Clarissa, or the History of A Young LadyPressured 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. |
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affected answer appear assure attend aunt bear believe brother carry character child concern creature dear dearest deserve desire doubt duty expect father fault favour fear follow give given hand happy hear heard heart honour hope intended keep knew lady least leave less letter live look Lovelace madam mamma manner marry matter means mind Miss MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE mother nature never night obliged observe occasion offer once opinion papa particular passed perhaps permit person pleased poor present pride proposed ready reason received reflections relations resolved sake seems servant sister Solmes soon spirit suppose sure taken tell thee things thou thought told treated turn uncle whole wish woman write young