Samuel Richardson
CLARISSA HARLOWE Volume IV
( April 2, 2020)
Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is an epistolary novel by English writer Samuel Richardson(baptised 19 August 1689 – 4 July 1761), published in 1748. It tells the tragic story of a young woman, Clarissa Harlowe, whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family. The Harlowes are a recently wealthy family whose preoccupation with increasing their standing in society leads to obsessive control of their daughter, Clarissa, who ultimately dies as a result. It is considered one of the longest novels in the English language (based on estimated word count). It is generally regarded as Richardson's masterpiece.