Product Description

Leaving the secluded home of her guardian for the first time, beautiful Evelina Anville is captivated by her new surroundings in London’s beau monde - and in particular by the handsome, chivalrous Lord Orville. But her enjoyment soon turns to mortification at the hands of her vulgar and capricious grandmother, and the rakish Sir Clement Willoughby, who torments the naïve young woman with his unwanted advances. And while her aristocratic father refuses to acknowledge her legitimacy, Evelina can hold no hope of happiness with the man she loves. Published anonymously in 1778, Frances Burney’s epistolary novel brought her instant fame when the secret of its authorship was revealed. With its ingenious combination of romance and satire, comedy and melodrama, Evelina is a sparkling depiction of the dangers and delights of fashionable society.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47090 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

Terry Castle, Stanford University
"Longtime admirers of Burney’s delightful 18th-century comedy of manners, Evelina, will no doubt rejoice in Broadview’s impressive new edition."

From the Publisher
The Broadview Editions series is an effort to represent the ever-changing canon of literature in English by bringing together texts long regarded as classics with valuable, lesser-known literature. Newly type-set and produced on high-quality paper in trade paperback format, the Broadview Editions series is a delight to handle as well as to read.

Each volume includes a full introduction, chronology, bibliography, and explanatory notes along with a variety of documents from the period, giving readers a rich sense of the world from which the work emerged.

About the Author
Frances Burney (1752-1840) spent her youth in the midst of the London society which included Dr Johnson, Edmund Burke, Sir Joshua Reynolds and the Blue Stocking Circle, as well as members of the aristocracy. She published Evelina anonymously in 1778 and the revelation of her authorship brought her immediate fame. In 1793 she married General d'Arblay, a French refugee in England. She and her husband were interned by Napoleon and lived in France from 1802 to 1812. Margaret Anne Doody is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and Professor of English at Vanderbilt University.

Customer Reviews

Who said 18th century literature was boring?
Anyone who loves Jane Austen (and don't we all?) will certainly enjoy Fanny Burney's Evelina. Burney is really a precursor of Austen, but has unfortunately been completely overshadowed by the later novelist. In its time (1778) Evelina was a tremendous hit and shy Fanny Burney a celebrated author overnight. She was invited into the iterary circle of Samuel Johnson, became a reluctant lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte because of her celebrity and at age 41 married a refugee from the French Revolution, thus becoming Madame D'Arblay (check out her interesting diaries). The subtitle of Evelina (The History of A Young Lady's Entrance into the World) says it all: Evelina is an innocent and naive young girl, who suddenly finds herself in unfamiliar London society, surrounded by suitable and not so suitable suitors and a host of other characters. Lots of misunderstandings and perilous situations block Evelina's road, but don't be surprised to find humour and suspense as well, for the continuing question is of course whether Evelina will survive Society unscathed. Even though the pace of a novel more than 2 centuries old may be a bit slow for some, this is something you get used to soon enough: the novel contains far too much life, fun and social commentary to be dull.

Delightful and acerbic novel of manners.
Rather shorter and easier to read that Burney's later novels, this a delightful story about a naive and sheltered girl entering into 'polite' society in the last quarter of the 18th century. As a beauty, Evelina is subjected to unrelenting sexual harrasment that she is barely equipped to cope with and a range of social humiliations that would make a much less sensitive person cringe. As is usual in Burney's novels, Evelina is surrounded by a range of grotesque and entertaining characters (my favourites being the appalling, but enjoyably assertive 'French' grandmother and the acid-tongued Mrs Selwyn) and no punches are pulled in satirising the arrogance, hypocracy and deceit underlying fashionable society. In particular the ugly and offensive sexism to which all the women in the book are treated - young and old, rich and poor, plain and beautiful - is quite horrifying to modern eyes and it says a lot for Evelina that she manages to hang onto her self-respect and dignity in the face of it. Finally, the book gives a vivid impression of the range of new entertainments that were becoming available to amuse the 18th century leisured classes - including such novelties as "sight-seeing" and "shopping".

An Excellent Account of Propriety in the 18th Century
This story, although seeming to take the shape of a soap opera with the many twists and turns of society, was spellbinding in its wonderful protrayal of decorum under usually wild circumstances. The young Evelina is thrust into society and into the hands of wolves, mostly because she is so beautiful. The most wonderful thing about her is NOT her beauty, but her elegant and ignomious education and charm. She a beauty to the core and always wishing to do the right thing. To share her difficulties is almost heart wrenching. To share her delight is heart warming. Evelina will steal your heart as she did Lord Orville's. Wait and see.