Born in 1689, Samuel Richardson was the son of a London joiner. He received little formal education but went on to acheive great acclaim and popularity through his writing. He was married twice, had twelve children, and died in 1761.M.A Doody is Professor of Literature at the University of Notre Dame, she has published widely on in literary criticism.

Born in 1689, Samuel Richardson was the son of a London joiner. He received little formal education but went on to acheive great acclaim and popularity through his writing. He was married twice, had twelve children, and died in 1761.M.A Doody is Professor of Literature at the University of Notre Dame, she has published widely on in literary criticism.