2. An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents.

The usual form

is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes
used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have
also come into use. The word epistolary is derived from Latin, from the Greek word epistolē,
meaning a letter (see epistle).

The epistolary form can add greater realism to a story, because it mimics the workings of real
life. It is thus able to demonstrate differing points of view without recourse to the device of
an omniscient narrator. An important strategic device in the epistolary novel for creating the
impression of authenticity of the letters is the fictional editor.

The epistolary novel as a genre became popular in the 18th century in the works of such
authors as Samuel Richardson, with his immensely successful novels Pamela (1740)
and Clarissa (1749).

Epistolary novel, a novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the
characters. Originating with Samuel Richardson’s Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), the
story of a servant girl’s victorious struggle against her master’s attempts to seduce her, it was
one of the earliest forms of novel to be developed and remained one of the most popular up to
the 19th century. The epistolary novel’s reliance on subjective points of view makes it the
forerunner of the modern psychological novel.

Dangerous Liaisons Choderlos de Laclos

The advantages of the novel in letter form are that it presents an intimate view of the
character’s thoughts and feelings without interference from the author and that it conveys the
shape of events to come with dramatic immediacy. Also, the presentation of events from
several points of view lends the story dimension and verisimilitude. Though the method was
most often a vehicle for sentimental novels, it was not limited to them.

Paul ile Virginie

The Wraths of Young Werther

Pamela as an Epistolary Novel

Samuel Richardson is one of the first modern English novelists. And his Pamela or, Virtue
Rewarded (is undoubtedly the first epistolary novel, a novel told entirely in letters. It is a
brilliant collection of thirty-two letters, (two of which are taken by Squire B and we do not
see) and dozens of private journals written by a serving maid (Pamela) who finds herself
socially elevated at the novel's conclusion by her marriage to Mr. B, her former master and
would-be seducer. It is the first novel in which character is more important than situation.
Again Richardson’s Pamela is a glaring example of epistolary novel, a novel based on a
series of exchanging letters by way of unfolding the plot of the novel and the psychology of
the protagonist. The novel describes Pamela’s experience as a maid servant, how she resists
the immoral advances of his master’s son against all treats and temptations, till in the end
when he wins her heart by being reformed and marries her. The novel was written as a series
of letters exchanged by the characters.

In this groundbreaking work, Richardson examines the complexities of the

eponymous protagonist’s life through a series of letters. Richardson employs the epistolary
form to create an intimate setting where readers connect with Pamela and rally for her
freedom. Through the epistolary form, readers experience the character development and the
psychological realism popularized by Pamela and the English novel.

Summary:

Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded is an epistolary novel first published in 1740 by

English writer Samuel Richardson. Considered one of the first true English
novels, it serves as Richardson's version of conduct literature about marriage.
Pamela tells the story of a fifteen-year-old maidservant named Pamela Andrews,
whose employer, Mr. B, a wealthy landowner, makes unwanted and
inappropriate advances towards her after the death of his mother. Pamela strives
to reconcile her strong religious training with her desire for the approval of her
employer in a series of letters and, later in the novel, journal entries all
addressed to her impoverished parents. After various unsuccessful attempts at
seduction, a series of sexual assaults, and an extended period of kidnapping, the
rakish Mr. B eventually reforms and makes Pamela a sincere proposal of
marriage. In the novel's second part Pamela marries Mr. B and tries to
acclimatise to her new position in upper-class society. The full title, Pamela; or,
Virtue Rewarded, makes plain Richardson's moral purpose. A best-seller of its
time, Pamela was widely read but was also criticised for its perceived
licentiousness and disregard for class barriers. Furthermore, Pamela was an early
commentary on domestic violence and brought into question the dynamic line
between male aggression and a contemporary view of love. Moreover, Pamela,
despite the controversies, was able to shed light on social issues that transcended
the novel for the time such as gender roles, early false-imprisonment, and class
barriers present in the eighteenth century. The action of the novel is told through
letters and journal entries from Pamela to her parents. Richardson highlights a
theme of naivety, illustrated through the eyes of Pamela. Richardson paints
Pamela herself as innocent and meek to further contribute to the theme of her
being short-sighted to emphasize the ideas of childhood innocence and naivety.