An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition

An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Fielding, Henry (1707–1754).

Catalogue synopsis

Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:

"An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews" by Henry Fielding is a satirical novella published in 1741. This sharp parody attacks Samuel Richardson's popular novel "Pamela" by revealing its heroine as a scheming imposter. Through fake letters, Fielding transforms Richardson's virtuous servant girl into Shamela—a cunning prostitute's daughter who manipulates her master into marriage. The work mocks Richardson's moral messages about female chastity as commodity and exposes what Fielding saw as hypocrisy beneath the original's surface, rewriting the beloved tale through a deforming magnifying glass.

Book and edition facts

• Title: An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews
• Author credits: Fielding, Henry (1707–1754)
• Catalogue language: English

Catalogue subjects

• Richardson, Samuel, 1689-1761 -- Parodies, imitations, etc.
• Richardson, Samuel, 1689-1761. Pamela

Gutenberg collections

• Category: British Literature
• Category: Humour
• Category: Novels

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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.

Source notes

Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.