First published 1748
Clarissa Harlowe faces an impossible choice when her family demands she marry a man she despises for his wealth. The young woman believes she has found salvation when the charming Robert Lovelace offers her escape and protection. She flees with him, trusting his promises of marriage and safety. But Lovelace reveals his true nature as a manipulative rake who uses increasingly violent methods to force himself upon her. His wedding promises prove empty while his sexual advances grow more brutal. Despite recognizing his untrustworthiness, Clarissa discovers herself drawn to his charisma even as her strict moral code wars with hidden desire. Richardson tells their story through letters exchanged between the characters, creating an intricate web of correspondence that reveals the fatal attraction binding this doomed pair together.
Genres: drama, romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, adult-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fatal-attraction, unreliable-narrator
Period: 19th-century
1536 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics
Content warnings: abuse, sexual-assault, violence