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영국의 성공적인 인쇄업자였던 새뮤얼 리처드슨은 동료 인쇄업자로부터 교훈서를 겸한 모범서한집을 써달라는 권유를 받고 새로운 형태의 이야기의 가능성에 대한 힌트를 얻어 <파멜라>를 집필했다. 이 소설은 1740년 겨울 출간되자마자 베스트셀러가 되었고, 이후 프랑스어 등으로 번역되었다.

주인공 파멜라는 진실하고 아름다운 15세 소녀로, 한 귀족 부인의 몸종이다. 소설은 부인이 사망한 뒤 아들인 B-씨가 농락하려고 하자 그 집요한 유혹을 뿌리치고 마침내 B-씨의 마음을 돌려 정식 결혼에 이르게 되는 과정을 파멜라가 부모님께 보내는 편지글 형식에 담아 기술하고 있다.

종교적, 도덕적 모티프에서 벗어나 결혼과 연애라는 주제로 주인공의 심리를 섬세하게 묘사한 작품으로, 영국 최초의 심리소설이라는 평가를 받고 있다. 주인공 파멜라의 시시각각 변하는 심리 묘사와 모험담, 마침내 모든 역경을 이기고 사랑하는 사람과의 결혼에 성공하는 낭만적 사랑 이야기가 담겨 있다.

Fifteen-year-old Pamela Andrews, alone in the world, is pursued by her dead mistress' son. Although she is attracted to Mr B, she holds out against his demands, determined to protect her virginity and abide by her moral standards Psychlologically acute in its explorations of sex, freedom and power, Richardson's first novel caused a sensation when it was published. Richly comic and lively, "Pamela" contains a diverse cast of characters ranging from the vulgar and malevolent Mrs Jewkes to the aggressive but awkward country squire.

Samuel Richardson's Pamela is a captivating story of one young woman's rebellion against the social order, edited by Peter Sabor with an introduction by Margaret A. Doody in Penguin Classics.

Fifteen-year-old Pamela Andrews, alone in the world, is pursued by her dead mistress's son. Although she is attracted to Mr B, she holds out against his demands and threats of abduction and rape, determined to protect her virginity and abide by her moral standards. Psychologically acute in its explorations of sex, freedom and power, Richardson's first novel caused a sensation when it was published, with its depiction of a servant heroine who dares to assert herself. Richly comic and full of lively scenes and descriptions, Pamela contains a diverse cast of characters ranging from the vulgar and malevolent Mrs Jewkes to the aggressive but awkward country squire who serves this unusual love story as both its villain and hero.

In her introduction, Margaret Ann Doody discusses the epistolary genre of novels and examines the role of women and class differences. This edition, based on the 1801 text and incorporating corrections made in 1810, makes Richardson's final version of the two-volume generally available for the first time.

Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) was born in Derbyshire, the son of a joiner. He received little formal education, but in 1706 was apprenticed to a London printer, going on to become a leading figure of the trade in the capital. Pamela originated as a volume of model letters for unskilled letter-writers, but as Richardson became more fascinated by the characters in his letters than the letters themselves, the germ of a novel began to emerge. Upon its publication in 1740 Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded became a national sensation.

If you enjoyed Pamela, you might like Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders, also available in Penguin Classics.

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