Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Jul 27, 2015 Arukiyomi rated it really liked it

Well, after finishing U.S.A. at 1,300 pages or so, what better way to follow it up than to write a review of a novel that's even bigger?

What surprised me most about this novel is how readable it is. For its size and the era in which it was written, this is one of the most readable novels I've tackled. That is very definitely something to be thankful for.

The story basically revolves around the eponymous heroine Clarissa who, being the sole inheritor of her grandfather's estate, finds herself the Well, after finishing U.S.A. at 1,300 pages or so, what better way to follow it up than to write a review of a novel that's even bigger?

What surprised me most about this novel is how readable it is. For its size and the era in which it was written, this is one of the most readable novels I've tackled. That is very definitely something to be thankful for.

The story basically revolves around the eponymous heroine Clarissa who, being the sole inheritor of her grandfather's estate, finds herself the victim of family plotting when they attempt to force her to marry a man she has absolutely no feelings for.

Resolutely standing her ground only results in Clarissa being completely isolated by her so-called family who virtually imprison her in solitary confinement within the family home.

Fearing that she will be dragged to the alter and committed against her will, she seeks escape and the supposed safe house offered by Lovelace, a man who comes across as a valiant aide in time of trouble. We readers however, are aware of his ulterior motives as Richardson relates his tale entirely in letters between various of the characters.

Clarissa's frying pan becomes Clarissa's fire as she discovers Lovelace's true purpose. And while this plot is enough to drive the novel on for well over 1,000 pages, quite unbelievably, it culminates in a living room scene that is as damp as a damp squib can be. I honestly thought I'd perhaps missed segment of the audio version I listened to on Librivox (which I recommend actually). Quite inexplicable.

Still, Richardson's novel is a masterful study of misogyny. Lovelace (the pronunciation of whose name is no coincidence) writes some absolutely writhing letters to his friends in which you can't help but see Richardson's criticism of his contemporary "rake." It's scathing.

And through it all, of course, Clarissa's virtue remains a bastion of impregnability. If this had been written by a woman, it would be a seminal feminist text. But it wasn't, so it isn't. Too bad. ...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Suvi rated it liked it

Shelves: cities_london, _great-britain, novels, 1700s

Clarissa is one of the longest novels in the English language. Even the full title is staggeringly long: Comprehending The Most Important Concerns of Private Life, And particularly showing The distress that may attend the Misconduct both of parents and children, In relation to Marriage. I can't remember why and when I was inspired to read this (possibly a curiosity towards controversial classics?), but I knew it wasn't going to be easy. It sure wasn't, but it was still somewhat rewarding, and I' Clarissa is one of the longest novels in the English language. Even the full title is staggeringly long: Comprehending The Most Important Concerns of Private Life, And particularly showing The distress that may attend the Misconduct both of parents and children, In relation to Marriage. I can't remember why and when I was inspired to read this (possibly a curiosity towards controversial classics?), but I knew it wasn't going to be easy. It sure wasn't, but it was still somewhat rewarding, and I'm quite satisfied that I finished the whole thing. Kind of like after a long walk: you're tired and at home you just fall on the couch, but soon you'll feel better and you remember all the beautiful scenery you had seen along the way.

Lovelace believes that virtue cannot be found in any woman, because his first love betrayed him, and it seems he avenges this betrayal on the whole gender. His twisted perception of love is more like an astonishingly persistent and obsessive desire to conquer a virtuous angel. Clarissa is like a caged bird captured by a lion and taken into his dark cave. Then again, sometimes the reader gets tricked the same way as Clarissa, when you start to think that perhaps Lovelace truly loves Clarissa and wants to make amends, but doesn't know how to express his love other than by hurting her.

The biggest problem is - not surprisingly - the length. The story progresses devastatingly slowly. My initial thought was to read a letter or two a day, but I had to change my pace. The story didn't simply seem to get anywhere, but I still wanted to know the ending without checking Wikipedia or skipping the pages.

I liked Lovelace as the crook, and the themes seemed to be surprisingly heavy, especially towards the ending and after all the marriage stuff at the beginning. Clarissa may annoy some people with her virtuousness, but I kind of liked her when she stood up for herself and stayed true to her principles, even though her angelic personality were emphasized a bit too much. An epistolary form also gives a chance to interpret things between lines, since all the characters aren't given the chance to tell their side of the story. However, the page count eats away most of the good qualities of the novel, because the pacing is just god-awful. Richardson would have needed a good editor. His contemporaries didn't seem to mind though, since this was a bestseller in its time (readers even travelled to the places where the story was set), but these days Clarissa as it stands pleases only a few.

During the days between finishing this and writing a review in my blog, I found out there is a radio play from 2010 with Richard Armitage. Of course I had to try, because I love Armitage's voice and I can follow radio plays better than audio books. All the actors were great in their roles, but Armitage completely stole the show with his smouldering interpretation of the snake Lovelace. I could listen to him every night whispering in my headphones. Anyway (:D), I'm glad I listened to the production, because it also enhanced my understanding of the novel (I admit, I shed a couple of tears at the end). It kind of condensed the story into a nice package, whereas reading the book felt like Richardson had come up with a some sort of fiendish strategy to exhaust the reader. Despite the novel's easy English, my eyelids kept drooping every once in a while.

Nice thick classics are great to sink into, but I have my limits. So I wouldn't recommend this to anyone without a big warning sticker, but if the story interests you, the Armitage production can be found here. If you like it and you're courageous enough, you can move on to the actual thing. Now that I think about it, I think I liked this far more than what it felt like in the middle of the reading project. Since the radio play was worth at least four stars, but the book just two, I'm making a compromise and will give this three. Despite the slow pace, I liked the themes, the characters, the plot, and there was just that "something" that classics usually have.

At some point I'm going to check out the Sean Bean miniseries, but for now I'll lay this depressing tale to rest and move on to other interesting stuff. Don't worry, Lovelace, we'll meet again. ...more

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Oct 12, 2009 Deanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-books-2008, 1001bookstoreadbeforeyoudie

Have to admit though it's an interesting book to read, mainly because I love history. I'm glad that Lovelace's letters are now making up more of the book. After 300 pages of Clarissa whining,was becoming annoying.
Really getting into Clarissa and it's convoluted plot, more characters are appearing in the storyline, and at the moment Hickman seems the best of the male characters, though at present under used by Richardson.
Finally finished, it grew on me particularly after Belford enters the story. ...more

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