Clarissa Harlowe or the History of a Young Lady — Volume 8

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

Rating 4.0

Word count: 19K words
Chapters: 2

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 8 by Samuel RichardsonAuthor: Richardson, Samuel, 1689-1761,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Apr 1, 2004

Editor's review

Clarissa Harlowe is a representative work of the eighteenth-century English epistolary novel; Volume 8 continues to advance the heroine's fate in letter form, displaying Richardson's detailed portrayal of characters' psychology and social ethics. This English original is released free by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook, suitable for readers studying English literary history, the epistolary novel, or eighteenth-century social ideas to read volume by volume. When reading, it is best to connect with the plots of earlier volumes, note the differences in perspective and moral debate among the various letter writers, and pay attention to the expressive habits of eighteenth-century English. As one part of a long novel, it is better suited to patient readers willing to read the text closely than to casual reading that seeks rapid plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English literature students who need to study the epistolary novel and the history of eighteenth-century fiction
Readers interested in eighteenth-century English social ethics and women's circumstances
Readers accustomed to reading long classics closely who can accept original English texts
Collectors of Project Gutenberg public-domain ebooks and organizers of literary materials

Not a good fit for

Readers who wish to start independently from this volume without familiarity with earlier events
Casual readers who prefer fast-paced plots and lack patience
Beginners with weak English reading ability who need modern annotations

Reading tips

First read the earlier volumes, or at least a summary of previous events, before entering this volume to avoid losing the thread of the plot.
Keep pen and paper to record the main correspondents and timeline, helping to clarify the shifts in perspective in the epistolary narrative.
Note the moral arguments and emotional expressions in the characters' letters, and read alongside contemporary novels for comparison.
When encountering long eighteenth-century English sentences, read through the paragraph first, then return to sort out the meaning, without stopping over every word.

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 Volume 8 be read on its own?

It can be read, but it is not advisable. This volume carries forward the character relationships and events of earlier volumes, and reading it alone easily loses the plot thread and character motivations. It is advisable to learn the previous events first or start from Volume 1 before entering this volume.

Is this book a Chinese edition?

No. The information shows that the book's language is English; it is an English public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg. Chinese readers need a certain level of English reading ability or should read alongside a translation for comparison.

What edition issues should I note when reading?

This is a free electronic edition from Project Gutenberg, a public-domain text. Different electronic editions may differ in layout and paragraphing; when reading, rely on the text content rather than worrying about page numbers, and you may mark chapters yourself.

Is it suitable for literary research?

It is suitable as primary material for close reading, especially for examining epistolary narrative and psychological portrayal of characters. For research, however, it is advisable also to consult authoritative print editions and scholarly annotations, so that differences in electronic layout do not affect citation.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

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.