Clarissa explains it ALL...

Well, I have made almost no progress at all on a new pleasure book because I have been reading around the clock on Clarissa trying to make the deadline on the first volume in time for class tomorrow. So, even though it doesn't count towards my goal, I figured I could at least talk about it a bit.
Some background information:
This giant of a novel was written by Samuel Richardson in 1747 and is among the first works to be considered a novel. Richardson's first work, the previously mentioned Pamela, generally holds the title of first novel. It is in the epistolary form, which means that it is basically just a collection of letters, well, a BIG collection of letters. The "editor" or narrator in this form doesn't break into the story much, if at all, you just move from one letter to the next and it tells the story. The style was all the rage in the 18th century, has come up a few other times in history, but really isn't seen much anymore. I mean, do we really write letters much these days? But I guess you can kind of compare it to the forerunners of blogs. This particular epistolary novel is told in letters between the heroine, Clarissa, and her friend, as well as letters between Mr. Lovelace, her suitor and his friend. Lovelace is the original playboy though and his goal is really to seduce Clarissa and remove her of the burden of her "virtue", a hot topic in the period. Sounds like a fun enough story, right? And it is! However, Richardson goes into perhaps more detail than needed. This book is 1600 pages, full size, not novel sized and has tiny print. If Clarissa had ever really existed and written to such an extent, her hand would have fallen off. So you really have to commit yourself to this undertaking. However, I am sure the feeling of accomplishment at the end will be worth it. I will let you know. Or, you can join in the crusade to complete one of the greatest works of fiction in history and work towards membership in a very elite group of people who can say they have read this important novel in full (and not the abridged). Should you dare to undertake this challenge with me, you are welcome to comment on here and I will even put up a wall of fame for those who finish. Book link below.
As to pleasure reading (not that Clarissa's claim to her virtue isn't entertaining) I have started the first chapter of a book called The Gargoyle. GREAT intro, we will see how it plays out.
For now, keep reading!
Sarah