Clarissa Harlowe or the history of a young lady — Volume 4

Richardson, Samuel, 1689-1761Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.2

Word count: 8.8K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 4 by Samuel RichardsonAuthor: Richardson, Samuel, 1689-1761,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 2003

Editor's review

Volume 4 of Clarissa Harlowe is a key stretch of Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel, released as a public-domain eBook by Project Gutenberg. Richardson advances the story through dense exchanges of letters, unfolding character psychology, moral conflict, and social pressure layer by layer; this volume sustains the tension of Clarissa's fate and concentrates the fine detail and dramatic force characteristic of the epistolary form. Its value lies in experiencing how an eighteenth-century English novel narrates: there is no omniscient narrator handing down judgments, and readers must piece together facts and weigh positions from the letters of different characters. It suits readers interested in English literary history, the epistolary novel, or moral and ethical themes, and works well as advanced reading for understanding Richardson's style. Note that this is the original English text, long and densely epistolary, so the barrier to entry is high; readers are advised to learn the plot of the earlier volumes before starting this one.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in eighteenth-century English literature and the epistolary novel
Readers working through Richardson's works in order who need to continue with Volume 4
Advanced readers who enjoy detailed psychological portrayal and moral conflict
English literature students or research-oriented readers in related courses

Not a good fit for

General readers looking for light, fast-paced stories
Readers with limited English reading ability who are unaccustomed to long sentences and the epistolary form
Readers who have not read the earlier volumes and want to start directly with Volume 4

Reading tips

Review the character relationships and main events of the earlier volumes before starting this one to avoid losing the thread.
Read in groups of letters, and after each group review the letter writers' positions and the differences in information.
Keep a character chart or notes recording the timing and event progression of key letters.
When encountering long sentences, copy them out in parts: grasp the character's attitude first, then return to rhetorical detail.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read Volume 4 without having read the first three volumes?

Not advisable. This is the fourth volume of a long epistolary novel; character relationships and events have already unfolded fully in the earlier volumes, and reading directly can confuse letter writers' positions and the causes of events. It is best to learn the gist of the first three volumes or read them in order.

How difficult is this book?

Fairly difficult. The original is in eighteenth-century English with long sentences; the epistolary narrative requires readers to piece together facts from multiple letters, and this volume is substantial. Some experience with long English texts, along with annotations or introductory materials, is recommended.

Why write a novel in letters?

The epistolary form lets readers receive information through different characters' letters, with no omniscient narrator passing direct judgment, and thus better presents differences in subjective perspective and moral position. When reading, pay attention to each letter's writer, recipient, and moment of writing.

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About the author

Richardson, Samuel, 1689-1761 Author

Samuel Richardson (1689–1761) was an English novelist known for his epistolary fiction. The library holds 15 of his works, including the multi-volume Clarissa Harlowe and Volume II of Pamela. Clarissa centers on the fate of a young woman and unfolds through a large body of letters, revealing inner lives and family conflict, while Pamela follows the experiences of a maidservant and explores moral trials and ideas of marriage. Richardson is noted for the epistolary form, detailed psychological portrayal, and emotional intensity, and he had a significant influence on the later development of the English novel. Public information is limited, so his biographical details are not elaborated here; this overview is based only on the works held and general literary knowledge.