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“Oh thou savage-hearted monster! What work hast thou made in one guilty hour, for a whole age of repentance!”
Pressured by her unscrupulous family to marry a wealthy man she detests, the young Clarissa Harlowe is tricked into fleeing with the witty and debonair Robert Lovelace and places herself under his protection. Lovelace, however, proves himself to be an untrustworthy rake whose vague promises of marriage are accompanied by unwelcome and increasingly brutal sexual advances. And yet, Clarissa finds his charm alluring, her scrupulous sense of virtue tinged with unconfessed desire. Told through a complex series of interweaving letters, Clarissa is a richly ambiguous study of a fatally attracted couple and a work of astonishing power and immediacy. A huge success when it first appeared in 1747, and translated into French and German, it remains one of the greatest of all European novels.
In his introduction, Angus Ross examines characterization, the epistolary style, the role of the family and the position of women in Clarissa. This edition also includes a chronology, suggestions for further reading, tables of letters, notes, a glossary and an appendix on the music for the “Ode to Wisdom.”
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Publisher : Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (February 4, 1986)
Language : English
Paperback : 1534 pages
ISBN-10 : 0140432159
ISBN-13 : 978-0140432152
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.76 x 2.36 x 9.16 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book enlightening and fascinating, providing a good window into the human soul during this time period. They describe the story as gripping and simple enough to keep their interest piqued. The characters are well-defined and described in detail. Many appreciate the style, illustrations, and bindings. However, some readers found the book too long and difficult to follow at times. Opinions vary on the writing style, with some finding it immediacy while others mention errors like typos.
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