Clarissa Harlowe, the tragic heroine of Clarissa, is a beautiful and virtuous young lady whose family has become very wealthy only in recent years and is now eager to become part of the aristocracy by acquiring estates and titles through advantageous pairings. Clarissa’s relatives attempt to force her to marry a rich but heartless man (Roger Solmes) against her will and, more importantly, against her own sense of virtue. Desperate to remain free, she is tricked by a young gentleman of her acquaintance, Lovelace, into escaping with him. However, she refuses to marry him, longing — unusual for a girl in her time — to live by herself in peace.

Latest episodes of the podcast Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady by Samuel Richardson

• 00 – Preface
• 01 – Letter 1
• 02 – Letter 2
• 03 – Letter 3
• 04 – Letter 4
• 05 – Letter 5
• 06 – Letter 6
• 07 – Letter 7
• 08 – Letter 8
• 09 – Letter 9
• 10 – Letter 10
• 11 – Letter 11
• 12 – Letter 12
• 13 – Letter 13
• 14 – Letter 14
• 15 – Letter 15
• 16 – Letter 16
• 17 – Letter 17
• 18 – Letter 18
• 19 – Letter 19
• 20 – Letter 20
• 21 – Letter 21
• 22 – Letter 22
• 23 – Letter 23
• 24 – Letter 24
• 25 – Letter 25
• 26 – Letter 26
• 27 – Letter 27
• 28 – Letter 28
• 29 – Letter 29
• 30 – Letter 30
• 31 – Letter 31
• 32 – Letter 32
• 33 – Letter 33
• 34 – Letter 34
• 35 – Letter 35
• 36 – Letter 36
• 37 – Letter 37
• 38 – Letter 38
• 39 – Letter 39
• 40 – Letter 40
• 41 – Letter 41
• 42 – Letter 42
• 43 – Letter 43
• 44 – Letter 44