ABSTRACT
Frankenstein was published in London on 1 January 1818. Even before publication, P. B. Shelley had been concerned that the anonymous work be widely reviewed. He would not, however, send any of the copies he purchased to any reviewers (Jones, vol. 1, p. 590), expecting Lackington to provide the novel to the usual journals to attract attention and sales. Lackington widely distributed copies, sending it to the conservative Quarterly Review as well as the liberal Examiner – although Hunt already had a copy of the novel, provided him by the Shelleys. Lackington may well have also sent a copy directly to Blackwood’s Edinburgh Review, but P. B. Shelley, on 2 January, personally sent a copy to Walter Scott, no doubt hoping Godwin’s friend would be sufficiently impressed to write a review, which Blackwood’s would certainly publish (Jones, vol. 1, p. 590).
