Clarissa, Or The History Of A Young Lady

[Khandro]

Has anyone read it? It's purported to be the longest novel in the language. Would it make a good 'Desert Island' book?

[Buenchico]

I can't really get to grips with epistolary novels. I keep feeling that I want to someone to step back and give me an outsider's view on things. The only series of letters that I've really enjoyed reading has been '84 Charing Cross Road'.

However the reviews alone make quite interesting reading!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529243.Clarissa_or_the_History_of_a_Young_Lady#other_reviews

[Khandro]

Thanks for that link Chris, I liked 'the Haiku version' by Manny summarizing the 600 pages;

To Miss Howe: send help!
I've been ravished in Book Six
with three more to go

There's also a painting of her being kidnapped by the rotter, Lovelace

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/be/e4/2a/bee42a5a2fb53b94119df9729e34bf0a.jpg

[Mosaic]

The BBc serialised it a couple of years back. I just wanted to whack the idiot milksop. But it is a reasonable depiction of the absence of individual rights, especially unmarried women's rights, in the 18th century.

[jourdain2]

I think I'd be inclined to give it a go. I've not read it, but I've read 'Joseph Andres' (which I disliked and found boring and heavy-handed virtuous) and 'Tom Jones' (enjoyable and ultimately virtuous). At the time I'd had enough of Richardson which is why I forwent 'Clarissa', but on balance it's 50/50 if I'd enjoy it - so I may try it.

[jourdain2]

^^^ Sorry, typo 'Joseph Andrews'.

[Peter Pedant]

it is has a clutch of "firsts"

one of the first novels
one of the longest
but unfortunately not one of the best

for novels and desert island books I would stick with Dickens Trollope and thackeray - I mean god you cant have read ALL of them

and I would even say the worst Dickens is probably more readable than the best Richardson - Clarissa has its place in the devt of the C18 novel - if you arent gripped by that then give it a miss

[jourdain2]

Actually, I think I'd agree with you PP. Still a few Dickens that I haven't read and a couple of Trollope, but curiosity may yet drive me to give Clarissa a go. Have you read it?

[Peter Pedant]

No I tried Pamela and then Tristram Shandy and then concluded that the eighteenth cent was not for me
O god Roderick Random was another failure

Fanny Burney's diaries ( thankfully abridged ) were good as she was a maid in waiting when the King went mad ( 1788 ) - they wre part of the basis of the Madness of King George

[Khandro]

Re. Dickens; On last visit to UK I bought Durrell's, Bitter Lemons for £1 in a charity shop, then saw I could have '2 for 1' so I picked up almost without thinking, Barnaby Rudge, which I'm now enjoying after several failed starts. As it isn't one of his most popular novels I have no idea where the story will lead, but the writing is, as the kids now say is; 'Ueber', listen to this;
"She was about forty -perhaps two or three years older- with a cheerful aspect, and a face that had once been pretty. It bore traces of affliction and care, but they were of an old date, and time had smothered them. Any one who had bestowed but a casual glance on Barnaby might have known that this was his mother, from the strong resemblance between them; but where in his face there was wildness and vacancy, in hers there was the patient composure of long effort and quiet resignation."
Now only on page 82 of 614, so must press on, g'night!

[jno]

jourdain, Fielding wrote those two.

[Khandro]

jourdain; //, but curiosity may yet drive me to give Clarissa a go.// Perhaps you could be persuaded to read it for all of us, and come back some day (in about year?) and tell us all about it :0)

[jourdain2]

I know jno - I meant to say that I then quailed before Richardson! It's the drugs!

[Ric.ror]

Les laision dangerous is very good I'd recommend that
I always wanted to read Pamela (for obvious reasons)