Epistolary Novels?

[Pensive]

I read the English translation of Les Liaisons dangereuses a few days ago. I liked it quite a lot. I loved the way story was explained to us in the form of letters. :)

I will be grateful if anyone can recommend me some Epistolary Novels. If the novels are available online; or are well-known, then it is very much appreciated because in this case, I might be able to find them in the book-stores nearby.

[mtpspur]

This is probably a stretch and probably not what you meant but Bram Stoker's Dracula is made up of journal, diary, letters, recordings etc. to tell the tale.

[stlukesguild]

Samuel Richardson- Pamela and Clarissa
Jean Jacques Rousseau- Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse
Goethe- The Sorrows of Young Werther
Abelard and Heloise- embedded in Roman de la Rose
Montesquieu- Persian Letters
Vladimir Nabokov- Ada
John Fowles- The Collector (a series of letters/journalistic writings of a young girl held captive as well as of her captor)

[Jay]

Evelina (http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/burney/evelina/evelina.html) by Fanny Burney (1778)

Pensive, I think you'd like this one. :)

[Scheherazade]

John Fowles- The Collector One of the best and most chilling books I have ever read.

Pensive,

You might like to give The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Incident-Night-Time-Today-Book/dp/0385512104) a try. It consists of diary entries of a 15 years old autistic boy. It is a touching book, which manages to be funny and thought provoking simultaneously very easily.

[cuppajoe_9]

"Graveyard Shift" by Richard Matheson. (Actually a short story, and probably the scariest I've ever read.)

[Scheherazade]

"Graveyard Shift" by Richard Matheson. (Actually a short story, and probably the scariest I've ever read.)She is not looking for scary books/stories?

[cuppajoe_9]

She is not looking for scary books/stories?

It's epistolary. Nobody said they couldn't be scary.

[Jay]

Remembered another one, Pamela (http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/pam1w10.txt) and Pamela (vol II) (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12958/12958-8.txt) by Samuel Richardson. He's the guy who 'invented' this kind of novels if I'm not mistaken.

[Pensive]

Thanks Jay, cuppajoe, Scher and stlukesguild. The stories you people have recommended look great.

I will check these out.


Evelina by Fanny Burney (1778)

Pensive, I think you'd like this one.
It seems really good. And it is available online. :banana:

[Shalot]

I read Evelina. Have you seen Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere? There is a part in the movie where he takes her to the opera and she appreciates it. That comes from Evelina. People who appreciate opera must be born of royalty, or least possess some innate quality that makes them superior to those who seek out the lesser forms of entertainment (auto racing....)

(If you want to write, you can just take old themes from old books and update them and you've got yourself a nifty little story don't you?)

[Virgil]

I read the English translation of Les Liaisons dangereuses a few days ago. I liked it quite a lot. I loved the way story was explained to us in the form of letters. :)

I will be grateful if anyone can recommend me some Epistolary Novels. If the novels are available online; or are well-known, then it is very much appreciated because in this case, I might be able to find them in the book-stores nearby.

Oh, I have always wanted to read Les Liaisons but never have. I even bought the book and is somewhere.

Pensy, I think you would like Clarissa by Richardson. Get the abridged version. I think the unabridged is even longer than War and Peace.

[Idril]

The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell is written as a series of letters to Morrissey, which right there is a reason to call it great. It's at times hilarious, incredibly odd, charming, heartbreaky and in the end, very powerful...but there is this thing they do with flies that some might find a wee bit off-color so consider yourself warned. ;)

[Vedrana]

Lady Susan by Jane Austen might be worth a try.

[EAP]

Pensive,

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky. Read it! I believe you have access to it. You ought to love it.


Ada or Ardor: A Family Romance is an amazing novel but I'd recommend reading other Nabokov before tackling it.

[Logos]

I know its a little late but surprised nobody mentioned Griffin and Sabine (http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Sabine-Trilogy-Boxed-Set/dp/0811806960) :)
.
.

[MikeK]

"Poor Folk"; Dostoevsky's first story.

[Dorian Gray]

Mmm...Yeah, reading Les Liasons Dangereuses at present and I've read The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe as well a few years ago (In German). Can't remember it was an epistolary novel.

I'd like to read Bran Stoker. Love that story. And the film with Gary Oldman. haha. And maybe Lady Susan by Austen because I really enjoy her work.

[JediFonger]

it's nonfiction, but should still help you:
Letters of JRR Tolkien

it's incredibly well written.

[Dark Star]

I'll second the Sorrows of Young Werther recommendation.

[Dori]

Ides of March by Thornton Wilder.

Here's some more info: Ides of March (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ides_of_March_%28novel%29)

[byquist]

The Coquette - Hannah Foster (1797)

[papayahed]

Dear Enemy - ? It's more of a childrens book, but still pretty good.

[Pensive]

Wow, it's nice to see some recommendations again! Thanks all! I would surely try to check these out. :)

I read Perks of Being a Wall-flower and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and I seriously loved both of them! :) Would recommend anyone who is into good epistolary novels. :)

[thirtyspokes]

*deleted* never mind

[ThousandthIsle]

A friend told me about a book - a most interesting concept (although I'll admit I hear that the book itself wasn't too interesting). It is an autobiography by Gertrude Stein - although it is written from her lover's perspective in the form of diary entries.

[JBI]

Flowers for Algernon.

[chjjacks]

Hyperion by Friedrich Holderlin

This may be recommended to anyone who likes The Sorrows of Young Werther (though it is harder to find in an English translation)

[Dickens59]

Enjoyed Pamela. Hated Clarissa though.