The Villa Diodati, on the shore of Lake Geneva, is famous for its role in the creation of one of literature’s most famous novels, Frankenstein. The stormy summer of 1816 where Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, John Polidori, and Claire Clairmont came together has been romanticised and held up as a moment of intense creativity and inspiration. But what really happened at the villa that summer, what brought them there, and where did they go from there? McConnell Stott delves into their histories, examining the tumultuous relationships, the ambitions, and the destructive draw of Lord Byron.
The book actually doesn’t feel all that much about the months they spent at the Villa Diodati, more so the events that led up to it, and the fates of those involved. As a group their love lives were intense and complex. Emotions were high with many threats of suicide bandied about when things didn’t go to plan. Percy had left his wife, Claire and Mary had run away from home leaving the Godwins desperate to find them and have them safely back. Byron was feeling the pressure of fame, the consequences of his own failed marriage, and wanted to escape the attention. Polidori was there in the role of doctor, always slightly on the outside but desperate to be in Byron’s inner circle. Byron repeatedly mocked John and teased him for his attempts at writing.
A solid chunk of the book gives us enough back story to understand the positions of the main players, and describes the arduous journey across Europe to reach Switzerland. A relatively short section then deals with the time at the Villa Diodati, dispelling some myths by showing that the women stayed in a separate building, and that other friends and acquaintances visited. It highlights the way in which people were sidelined and that the group was never far from intense emotion.
Polidori seems to have had a particularly hard time of it, ending up walking hundreds of miles in a short time period to find his next place of abode when things soured with Byron to an unbearable degree. He was plagued by mental health troubles and his acquaintance with Byron did him more harm than good. Once back in England he suffered a nasty injury in an accident which almost killed him. He then struggled to gain recognition for his work, The Vampyre, published with credit given to Byron. This leads to an interesting discussion of the state of copyright law at the time, and the difficulty for authors to claim ownership if a publisher had already registered a work.
Claire’s tale is also a sad one. She begins with an obsession with Byron. Female fanatics were not uncommon, and she tried every trick she could think of to stand out and gain an audience with him. Eventually, she bears him a child and it is to be one of the great heartbreaks of her life as Byron separates them, not particularly interested in playing the role of father, instead sending her to be educated in a convent, but denying Claire access. Rumours of Claire’s residence in a mental asylum prove to be inaccurate, but certainly she suffered greatly from her time with Byron, and her story is not a happy one.
This is an engaging read which brings to life some of literary history’s most infamous characters and stories, but shining a light on the less well-known players. Byron’s circle feels like a dangerous place to be, with constant fallings out, heartbreak, and jealousy. Few come out looking admirable, but almost all elicit sympathy at times. A complex web of deceit, ambition, and desire, a brilliant read for fans of any of these authors.
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