Discover a new way to read classics with Quick Read.
This Quick Read edition includes both the full text and a summary for each chapter.
- Reading time of the complete text: about 5 hours
- Reading time of the summarized text: 21 minutes
"Letters Written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark" is a book by Mary Wollstonecraft, which is based on her journal and letters to her lover, Gilbert Imlay. The book reflects her anger and melancholy over his repeated betrayals. Wollstonecraft values subjective experience, particularly in relation to nature, champions the liberation and education of women, and illustrates the detrimental effects of commerce on society. The book initially inspired readers to travel to Scandinavia but failed to retain its popularity after the publication of Godwin's Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1798. Wollstonecraft's journey to Scandinavia was fraught with peril, and she tried to commit suicide twice. The book frequently returns to the topic of death and has been described as a suicide note addressed to Imlay. The book consists of twenty-five letters that address an extensive range of contentious political topics, such as prison reform, land rights, and divorce laws, as well as less controversial subjects, such as gardening, salt works, and sublime vistas. Wollstonecraft's daughter, Mary Shelley, was heavily influenced by the book.
