Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

$0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady, Volume 1 cover art

Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady, Volume 1

By: Samuel Richardson
Narrated by: Samuel West, Lucy Scott, Roger May, Katie Scarfe, Nigel Pilkington, Hayward B. Morse, full cast
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £30.99

Buy Now for £30.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Camilla cover art
Armadale cover art
East Lynne cover art
Belinda cover art
Shamela cover art
No Name cover art
Romola cover art
Love and Friendship (aka 'Love and Freindship') cover art
A Simple Story cover art
The Caine Mutiny cover art
The Nether World cover art
Tristram Shandy cover art
He Knew He Was Right cover art
Jane Austen's Greatest Novels cover art
Sense and Sensibility (Seasons Edition - Fall) cover art
Tom Jones cover art

Summary

A milestone in the history of the novel, Samuel Richardson’s epistolary and elaborate Clarissa follows the life of a chaste young woman desperate to protect her virtue. When beautiful Clarissa Harlowe is forced to marry the rich but repulsive Mr. Solmes, she refuses, much to her family’s chagrin. She escapes their persecution with the help of Mr. Lovelace, a dashing and seductive rake, but soon finds herself in a far worse dilemma. Terrifying and enlightening, Clarissa weaves a tapestry of narrative experimentation into a gripping morality tale of good versus evil. The recording is divided into three volumes.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.  

Public Domain (P)2018 Naxos AudioBooks

Love Books? You'll Love Audible.

Transform your day

Transform your day

Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.

Listen everywhere

Listen everywhere

You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.

Carry your entire Library

Carry your entire Library

Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.

Listen and learn

Listen and learn

Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.

Reach your reading goals

Reach your reading goals

Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.

Find your niche

Find your niche

WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.

Try for £0.00 £7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

What listeners say about Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady, Volume 1

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    23
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    23
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

It's odd really as the first few chapters are quite repetitive, how gripping this is....very clever. Beautifully read. I'm looking forward to next credit day to download bk 2.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Demanding, but a classic

Yes, I knew it was the longest novel in the English canon: even so, I never realized it could be this long! Even this installment needs to be taken in installments. Wonderful writing, and a real joy to have it so well read in so many different voices. Listening to the performance is not only entertaining, it is also a gentle way of sharing in one of the key moments in English literature.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Glacial Pace

Quite entertaining if you have time on your hands as the story proceeds at a glacial pace. Only 60 hours to go to find out if Clarissa gets married to Soames, Lovelace or decides to live the single life. I can’t help but think that 100 hours to tell such a slight story is excessive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Clarissa Volume 1

Not an easy listen, requires a lot of concentration, but well worth persevering with. A very high-quality, well- acted production.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lovelace Miscast

Great except for the totally unsuitable casting of Lovelace ... nasal whining seriously detracts from the generally excellent novel and cast.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful