Janet Todd, A Man of Genius, London: Bitter Lemon Press, 2016, ISBN 978-1-908524-59-1, £16.99

Janet Todd is undoubtedly one of the most prominent academics who devoted their career to the rediscovery and study of women writers of the 18th and 19th century, fostering and nurturing the development of a feminist literary criticism focused on—but not limited to—the Romantic period. Todd’s detailed knowledge of such a complex historical period, together with her acquaintance with the two cities, bestow a greater depth on the story, allowing the readers to plunge themselves into the narration as if they were actually witnessing the unwinding of the events. The general atmosphere of the novel is certainly gothic—one of the most popular genres of the Romantic era, which was born indeed in the second half of the eighteenth century. Todd was capable of creating a romantic story of terror and disillusionment––that captures the readers and let them cultivate the idea that something terrible is always on the verge of happening––but with a modern introspection and awareness, which make the novel very relevant nowadays.