English novelist Samuel Richardson pioneered the epistolary novel, a structure which allowed him to create incredibly complex and vibrant characters. Little is known about Richardson’s life before he became a writer. It appears certain that he spent most of his life in London and that he received a somewhat dodgy public education. He ran a printing business for most of his adult life, made successful by Richardson’s intense work ethic and diligent spirit.
Richardson did not begin his writing career until he was fifty-one years old, when he was commissioned to write a book of faux letters that would serve as moral lessons and social guidance. One of these letters sparked the idea for Pamela, Richardson’s seminal novel about a woman torn between love and virtue. He similarly explores the complex interior life of a woman in his subsequent novel, Clarissa, which is also told through letters. This innovative style, which has come to be known as the epistolary novel, allowed Richardson to follow the character’s flow of consciousness, approach the story from multiple perspectives, and deeply analyze the thoughts and feelings of his heroines. Richardson was essential to making the English novel a respectable genre, and these traits have all become an intrinsic part of English literature.