Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
Samuel Richardson
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
"Now first published in order to cultivate the Principles of Virtue and Religion in the Minds of the Youth of Both Sexes.
A Narrative which has its Foundation in Truth and Nature; and at the same time that it agreeably entertains, by a Variety of curious and affecting Incidents, is intirely divested of all those Images, which, in too many Pieces calculated for Amusement only, tend to inflame the Minds they should instruct."(From the frontispiece of the first edition)
Pamela tells the story of a 14 year old lady's maid named Pamela whose master, Mr. B., makes unwanted advances towards her. She rejects him continually. In Pamela's letters to her "poor but exemplary parents" the story unfolds and we learn her fate. (summary by Annise)
(22 hr 10 min)
Chapters
01 | 36:48 | Read by Ann Boyer |
02 | 42:35 | Read by Ann Boyer |
03 | 36:33 | Read by TriciaG |
04 | 32:57 | Read by John Nixon |
05 | 40:42 | Read by TriciaG |
06 | 38:05 | Read by TriciaG |
07 | 38:07 | Read by TriciaG |
08 | 28:16 | Read by TriciaG |
09 | 35:10 | Read by TriciaG |
10 | 37:48 | Read by TriciaG |
11 | 37:44 | Read by Melanie Schleeter McCalmont |
12 | 40:38 | Read by Grant Hurlock |
13 | 35:43 | Read by Grant Hurlock |
14 | 32:19 | Read by Grant Hurlock |
15 | 55:33 | Read by Annise |
16 | 37:40 | Read by hpark |
17 | 25:34 | Read by hpark |
18 | 25:33 | Read by hpark |
19 | 35:06 | Read by hpark |
20 | 28:27 | Read by hpark |
21 | 28:42 | Read by Annise |
22 | 39:04 | Read by Grant Hurlock |
23 | 43:01 | Read by Celena Arter |
24 | 35:28 | Read by Celena Arter |
25 | 53:22 | Read by Celena Arter |
26 | 44:56 | Read by Annise |
26a | 54:18 | Read by TriciaG |
26b | 34:24 | Read by TriciaG |
26c | 49:33 | Read by TriciaG |
26d | 38:54 | Read by TriciaG |
27 | 19:45 | Read by Grant Hurlock |
28 | 20:47 | Read by Magdalena |
29 | 19:28 | Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014) |
30 | 20:13 | Read by valli |
31 | 31:18 | Read by Annise |
32 | 37:55 | Read by TriciaG |
33 | 38:08 | Read by Annise |
Reviews
Response to "Suffering"
lauraalittle
It IS an agonizing work to to read. That's why listening to this recording is so much better. I can bake bread, tidy up the house, or sit in traffic--all while listening to Pamela's adolescent patter. I feel the reader does a fine job of capturing Pamela's personality. And I'm still amazed at Richardson's ability to channel a sweet, bright young girl's thoughts. While the very notion that Pamela, or anyone, ought to be writing pious letters to her parents on her wedding night is laughable--I hope for her sake Mr. B has drunk himself into unconsciousness--I believe this novel provides some wonderful insights into British eighteenth-century popular culture.
Good story, insufferable reading!
PickyReader
I know I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth, but had I known there were other versions of this audio book I might have switched. Only one of the readers was truly talented or delightful to listen to (John Nixon), others were inaudible for thick accents, one breathless and lilting, another droning and clipped, and one quite good but their pronunciation of pretty basic words like "portmanteau" and "halcyon" could have used an edit. Another broke into English accent at times but not others and was wholly American in her own (cringe-worthy "acting" to be sure). At times it was torturous enough to make me find the place in the novel and read for myself. And this is how I finished the novel. This said, I do love the freedom Libravox affords. I generally use it when my eyes tire of reading or am so enthralled by a story but I need to get things accomplished in life. I realize it's all volunteer, it's not perfect, but there were no less than 10 different readers on this one and only a few were not aggravating. Pick another version, I'd say.
the first half of the book was great but the second half was not
JennyJenn5
the first half of the book was good and fast paced and easy to get through but the second half was unbearable. it was slow and dry and repetitive and was just very difficult to get through, but I did and I'm glad I did. it really didn't need to be that long though.
I Couldn't Finish It
TheTellMeLady
Thank you to the good readers but I couldn't couldn't bear being dragged to the inevitable conclusion, and couldn't stand hearing Pamela refer to herself in the third person, having her drop to her knees, or being reminded that she comes from poor but honest family one more time. Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. A sick twisting of that good verse
A Gaslighter and Narcisist
Rusty Shackleford
Very interesting story! For the first half of the novel, I viewed Mr. B as a scoundrel and vilian. It's truly incredible that I was able to stomach this character by the end of the book; however, I simply find it unbelieveable that a relationship which started as this did could result in a happy marriage. I'm just not convinced!
getting me through my master's
L Genevieve
As others have already noted, this text is hard to get through. Which is why I'm so grateful that, as my Brit Lit class is requiring it, I was able to read along to the recording rather than trudge through on my own. I only wish the quality of recording was more uniform throughout
A LibriVox Listener
first, thank you to all the volunteers! I truly appreciate all of you!!! As far as the story goes I enjoyed it
A LibriVox Listener
The introduction should’ve been a separate audio track, so the listener can listen to chapter one immediately