Book excerpt: A Banned Tale of Despair “To bestow on your fellow men is a Godlike attribute. So indeed it is and as such not one fit for mortality;-the giver, like Adam and Prometheus, must pay the penalty of rising above his nature by being the martyr of his own excellence.” - Mathilda, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Mary Shelley's tale of young lonely girl who desperately wishes for a relationship with her absent father. When he finally returns after 15 years, Mathilda finds that his interest in her is beyond tragic. This novella is a perfect example of the period of Romantic literature and is filled with obsession, betrayal and crushing sadness. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes