, the Genoese ConspiracyFriedrich Schiller2h 49m$1 · $0.00
The Viper Of MilanMarjorie Bowen11h 32m$2.40
The PrinceNiccolò Machiavelli5h 10m$2.30
Oliver Cromwell (Annotated)Samuel Rawson Gardiner8h 9m$2 · $0.00
Francis ILeonie Frieda13h 8m$33 · $0.00
King Richard IIIWilliam Shakespeare3h 18m$2.30
The Resources of QuinolaHonoré de Balzac3h 26m$1 · $0.00
The False OneFrancis Beaumont, John Fletcher2h 57m$2 · $0.00
THOMAS MORE Premium EditionThomas More40h 17m$1 · $0.00
King Richard III (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography: The Life of William Shakespeare (Annotated)William Shakespeare18h 24m$0.99 · $0.00
Antony and CleopatraWilliam Shakespeare3h 22m$15
Queen MargotAlexandre Dumas17h 25m$28
The Thirty Years War — CompleteFriedrich Schiller15h 26m$1 · $0.00
Niccolò Machiavelli: The PrinceNiccolò Machiavelli3h 40m$12 · $0.00
Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare2h 34m$1.80 · $0.00
A Jay of ItalyBernard Capes10h 21m$2.30
The Making Of A SaintW. Somerset Maugham9h 21m$2 · $0.00