Samuel Richardson's Clarissa and the Rise of the Novel (Patreon)

"I am extremely concerned, my dearest friend, for the disturbances that have happened in your family."

Today we're making the acquaintance of Samuel Richardson and Clarissa Harlowe.

We'll examine the linguistic difficulties of the novel, and discuss tactics for overcoming them. 

In order to understand what makes Richardson's Clarissa so extraordinary, we will set it up against Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Henry Fielding's Tom Jones.

We will then read the opening of the novel together in preparation for a full immersion in the world of Clarissa. 

This video is composed of four main parts:

• the 18th Century prose style
• Richardson vs Defoe & Fielding
• the author's preface 
• the first two letters 

Video Timestamps:

• 0:00 overcoming the difficulties of Clarissa
• 3:45 a linguistics discussion 
• 5:10 reconnecting with the oral tradition
• 9:45 Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe 
• 11:30 what is the first English novel?
• 13:20 Defoe and the rise of the individual
• 16:30 on beginning in medias res 
• 20:00 Henry Fielding's Tom Jones
• 24:30 Richardson's preface to Clarissa
• 26:00 the intrigue of the letters 
• 32:00 the instantaneous in literature
• 33:30 reading for the sentiment 
• 34:00 Richardson's moral purpose 
• 38:00 Anna Howe's first letter
• 45:27 Clarissa Harlowe's first letter
• 55:15 preparing for our next video
• 56:00 reading assignment & advice 
• 1:00:00 becoming the first reader

Reading Assignment:

Consider our comment threads to be our coffeehouse where we congregate to gossip about the novel. Let's keep each other updated and share our impressions as we work through Clarissa. 

Questions to consider:

1) How far into Clarissa have you read? Have you settled into the world?

2) Dr. Samuel Johnson advised us to read Richardson for the sentiment, rather than the story. Would you say that's good advice?

3) Clarissa is in the top twenty longest novels ever written. Do you think it would work if it were shorter? 

4) Do you like or dislike the characters you have met so far? 

Happy reading, everybody!