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An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews
Shamela is a satirical novel written by Henry Fielding in 1741. It is a parody of Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela, which was a popular novel at the time. Fielding's novel follows the same basic plot as Pamela, but with a twist. The main character, Shamela, is a servant girl who is determined to marry her master, Mr. Booby, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. However, unlike Pamela, Shamela is not a virtuous and innocent young woman. She is cunning, manipulative, and uses her sexuality to get what she wants. The novel is written in the form of letters and journal entries, and is filled with humor, irony, and social commentary. Fielding uses the novel to criticize the popular literature of the time, which he believed was promoting false values and morals. Shamela is also a commentary on the role of women in society, and the way they were often treated as objects to be used and discarded. Overall, Shamela is a witty and entertaining novel that provides a unique perspective on the literature and society of the 18th century. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of literature and the social issues of the time.Full An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews. In which, the many notorious Falshoods and Misrepresentations of a Book called Pamela, Are exposed and refuted; and all the matchless Arts of that young Politician, set in a true and just Light. Together with A full Account of all that passed between her and Parson Arthur Williams; whose Character is represented in a manner something different from that which he bears in Pamela. The whole being exact Copies of authentick Papers delivered to the Editor. Necessary to be had in all Families.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1741
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653 people want to read
About the author
Henry Fielding
2,491 books386 followersHenry Fielding was an English dramatist, journalist and novelist. The son of an army lieutenant and a judge's daughter, he was educated at Eton School and the University of Leiden before returning to England where he wrote a series of farces, operas and light comedies.
Fielding formed his own company and was running the Little Theatre, Haymarket, when one of his satirical plays began to upset the government. The passing of the Theatrical Licensing Act in 1737 effectively ended Fielding's career as a playwright.
In 1739 Fielding turned to journalism and became editor of The Champion. He also began writing novels, including: The Adventures of Joseph Andrews (1742) and Jonathan Wild (1743).
Fielding was made a justice of the peace for Westminster and Middlesex in 1748. He campaigned against legal corruption and helped his half-brother, Sir John Fielding, establish the Bow Street Runners.
In 1749 Fielding's novel, The History of Tom Jones was published to public acclaim. Critics agree that it is one of the greatest comic novels in the English language. Fielding followed this success with another well received novel, Amelia (1751).
Fielding continued as a journalist and his satirical journal, Covent Garden, continued to upset those in power. Throughout his life, Fielding suffered from poor health and by 1752 he could not move without the help of crutches. In an attempt to overcome his health problems, Henry Fielding went to live in Portugal but this was not successful and he died in Lisbon in 1754.
Fielding formed his own company and was running the Little Theatre, Haymarket, when one of his satirical plays began to upset the government. The passing of the Theatrical Licensing Act in 1737 effectively ended Fielding's career as a playwright.
In 1739 Fielding turned to journalism and became editor of The Champion. He also began writing novels, including: The Adventures of Joseph Andrews (1742) and Jonathan Wild (1743).
Fielding was made a justice of the peace for Westminster and Middlesex in 1748. He campaigned against legal corruption and helped his half-brother, Sir John Fielding, establish the Bow Street Runners.
In 1749 Fielding's novel, The History of Tom Jones was published to public acclaim. Critics agree that it is one of the greatest comic novels in the English language. Fielding followed this success with another well received novel, Amelia (1751).
Fielding continued as a journalist and his satirical journal, Covent Garden, continued to upset those in power. Throughout his life, Fielding suffered from poor health and by 1752 he could not move without the help of crutches. In an attempt to overcome his health problems, Henry Fielding went to live in Portugal but this was not successful and he died in Lisbon in 1754.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
February 7, 2017
If you have ever had the misfortune of suffering through Pamela: or Virtue Rewarded (most likely in a college English course), then An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews may be what is needed to wash the lasting bad taste from your mouth.
If Samuel Richardson’s Pamela was one of the first examples of the English fiction novel, then Henry Fielding’s Shamela is one of literature’s first spoofs or parodies, having been released only five months after that earlier work. When Pamela was released in 1741, it became an unrivaled literary success, akin to a pre-Victorian Harry Potter, except even more of a cultural sensation than the boy wizard or any other modern piece of literature. The novel was integrated into sermons, towns gathered together to listen in rapture to readings, and there was even a rash of Pamela merchandise and chotchkies that sprung up in its wake.
This may seem odd, given the relative obscurity of the work today, but only for those who haven’t endured a read-through of the book. Pamela, which was written in an epistolary format and dually served as a conduct book for young women, centered on a young servant woman whose virtuous nature leads her to resist the sexual advances (and assaults) of her lecherous Master. At the time, the novel was progressive in its treatment of the social classes and its view that even the lower class could ascend to a higher position through respectable behavior. Today, the novel seems utterly antiquated, downright regressive, and irritatingly smug and pre-occupied with its idea of what’s “virtuous," as well as achingly boring and meandering.
Even in its day, there were plenty of detractors who saw the book in a similar fashion, and none more so than Henry Fielding, who seems to have had an abiding, obsessive hatred for the book. Fielding would go on to become a prominent and important literary figure, and would even satirize Pamela in his more mature and developed work Joseph Andrews, but Shamela was his first attempt at both literature and impugning Pamela. It’s hard to even call Shamela a strict parody; it’s more of an out-right attack on everything to do with Pamela. Not only does Fielding make the characters out to be horrible people and suggest that the book itself has a poisonous influence, but he also levels many insults at Samuel Richardson himself, implying that he can’t write, that he’s an egomaniac, and that he’s a fraud. One of the most amusing parts of reading Shamela is seeing just how far Fielding is willing to indulge his hatred of the novel.
Even though Shamela is strictly a spoof, it’s of a higher pedigree than most of the parodies we are used to today. At only 50-odd pages, Shamela manages to contain many layers of narrative, all of which are presented in an epistolary format. Earlier in the book, we read a parson’s letter to another member of the clergy, in which he praises the book Pamela, describing how the clergy are using it in their sermons and believe it will have a positive influence on the public. His recipient writes back, claiming that the book is actually a fraud and that he has the real-life letters of Pamela to prove it. What follows are a series of letters from the real Pamela, which reveal, among other things, that her real name is Shamela, that she is not a chaste servant girl but actually a former prostitute, and that she acted virtuous in order to deceive her Master and trick him into marrying her.
Shamela sticks closely to the events of Pamela, except casts a startling different lens on the characters. Pamela is a conniving whore, her mother is a drunk wretch, her Master is a bumbling fool, and the Parson Williams is a sanctimonious, alcoholic rake. Fielding takes aim at nearly every facet of the novel. Among Fielding’s targets are the epistolary format, Richardson’s smug self-praise for his own work, the flawed virtues of Pamela (parodied in the view that it’s more important to constantly profess how virtuous you are, as Pamela frequently does, rather than do anything virtuous), and even the public’s ridiculous reaction to the book. Among the funniest moments are the parodies of the praise Richardson included at the beginning of his own book, with Fielding including a letter of praise for Shamela that’s from himself. There are repeated digs at Richardson’s writing prowess and credibility, along with some satire aimed at religious institutions, cultural trends, and the politics of the day.
Despite being written in the 18th century, Shamela holds up very well and has many laugh-out-loud moments. Fielding has a keen eye for pointing out the absurdity and inanity of Richardson’s writing. However, most of the humorous, biting moments are congregated towards the beginning of Shamela, with much of the book choosing a very odd line of parody, presenting the Pamela character as a hussy, golddigger, and liar. It’s easy to see why Fielding chose this line of parody; Richardson’s Pamela could be particularly annoying in professing how virtuous she was and did seem to be a little too obsessive with her sexual chastity. However, she was also undoubtedly a victim of repeated sexual assault and harassment. Back when Pamela was released, it may have been that her Master’s behavior didn’t seem that unbecoming and that Pamela “doth protest too much” about her virtue, but today, most people would likely view her as more of a victim than any sort of perpetrator, deluded by the oppressive morals and values that Richardson favored. Fielding’s aim, in this respect, misses the mark, and comes off as actually even more regressive and absurd than Richardson’s own view.
Perhaps the largest fault of Shamela, though, is that it is a parody of a book that is close to unreadable, completely antiquated, and contains little value besides in its role in the formation of the literary novel (in which it’s a monumental work). Like many spoofs or parodies, Shamela hasn’t aged very well. While it’s actually aged much better than the work it’s parodying, it’s still slavishly tied to that work. You cannot get any enjoyment or understanding out of this piece without reading Pamela first, and it’s hard to recommend reading Pamela to anyone except for those who have a deep interest in the origins of the literary novel or who consider themselves masochists. Fielding’s Joseph Andrews manages to satirize Pamela while being an enjoyable and fully developed read in its own right. As for Shamela, its better served as a brief palate cleanser for college students unfortunate enough to have Pamela on their syllabus.
If Samuel Richardson’s Pamela was one of the first examples of the English fiction novel, then Henry Fielding’s Shamela is one of literature’s first spoofs or parodies, having been released only five months after that earlier work. When Pamela was released in 1741, it became an unrivaled literary success, akin to a pre-Victorian Harry Potter, except even more of a cultural sensation than the boy wizard or any other modern piece of literature. The novel was integrated into sermons, towns gathered together to listen in rapture to readings, and there was even a rash of Pamela merchandise and chotchkies that sprung up in its wake.
This may seem odd, given the relative obscurity of the work today, but only for those who haven’t endured a read-through of the book. Pamela, which was written in an epistolary format and dually served as a conduct book for young women, centered on a young servant woman whose virtuous nature leads her to resist the sexual advances (and assaults) of her lecherous Master. At the time, the novel was progressive in its treatment of the social classes and its view that even the lower class could ascend to a higher position through respectable behavior. Today, the novel seems utterly antiquated, downright regressive, and irritatingly smug and pre-occupied with its idea of what’s “virtuous," as well as achingly boring and meandering.
Even in its day, there were plenty of detractors who saw the book in a similar fashion, and none more so than Henry Fielding, who seems to have had an abiding, obsessive hatred for the book. Fielding would go on to become a prominent and important literary figure, and would even satirize Pamela in his more mature and developed work Joseph Andrews, but Shamela was his first attempt at both literature and impugning Pamela. It’s hard to even call Shamela a strict parody; it’s more of an out-right attack on everything to do with Pamela. Not only does Fielding make the characters out to be horrible people and suggest that the book itself has a poisonous influence, but he also levels many insults at Samuel Richardson himself, implying that he can’t write, that he’s an egomaniac, and that he’s a fraud. One of the most amusing parts of reading Shamela is seeing just how far Fielding is willing to indulge his hatred of the novel.
Even though Shamela is strictly a spoof, it’s of a higher pedigree than most of the parodies we are used to today. At only 50-odd pages, Shamela manages to contain many layers of narrative, all of which are presented in an epistolary format. Earlier in the book, we read a parson’s letter to another member of the clergy, in which he praises the book Pamela, describing how the clergy are using it in their sermons and believe it will have a positive influence on the public. His recipient writes back, claiming that the book is actually a fraud and that he has the real-life letters of Pamela to prove it. What follows are a series of letters from the real Pamela, which reveal, among other things, that her real name is Shamela, that she is not a chaste servant girl but actually a former prostitute, and that she acted virtuous in order to deceive her Master and trick him into marrying her.
Shamela sticks closely to the events of Pamela, except casts a startling different lens on the characters. Pamela is a conniving whore, her mother is a drunk wretch, her Master is a bumbling fool, and the Parson Williams is a sanctimonious, alcoholic rake. Fielding takes aim at nearly every facet of the novel. Among Fielding’s targets are the epistolary format, Richardson’s smug self-praise for his own work, the flawed virtues of Pamela (parodied in the view that it’s more important to constantly profess how virtuous you are, as Pamela frequently does, rather than do anything virtuous), and even the public’s ridiculous reaction to the book. Among the funniest moments are the parodies of the praise Richardson included at the beginning of his own book, with Fielding including a letter of praise for Shamela that’s from himself. There are repeated digs at Richardson’s writing prowess and credibility, along with some satire aimed at religious institutions, cultural trends, and the politics of the day.
Despite being written in the 18th century, Shamela holds up very well and has many laugh-out-loud moments. Fielding has a keen eye for pointing out the absurdity and inanity of Richardson’s writing. However, most of the humorous, biting moments are congregated towards the beginning of Shamela, with much of the book choosing a very odd line of parody, presenting the Pamela character as a hussy, golddigger, and liar. It’s easy to see why Fielding chose this line of parody; Richardson’s Pamela could be particularly annoying in professing how virtuous she was and did seem to be a little too obsessive with her sexual chastity. However, she was also undoubtedly a victim of repeated sexual assault and harassment. Back when Pamela was released, it may have been that her Master’s behavior didn’t seem that unbecoming and that Pamela “doth protest too much” about her virtue, but today, most people would likely view her as more of a victim than any sort of perpetrator, deluded by the oppressive morals and values that Richardson favored. Fielding’s aim, in this respect, misses the mark, and comes off as actually even more regressive and absurd than Richardson’s own view.
Perhaps the largest fault of Shamela, though, is that it is a parody of a book that is close to unreadable, completely antiquated, and contains little value besides in its role in the formation of the literary novel (in which it’s a monumental work). Like many spoofs or parodies, Shamela hasn’t aged very well. While it’s actually aged much better than the work it’s parodying, it’s still slavishly tied to that work. You cannot get any enjoyment or understanding out of this piece without reading Pamela first, and it’s hard to recommend reading Pamela to anyone except for those who have a deep interest in the origins of the literary novel or who consider themselves masochists. Fielding’s Joseph Andrews manages to satirize Pamela while being an enjoyable and fully developed read in its own right. As for Shamela, its better served as a brief palate cleanser for college students unfortunate enough to have Pamela on their syllabus.
July 20, 2010
This is hilarious. It totally makes reading all of Pamela worthwhile.
January 16, 2025
We just went from bad to worse. One hundred percent do not recommend.
August 23, 2025
As a confirmed Pamelist I reject this concatenation of anti-Pamelist calumnies with horror and indignation. I do, however, give it four stars, because it's hilarious.
January 29, 2020
At least it was short.
January 2, 2015
Well, it's certainly better than Pamela was. I laughed a few times. If you've slogged through all of Pamela, you might as well blitz through this too; it's only 50 pages or so.
June 6, 2023
I can't believe I read this twice. I only read it the second time because I am sorting through my books trying to get them in some sort of order and when I came across this I didn't remember much about it other than the author didn't like Pamela or whatever the book by Samuel Richardson was called, and that I didn't care for it at all. I barely remember what I thought of Pamela but it had to be better than this. For once I agree with what I read in another review, at least it was short. Now I am on my way to see what I thought of Pamela. If I hated it as much as Henry Fielding did, I certainly wouldn't read it to the end and then think more about it by writing another book that would remind you of it with every word written. Oh well, at least it was short.
January 31, 2019
Well! That was unexpected!
For every Twilight, there is Nightlight: A Parody...even in the 1740s!
Bawdy, vulgar, and occasionally laugh out loud funny, it almost makes up for reading Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. The more I think about it, the more funny I find it that someone felt the same way I did about Pamela, even back then! She's too obnoxious a heroine not to make fun of!
For every Twilight, there is Nightlight: A Parody...even in the 1740s!
Bawdy, vulgar, and occasionally laugh out loud funny, it almost makes up for reading Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. The more I think about it, the more funny I find it that someone felt the same way I did about Pamela, even back then! She's too obnoxious a heroine not to make fun of!
January 22, 2020
Come per l'originale Pamela la storia viene narrata in forma epistolare. Essendo una parodia naturalmente Shamela è dissoluta e irriverente. La corrispondenza fra lei e la madre rivela tutte le sue astuzie nell'accaparrarsi gli uomini fingendosi una ragazza innocente e pura. Purtroppo la parodia risulta meno efficace se letta ai giorni nostri, ma è comunque godibile.
Amante di un ecclesiastico riesce a farsi sposare dal suo datore di lavoro grazie anche ai suggerimenti della madre.
Il volume si conclude con un breve brano dell'autore in cui elenca i danni causati dall'originale Pamela, danni naturalmente a discapito dei poveri malcapitati che incappano in queste giovani donne in cerca di un marito ricco e di nobili origini.
Amante di un ecclesiastico riesce a farsi sposare dal suo datore di lavoro grazie anche ai suggerimenti della madre.
Il volume si conclude con un breve brano dell'autore in cui elenca i danni causati dall'originale Pamela, danni naturalmente a discapito dei poveri malcapitati che incappano in queste giovani donne in cerca di un marito ricco e di nobili origini.
April 24, 2013
This "novel" is far more meaningful in the context of its parodic namesake, Pamela. Straddling cynicism and satire, Fielding delivers an anti-plot with a lot of laughs, but does not have much of his own story. Shamela still manages to be a good read.
December 13, 2017
Very funny! Fielding manages to parody Pamela in fifty pages (bless) very well. Not a stand-alone though, and would only recommend reading it after reading Pamela.
November 3, 2023
2.5
epistolary novel beef
epistolary novel beef
November 6, 2017
I thought Pamela was wild but that does not hold a candle to this. This is truly the most buck wild thing I've ever read. This has got to be the most on-the-nose, scathing satire I've ever read. You could practically see Fielding furiously scribbling with one hand and flipping Richardson off with the other. He makes the most absurd logical leaps I've ever seen and it's honestly hilarious. The way he discredits Pamela and her family is very interesting from a historical perspective (ie. it reveals the qualities that people were disgusted by at the time) but it's honestly just so funny. I almost died of laughter when Pamela's mom has to write a short letter because she hurt her hands in a fistfight ??!?!?!???
It should be illegal to read Pamela without reading this immediately after. The four stars is for the hilarity alone.
It should be illegal to read Pamela without reading this immediately after. The four stars is for the hilarity alone.
February 19, 2018
This is absolutely hilarious!! Fielding does in 40 or 50 pages what Richardson didn't do in 500!! This is so great! Shamela's "vartue" killed me and it's just such a joke; the ploy of virtue on Shamela's part to get B's (or Booby as he's called) money by marrying him. And i think the ending is absolutely great - B wants to basically commission a book to be made about their story and Shamela's name must be changed to Pamela so it doesn't sound comedic and the result of that is Pamela HAHA - but B finds out Shamela's really screwing around with Parson William and prosecutes him LOL
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2018
I can see how this must have been very funny and interesting at the time, however I found it somewhat over the top as a parody and did not really enjoy it. It's really short, though, so that made me finish it after all and it is interesting in study-terms: to see what some people found incredible in the original story in that age, so it is has not been worthless as a read.
November 11, 2019
The only way to read this book is to first read "Pamela" by Richardson. Fielding makes such fun of the genre but it's more enjoyable after reading the book that established the genre most successfully.
February 27, 2009
Satire on sPamela, it's a hoot.
May 9, 2009
Hilarious! If you have read Pamela, you will definitely appreciate this book. One of the best parodies I have ever read.
March 30, 2010
Very funny, for anyone who has read Pamela.
November 12, 2010
One of the funniest books I read in college!
March 2, 2011
This novella is hysterical if and only if one has read Richardson's Pamela. Fielding is a winner.
March 19, 2015
Much more fun than Pamela.
August 10, 2015
A very entertaining parody of the novel Pamela.
December 10, 2016
A very funny spoof of Richardson's "Pamela".
September 17, 2017
I KNEW in my soul he was called mr Booby.
December 28, 2018
Oh dear, this is funny.
I shouldn't laugh at any rape attempt, even in fiction,but...
This makes it very clear Shamela is anything but a victim to Mr. Booby.
I shouldn't laugh at any rape attempt, even in fiction,but...
This makes it very clear Shamela is anything but a victim to Mr. Booby.
December 21, 2021
Delightful; exactly the sort of stuff I'd do to a big long popular endlessly moralising novel. Shorten it and make it compact so its plot appears faintly ridiculous; render all its characters flippant, immoral (virtue is 'Vartue'), and very horny; attack it even on the level of form (Fielding allegedly disliked the epistolary novel, and in e.g. p. 335 of my copy there are awkward uses of present tense that mock the 'to the moment' writing Richardson championed). But what's even more interesting is the paratextual canvassing: on a simple level it of course mocks the various paratexts appended to Richardson's Pamela, but what is the effect of presenting Shamela as a bunch of letters compiled and edited by a ficitonal editor, then as a text a parson intends to give another parson to correct their impression of Pamela, and finally as a work canvassed by the communications and reactions of these two parsons?
March 19, 2025
In terms of how it subverts Pamela, it is very well done. But in terms of what it means to say about people in lower positions, especially in light of what Pamela was groundbreaking in to impart, it is very reprehensible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews