Clarissa: Or, The History of a Young Lady

'Clarissa' is a masterwork and one of the most influential novels of the 18th century. Rousseau, Goethe and Kleist were among those influenced by it (one of the three readings Kleist had with him on the day of his suicide was Klopstock's ode 'Die tote Clarissa', a gesture towards Richardson's novel).This abridged edition (Toni Bowers and John Richetti, Eds) worked for me, though I cannot compare it with others, nor with the full-length version. It flows well. The main blemish is that the episode of Belton's death is among the passages struck by the editors; this episode is not only one of the most awesome pieces of writing in the novel, but it is also important in its quaternary constellation with the deaths of Clarissa, Sinclair and Lovelace. As such, it is structurally and analytically important and should be no means have been struck. It can be found in the complete 'Clarissa' on Projekt Gutenberg, Vol. 8, Letters XIX to XXII.

The subtleties in this text are very easy to miss, and it requires a very careful, thorough reading. It is rife with religious allusions, and as an epistolary novel, you can never really be sure if you're getting an accurate accounting of events from any of the characters, although the main character is by far the most reliable.

Can't beat Broadview. They make a great abridgment which conveys continuity without having to wade through the excessive amount of pages in the original.

Unable to access it. Lame.

Great reading

Starting to read this mighty classic can be rather daunting. I had purchased the volumes on Kindle, which was probably a mistake. However I was soon intrigued with the story, in a style I had never previously encountered, and I struggled on. Then I became aware of this abridged version and thought, in the first instance, I would use it alongside the originals for reference etc. I do not normally like abridged stories and usually avoid them. However, I started to read this book from the begining again and was soon changing my mind. I enjoyed this version and found it the ideal way to follow the saga; - for me, at any rate. Up to now I have not gone back to the original version. But, however you read it, this is a fascinating tale; - providing you can stay the course.

thanks