Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded [with Biographical Introduction]
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Product Description
Product Description
Fifteen-year-old Pamela Andrews, alone in the world, is pursued by her dead mistress's son. Although she is attracted to Mr B, she holds out against his demands, determined to protect her virginity and abide by her moral standards
Psychlologically acute in its explorations of sex, freedom and power, Richardson's first novel caused a senastion when it was published. Richly comic and lively, PAMELA contains a diverse cast of characters ranging from the vulgar and malevolent Mrs Jewkes to the agressive but awkward country squire.
About the Author
Born in 1689, Samuel Richardson was the son of a London joiner. He received little formal education but went on to acheive great acclaim and popularity through his writing. He was married twice, had twelve children, and died in 1761.
M.A Doody is Professor of Literature at the University of Notre Dame, she has published widely on in literary criticism.
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First Sentence
Ihave great trouble, and some comfort, to acquaint you with. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Ihave great trouble, and some comfort, to acquaint you with. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a book that Eighteenth Century scholars have been waiting for for a long time. The Penguin edition (ed. Pater Sabor, 1980) is useful, but it reprints Richardson's heavily revised text. Here we now have the original 1740 edition which caused so much of a stir on its original publication. It is easy to see why Richardson revised the text, as it does come across as vaguely pornographic - or at least titilating - in places, rather defeating the portrayal of virtue recommended by the book as a whole. It is tedious, overlong, affected and melodramatic, but one cannot deny its place as a major creative step in the birth of the novel and that is why it is important to us today. Keymer's edition serves the original text well, with a suitably thorough introduction and explanatory notes. The appendices, as ever, are little gems in themselves and help to make the package more useful to the scholar, whilst also being of interest to the casual reader. This volume can be seen in many ways as the companion to Keymer's revised Oxford Classics edition of Henry Fielding's 'Joseph Andrews and Shamela'. The connection between the books and their authors is well documented, and it has to be said that one of the joys of getting through this book is to be able to pick up 'Shamela' and 'Joseph Andrews' afterwards - or even John Cleland's 'Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure' ('Fanny Hill') - and enjoy a good laugh at Richardson's expence. That's not to say that the novel doesn't have merits in its own right, though. A fine edition of an historic book and a brave read, but you can't help thinking there's a little something special going on at the same time.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Pamela is one of those books that always has to appear on undergraduate courses on the history of the novel because it was so influential but it is undoubtedly a book which hasn't stood the tests of time well and which is a difficult book for us to read today. Told in epistolary form, it tells the story of Pamela, a servant girl, pursued obsessively by her master who hides in cupboards, gropes her and rapes her until they finally get married...!
So, ok, the story itself might be pretty offensive to us today and the method of telling is frequently repetitive, but it does tell us quite a lot about the culture, gender relations, and role of literature of the time in which it was written. Realism wasn't necessarily what Richardson was aiming for, and neither is the sort of psychological dimension which appears in the C19th alongside the growth of scientific pyschology.
So this is very much a book which you have to take on its own terms - it certainly won't be for everyone but does have a strange kind of vitality and energy of its own.
So, ok, the story itself might be pretty offensive to us today and the method of telling is frequently repetitive, but it does tell us quite a lot about the culture, gender relations, and role of literature of the time in which it was written. Realism wasn't necessarily what Richardson was aiming for, and neither is the sort of psychological dimension which appears in the C19th alongside the growth of scientific pyschology.
So this is very much a book which you have to take on its own terms - it certainly won't be for everyone but does have a strange kind of vitality and energy of its own.
Format:Paperback
Pamela represents a journey into a completely different mind-set and value system to our own times. If you can suspend yourself in the mood of the times it is a tremendous trip and worth a visit. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thank God this is over
I was so excited before I read this book. It was my first year at university and I was eager to discover the gems of 18th century literature. This is not one of them. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2008 by the
a perverse vision of love
This book is completely unrealistic, and it doesn't surprise me that a man wrote it!
It tells the story of a girl (Pamela) falling in love with her would-be raper... Read more
It tells the story of a girl (Pamela) falling in love with her would-be raper... Read more
Published on 14 July 2008 by M. Thorton
What a waste of my time.
It honestly shocks me that this was a best seller at the time and it caused a storm with the eighteenth century audience. Were they brain dead? Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2007 by Nicola Jarvis
A Long Hard Journey, but Worth it
Pamela is a novel written in the form of letters and, as in the case of many other stories, is essentially about overwhelming good overcoming evil despite boundaries in class,... Read more
Published on 18 July 2005 by Kate Saunders
Pamela
I found Pamela an extremely, interesting, romantic read. Although a little tedious at the beginning, perservere and it soon picks up pace, and has the most satisfying finish ever.
Published on 20 May 2004 by "musicrox"
A fun, moral read
The beauty of Pamela is that one can sympathise with and laugh at the main characters at once.
Pamela's relentless pursuer, Mr B, is seen as the highest authority in her eyes,... Read more
Pamela's relentless pursuer, Mr B, is seen as the highest authority in her eyes,... Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2003
tedious at best
This book should be admired for its innovative use of the epistolary format, however it is an extremely tedious read. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 1998
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