Samuel Richardson

Robert Lovelace, an 18th century rake, follows "The Rake's Creed" in his quest to corrupt Clarissa Harlowe, a young lady of high reputation and esteem, and the only lady in England who seems to have the strength to resist the humor and charms of Mr. Lovelace. This collection of letters includes reconstructed letters alluded to in the original nine volumes, corrects dates, and as Mr. Lovelace writes, "As it is my intention, in all my reflections, to avoid repeating, at least dwelling upon, what I have before written to thee," we have done him justice by removing his repetitive reflections. This book is a companion to Samuel Richardson's classic novel, Clarissa Harlowe; or the History of a Young Lady.

Samuel Richardson's massive seven volume history appeared in 1754, and even Jane Austen could not resist the charms of Sir Charles Grandison. The book is referenced in Northanger Abbey, and Austen herself re-wrote Sir Charles Grandison for an audience of her peers. Now, in the 21st century, The History of Charles Grandison has once again been edited, revised, and modernized. Sir Charles Grandison rescues Miss Harriet Byron from a vile plot. However, he must untangle past intrigues before his history joins his future.

Pressured by her unscrupulous family to marry a wealthy man she detests, the young Clarissa Harlowe is tricked into fleeing with the witty and debonair Robert Lovelace and places herself under his protection. Lovelace, however, proves himself to be an untrustworthy rake whose vague promises of marriage are accompanied by unwelcome and increasingly brutal sexual advances. And yet, Clarissa finds his charm alluring, her scrupulous sense of virtue tinged with unconfessed desire. Told through a complex series of interweaving letters, Clarissa is a richly ambiguous study of a fatally attracted couple and a work of astonishing power and immediacy. A huge success when it first appeared in 1747, and translated into French and German, it remains one of the greatest of all European novels.