Scan barcode
mugsandmanuscripts's review
3.0
Definitely a lot to think about. Very dense and long, and at first I got the impression that the same thing was happening over and over again with a few variations. But ultimately I think it was a good book, and definitely one which is capable of invoking a lot of reflection if the reader allows it.
bookishblond's review against another edition
2.0
Such a wretched book. My professor favors "Pamela" as the first novel.
gracegeorgeson5's review against another edition
It was for uni and the date to finish it has passed. I also wasn't enjoying it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Domestic abuse
annamaria_ts's review
4.0
Imagine having Richardson as a relative: at least one holiday meal would end with someone hitting him with a pan to stop the incessant moralizing.
I couldn't believe it was possible for a book to be more prudish than Clarissa was, but Pamela wins, hands down. I suspect she is so damned perfect because she is a servant and Richardson overcorrects, if only to make his readers see her as a person.
I had fun reading Pamela, even though I didn't like a single character (an impressive feat). Especially her - eventually - husband. That guy was insufferable as a rake and even more insufferable when he started giving her lists of rules as if he had a leg to stand on. Yuk. There was a lot of the nice drama I loved in Clarissa, especially in the beginning.
I couldn't believe it was possible for a book to be more prudish than Clarissa was, but Pamela wins, hands down. I suspect she is so damned perfect because she is a servant and Richardson overcorrects, if only to make his readers see her as a person.
I had fun reading Pamela, even though I didn't like a single character (an impressive feat). Especially her - eventually - husband. That guy was insufferable as a rake and even more insufferable when he started giving her lists of rules as if he had a leg to stand on. Yuk. There was a lot of the nice drama I loved in Clarissa, especially in the beginning.
mayaet's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
2.75
This whole novel is just a continuous cycle of Mr B wanting Pamela and her refusing, it gets tiring to read and I feel like I just wasted my time. Nothing happened !! I kept waiting for something different to happen in the storyline and it never did!
Also while I liked the epistolary at the beginning of the novel, I didn't appreciate the writing style at the end. But anyways after this book I just felt angry I'd wasted time.
This whole novel is just a continuous cycle of Mr B wanting Pamela and her refusing, it gets tiring to read and I feel like I just wasted my time. Nothing happened !! I kept waiting for something different to happen in the storyline and it never did!
Also while I liked the epistolary at the beginning of the novel, I didn't appreciate the writing style at the end. But anyways after this book I just felt angry I'd wasted time.
ninariella's review
1.0
Well, this has been 14 hours 14 minutes of my life I will never get back. The best part was returning it back to the library.
almapietri's review
4.0
There is still like 1/3 of this I haven't read, but my professor isn't requiring we read the end, so I'm just going to mark this as read. I'll probably go back and finish it another time. This book had a lot of interesting things to say about power and relationship dynamics. The fact that I liked this book speaks to how good it was, because the majority of the time I was reading this book it was either 1 am when I could have been sleeping or 6 pm when I could have been having fun with my friends, so for me to not hold a grudge is pretty impressive.
wingdingbooks's review against another edition
1.0
The only good thing about reading this book is that it reminds you how lucky you are to be able to read books that don’t suck.
abagoflobsters's review
1.0
Outside of historical or social research, this book is hot garbage. This book needs an editor desperately, I felt as though I could rip out 100 pages at random and this book would not lose very much. Outside of this book being of an ungodly length, the plot is dreadful.
Our character, Pamela is a servant to a rich man and writes this novel in the form of letters to her parents and journal entries. We read hundred of pages of Pamela defending her "Virtue"(meaning virginity), against the man's repeated attempts to rape her. This is explained away as "boys will be boys, especially rich ones! Hang in there, Pam!" (Happy 1700's values!). We read as Pamela rejects rape attempts, is belittled, kidnapped and tortured by this man, which is disheartening. Despite Pamela's insufferable backpatting (boy, aren't I so virtuous and great?), we actually sympathize with her! Then, Pamela falls in love with this man, and no, it's not Stockholm Syndrome, it's Richardson cramming his values down your throat. Pamela legitimately loves this man and turns him into a virtuous good man with sheer power of her own virtue! Happy Ending!
So, you see, Richardson wrote this novel as a handbook for young girls to live their lives by. Such wonderful lessons like "Accept your rapist husbands (I mean, to be fair, you were asking for it by wearing suggestive clothes), always protect your virginity and rich people are directly better than everyone else!
If you're looking for entertainment, don't look here. If you're looking for historical context, read excerpts. Sentimentalism is no good.
Our character, Pamela is a servant to a rich man and writes this novel in the form of letters to her parents and journal entries. We read hundred of pages of Pamela defending her "Virtue"(meaning virginity), against the man's repeated attempts to rape her. This is explained away as "boys will be boys, especially rich ones! Hang in there, Pam!" (Happy 1700's values!). We read as Pamela rejects rape attempts, is belittled, kidnapped and tortured by this man, which is disheartening. Despite Pamela's insufferable backpatting (boy, aren't I so virtuous and great?), we actually sympathize with her! Then, Pamela falls in love with this man, and no, it's not Stockholm Syndrome, it's Richardson cramming his values down your throat. Pamela legitimately loves this man and turns him into a virtuous good man with sheer power of her own virtue! Happy Ending!
So, you see, Richardson wrote this novel as a handbook for young girls to live their lives by. Such wonderful lessons like "Accept your rapist husbands (I mean, to be fair, you were asking for it by wearing suggestive clothes), always protect your virginity and rich people are directly better than everyone else!
If you're looking for entertainment, don't look here. If you're looking for historical context, read excerpts. Sentimentalism is no good.
passthesalt's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
another one of those "first english novel!"s. you can tell Samuel Richardson set out to write a letter writing guide and then halfway through decided to make it a story instead. the result is an excruciatingly slow and dreadfully boring novel that doesn't seem to even be that good at teaching anyone to write letters
usually I'm willing to give epistolary novels more grace because I'm a big fan of the format. not here
usually I'm willing to give epistolary novels more grace because I'm a big fan of the format. not here