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Samuel Richardson - Biography

Biography of Samuel Richardson - The Life and Work of the Outstanding English Novelist

Samuel Richardson is a name that remains in the history of English literature as one of the great and significant in the 18th century. His novels became an important stage in the development of the English novel and influenced many writers and literary movements. In this biography, we look at key moments in his life, education, literary career and influence on English literature.

Samuel was born on 19 August 1689 in Derek, Kent, England, to ordinary villagers. His family was not rich, and received a limited education, but his desire for knowledge and self-education soon singled him out among his peers.

Samuel began his career as an apprentice junior assistant to a London wool and leather salesman. However, his attentiveness to detail and ability to listen and correspond with clients became key skills that he developed in this job and which subsequently played an important role in his literary career.

Samuel Richardson's most famous and significant creative achievement was the novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, published in 1740. This novel was one of the first in English literature to earn the name "written prose" and was presented in the form of letters and diaries of the main character. Pamela was not only a literary success, but also an important event in the development of the novel, introducing a new genre - an epistolary novel.

In addition to Pamela, Samuel wrote other important novels such as Clarisa, or The Story of a Young Lady (Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady) and Sir Charles Grandison. These novels have earned recognition both in their literary style and in their deep analysis of human nature and morality.