Customer Reviews

Sir Charles Grandison (World's Classics)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sir Charles Grandison is a wonderful work, and more people should have access to it, so I was delighted to find that Bibliolife had a version available. I saw that it was 336 pages, so I assumed it was an abridgement and I was interested to see how they had decided to abridge it. I was deeply disappointed to find that they have reproduced only the first volume out of the seven -- so if you buy this, you'll be missing the last 1200 pages or so.

The title of the book doesn't mention that this is a fragment, and the description on Amazon never suggests that this isn't the complete novel. This is a fairly serious misrepresentation.

So don't buy this, but do buy the full text and read it.

In this novel, Richardson presents the ideal male - the answer to what eighteenth century women and society (should) want. It is impossible not to be drawn to the character of Sir Charles and to root for the success of his affairs both worldly and personal.

Contains everything from world travel to duels, and presents all with gentle digs at the social conventions of a world that is, after all, not so different from our own.

A number of sellers are selling condensed or incomplete versions of The History of Sir Charles Grandison. As far as I know, there is only one complete version available - the 1647 page paperback published originally by Oxford University Press in 1986, and currently being reprinted in small quantities by arrangement with a publisher in New Zealand. I am currently writing this review on the page for that editon, although I notice that Amazon has posted reviews for other editions on this same page.

I have owned and read this particular complete edition and recommend it to all those who have the perseverance to read the complete 1640+ pages. Doing so will completely immerse you in the world of 18th century England and introduce you to its virtuous men and women (and the ideals of virtue) as well as its villains. Although we no longer adhere to the ethical standards of the 18th century, many people today are sadly lacking a moral center of gravity and can benefit by exposing themselves to the chivalric code of Sir Charles which so permeates this novel. While some readers will view the key characters in this novel as overly priggish, those who are drawn to fiction with admirable characters and an ethical perspective are likely to greatly appreciate this novel.

The complete Grandison novel is rambling, repetitious and at times tedious but there are some outstanding chapters and sections - book four was my favorite. It was Jane Austen's favorite novel, and in my opinion, is far superior to Richardson's Clarissa which is overly sadistic and melodramatic. Now if only it had been edited down to half its length, Richardson's Grandison might have earned a reputation as his magnum opus. But one way or another, reading Sir Charles Grandison is a major accomplishment, and one a reader is never likely to regret.