shelley was born in horsham, sussex. he was the son of a member of parliament. he attended the university of oxford, for only one year; he was expelled for being an atheist. in his own time shelley was very unpopular for his political and religious views and for his personal conduct. he married young, but left his wife to run away with mary godwin. after shelley's first wife committed suicide, shelley married mary godwin; she later became famous as mary shelley, the author of the novel "frankenstein".