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Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is an epistolary novel published in 1748. It is one of the longest novels in the English language and is often regarded as Richardson’s masterpiece. The story revolves around the virtuous Clarissa Harlowe and her tumultuous experiences with the rakish Robert Lovelace. The novel explores themes of love, virtue, and societal expectations in 18th-century England. Clarissa is a landmark work of psychological realism and a seminal text in the development of the English novel. 

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