Samuel Richardson's Published Commentary on Clarissa, 1747–1765
General Editor: Florian Stuber
Associate Editor: Margaret Anne Doody
978 1 85196 461 1: 234x156mm: £275.00/$495.00
Samuel Richardson’s novel Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady (1747-8) has long been recognised as one of the world’s most significant literary achievements. Published to great critical acclaim in its own day, the novel profoundly influenced the development of English, American and Continental fiction. This three-volume set brings together for the first time all that Samuel Richardson himself published on the composition, printing and interpretation of Clarissa.
Contents
Volume 1
Introduction by Jocelyn Harris; Preliminary matter to Volumes I and II of the First Edition of Clarissa (December 1747); William Warburton’s Preface to Volumes III and IV of the First Edition (April 1748); Endnote to Volume IV of the First Edition (April 1748); Postscript to Volumes V, VI and VII of the first Edition (December 1748); Preliminary matter to the Second Edition (June 1749); Albrecht von Haller’s review of Clarissa with Richardson’s annotations (Gentleman’s Magazine, June and August 1749); Answer to the Letter of a Very Reverend and Worthy Gentleman Objecting to the Warmth of a Particular Scene in the History of Clarissa (June 1749); Meditations Collected from the Sacred Books (1750); Preliminary matter to the Third Edition (1751); Postscript to the Third Edition (1751); Six Original Letters upon Duelling (1765); Hints of Prefaces for Clarissa (1749); Aaron Hill’s Specimen of New Clarissa and Richardson’s Comments (1746); This composite volume of rare Richardsonian paratexts exhibits the author’s concern about how to present his novel to different kinds of critical readers.
Volume 2
Letters and Passages Restored from the Original Manuscripts of the History of Clarissa (1751), Introduction by Peter Sabor; Bibliographical Essay by O M Brack, Jnr.
Volume 3
A Collection of Moral and Instructive Sentiments, Maxims, Cautions and Reflections Contained in the Histories of Pamela, Clarissa and Sir Charles Grandison (1755)
Reviews
‘This is an important and useful edition, including a mass of hard-to-find commentary in facsimile form. The three volumes are scrupulously edited with introductions and commentaries that are themselves significant contributions to scholarship on the eighteenth-century novel…. Pickering & Chatto has done a fine thing in publishing these volumes.’
– George Justice, The Years Work in English Studies
‘... fascinating reading…I am much humbled by the hard work, erudition, and enthusiasm of all the contributors to these volumes, and I am sure that other readers will join me in gratitude for having these elusive documents made available in an authentic format.’
– Lois A Chaber, Eighteenth-Century Fiction