Clarissa Harlowe and Pamela

Table of Contents

Clarissa Harlowe, or the history of a young lady (in 9
volumes)
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded

Samuel Richardson Biography

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Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is an epistolary
novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1748. It tells the tragic story of a
heroine whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family, and is one
of the longest novels in the English language.

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded is an epistolary novel by Samuel
Richardson, first published in 1740. It tells the story of a maid named Pamela
whose master, Mr. B, makes unwanted advances towards her. She rejects him
continually, and her virtue is eventually rewarded when he shows his sincerity
by proposing an equitable marriage to her. In the second part of the novel,
Pamela attempts to accommodate herself to upper-class society and to build a
successful relationship with him. The story was widely mocked at the time for
its perceived licentiousness and it inspired Henry Fielding (among many others)
to write two parodies: Shamela (1741), about Pamela's true identity; and
Joseph Andrews (1742), about Pamela’s brother.

-- Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.