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Evelina

Frances Burney,

Edward A. Bloom (Editor)

3.66 · Rating details · 14,176 ratings · 789 reviews

Frances Burney's first and most enduringly popular novel is a vivid, satirical, and seductive account of the pleasures and dangers of fashionable life in late eighteenth-century London.

As she describes her heroine's entry into society, womanhood and, inevitably, love, Burney exposes the vulnerability of female innocence in an image-conscious and often cruel world where ...more

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Paperback, Oxford World's Classics, New Edition, 455 pages

Published July 18th 2002 by Oxford University Press (first published 1778)

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· 14,176 ratings · 789 reviews

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Nov 14, 2010 Bill Kerwin rated it really liked it

Shelves: epistolary, 18th-c-brit

This is a very good 18th century epistolary novel. The prose is precise and elegant, the voices of the various letter writers are well delineated and individualized, and the author makes us admire the heroine and fret over the difficulties which obstruct her happiness. The two lovers—the naive Evelina and the elegant Lord Orville—exhibit sentiment and good sense even in the midst of misunderstandings in a way that looks forward to Austen, and the misunderstandings themselves are both credible ...more

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Nov 20, 2017 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Once upon a time in a rural home, many miles from any city lived a girl of seventeen of exquisite beauty with a country parson the humble Reverend Arthur Villars, a kindly old man of the cloth, her foster parent; Evelina of obscure birth, the rest of her name in doubt, maybe Anville...no, it's as good as any, besides one is required... she loved and knew no other guardian... from an epistolary novel of 1778. This lady needless to say unsophisticated in the ways of the world is about to set Once upon a time in a rural home, many miles from any city lived a girl of seventeen of exquisite beauty with a country parson the humble Reverend Arthur Villars, a kindly old man of the cloth, her foster parent; Evelina of obscure birth, the rest of her name in doubt, maybe Anville...no, it's as good as any, besides one is required... she loved and knew no other guardian... from an epistolary novel of 1778. This lady needless to say unsophisticated in the ways of the world is about to set hearts beating faster when she makes a visit, her first to the great metropolis of uncountable attractions,( none better than she) London. A crisis before that though , her sleazy grandmother, Madame Duval a woman who abandoned the orphan girl, is arriving from France, to take over from the parson, the old lady smells money, the reluctant Rev. Villars dreads the change. Scared , uncomfortable more child than an adult brought there by a family friend Mrs. Mirvan, and her daughter Maria almost a sister to the uneasy Evelina. Another element to put in the pot and stir the plot, Mrs. Mirvan's husband , a rough, salty sea captain is returning after seven long years, the uncouth man, no gentleman, likes causing trouble...and does..Grandmother and the captain spark trouble, more like a forest fire, when they meet in the city .The nightmare begins... every man whom she sees, wants to seduce her, especially the bored rich, powerful Lords and Sirs , an a very elegant, but quite irritating fop too, Mr. Lovel, well dressed , much better than the ladies...
Blushes are common on the pretty face of the girl, tongue -tied, feeling faint, she runs away but gets further into the trap ...The wealthy privileged men think they're entitled to all of the lower classes. Young gangs of boys are tormentors of Evelina when she is out in the streets with her friends, viewing the sights... Sir Clement Willoughby doesn't know the meaning of no, always trying to make Evelina do things not in her nature...besides hating this arrogant aristocrat who follows her from the city to the country , even to the seaside town of Bristol. The girl in only six or seven months finds herself becoming very well educated...knowledgeable of high society and trying to defend herself, against the pretensions of members who in reality are not the best of the nation. However there is another Lord, young , good-looking, manners that never offend, a charming, debonair man Lord Orville, but can he be trusted or is he just another phony? This surprisingly well written, biting satire, nevertheless an entertaining book by Fanny Burney, as she dives deep into the upper crust and shows its shortcomings, warts and all, and the people of 18th -century England , they reveal a complex society of good and bad...like everywhere and every age. ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Sara rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics

A delightful read! A mix of Wilde's humor, Austen's perception, and Collins' intrigue. Even in those moments where I suspected exactly where the story was going, I felt so much pleasure in watching it unfold that it was not a moment's concern.

Poor Evelina, thrust upon the world without any armor but her good character to save her from the assaults of unscrupulous men, wanton women, ignorant relations and downright cruel associates, plods her way through the maze with a grace that makes you ...more

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Jul 30, 2007 Wealhtheow rated it liked it

Shelves: historical

Written more than thirty years before Austen’s first novel was published, it concerns eighteenth century society rather than nineteenth century. As such, I found myself constantly at a loss. Before reading this book, I thought I had a good handle on the manners of the period. I know the difference between a barouche, a phaeton, and a curricle, and that a lady would never stand up and leave a conversation, and that men knew classical languages and women, only modern. And yet, I was utterly ...more

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Mar 11, 2016 Christmas Carol ꧁꧂ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

3.5

This is the oldest work I have ever read by a female writer.

I enjoyed this book at the start & 18th century life (particularly in London) really came alive for me! & I admired Evelina's courage when she was left vulnerable in so many situations.

the way through & my enjoyment started to ebb. This is because Evelina was left vulnerable in so many situations! By this time I had realised ( duh!) that I was reading a satire, but a lot of it felt quite repetitive & I was thinking, ...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Sherwood Smith added it

Shelves: fiction

This reread struck me with just how thin the veneer of civilization is. Burney was in her mid-twenties when she wrote this (and had probably been writing versions of it for ten years); the central romance is very nearly bloodless, Evelina and Lord Orville being such paragons. Their relationships is only interesting when Evelina thinks he wrote her an offensive letter, but one can just make out some human interest in the two when Orville keeps coming across Evelina in the most surprising places. This reread struck me with just how thin the veneer of civilization is. Burney was in her mid-twenties when she wrote this (and had probably been writing versions of it for ten years); the central romance is very nearly bloodless, Evelina and Lord Orville being such paragons. Their relationships is only interesting when Evelina thinks he wrote her an offensive letter, but one can just make out some human interest in the two when Orville keeps coming across Evelina in the most surprising places. They scarcely exchange fifty words for nearly half the book, possibly longer, but his delicacy as he keeps coming to her rescue secures her interest, surrounded as she is by a vivid range of comical figures.

When one considers that this novel, which was a huge best seller the instant it came out, did a great deal to make novels respectable, the reader gets a sense of just how rough and bawdy eighteenth century literature was. Casual cruelty to animals, the race between old women (a bet, arranged by people who purport to be part of high society), Captain Mirvan's persecution of Madam Duval and how funny everyone found it--polite society was a dangerous place.

Vivid and apparently realistic ( or at least recognizable within the confines of comedic broad strokes) are the various marriages as well as what society was like for middle class, gentry, and lords and ladies; Vauxhall was clearly in its decline (Tom Branghton's gleeful recounting of what it was like there the last night of each season, when basically there was a riot and women running about "skimper scamper" screaming and people smashing out lights), Ranelagh was at its height; we see a night at the opera and a couple of plays (she talks about current favorites and names real performers), as well as Bath, bathing, etc.

Also interesting is seeing the ghost of Jane Austen, as it were, for instance Orville's first, unconsidered put-down of Evelina, who, being a total innocent, behaves oddly at her first ball, is a reminder of Darcy's put-down of Lizzie Bennet the first time they all meet at a dance. Certain lines also evoke Austen. ...more

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Nov 15, 2014 TheSkepticalReader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-in-print, classics

The only thing that halts this from being a 5 star read is that while this book is clearly very satirical, there were some parts of the novel that somewhat made me uncomfortable. (view spoiler)

However, I do wish more novels such as these ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Katie Lumsden rated it liked it

Maybe 3.5. I did enjoy this, but it took me a little while to get into; for me the stronger section was the last quarter. The letter form didn't entirely work for me, but Evelina is an interesting character, and it's a fun read. I can certainly see how Burney inspired Jane Austen, although I have to say I much prefer Jane Austen!

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Jan 20, 2014 Alex rated it liked it

Shelves: rth-lifetime, 2014

Saw With Manners

"How in the world can you contrive to pass your time?"
"In a manner which your Lordship will think very extraordinary; for the young lady reads."

First the good news: Evelina is a story about introverts in love, and it has moments that are lovely. I recognized my introverted wife in several passages. Burney has an insightful touch with characterization, and an engaging writing style. Evelina is rarely compelling to read, but it's usually pleasant.

Now for the bad news: ...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Shala Howell rated it liked it

I read this because I was curious to know more about the novels Jane Austen herself read. And I must say that while this book has its strong points, its main effect is to increase my respect for how Austen reshaped the novel form. Burney's book is amusing, but the characters seem to be defined almost entirely by a single characteristic. They are either all good or all bad, entirely proper or thoroughly vulgar, fully conscious or fainted dead away. There is little development of character through ...more

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Aug 05, 2017 Issicratea rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1700-1800, reviewed

This is an engaging novel, as well as a historically interesting one. I can see why it was a hit at the time. It’s uneven, and rather diffuse for modern tastes; and the plot is artificial and implausible. On the plus side, though, it has a real freshness and zest about it; Evelina is an appealingly imperfect heroine; the satire can be sharp; and Burney handles the unforgiving structure of the epistolary novel far more deftly than most.

Burney published Evelina anonymously at the age of ...more

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Nov 24, 2009 Ellen rated it really liked it

Shelves: novels

If you think about the heroines in 18th century literature, most of them have a rather arduous time, e.g., Moll Flanders’ hard knock life (Defoe), Clarissa’s determination to endure and persevere (Richardson), Pamela’s dull, methodical virtue (Richardson), or Emily’s inability to understand the floor plan (Radcliffe). In contrast, Evelina's character exudes spontaneity, and the book—particularly set against the darker novels of this age—seems sunny in comparison.

Her novel is a true bildungsroman, for Evelina’s central problem is learning to act correctly in her world. [As a side note, I’ve developed a new respect for the niceties of etiquette after reading The Book of Household Management (Isabella Mary Beeton, 1861), which outlines the infinitely complex rules of conduct for the lady of the house in the mid-nineteenth century.:]

The country and the city form the two poles of Evelina’s life. As a “rustic,” Evelina’s rural values put her at a disadvantage in urban society. By learning the more polished social skills, she gradually establishes a harmonious relationship with the urban world and its complicated etiquette. In keeping with the broad aims of comedy, Evelina’s problems are small problems. Her main problem is one of balance; she must neither be destroyed by the urban world nor completely seduced by it. Rather, Evelina needs to retain the best of both worlds: the simplicity and honesty typically associated with the country along with the culture of the city.

Though Evelina’s mother is dead, and her father does not acknowledge her, she nevertheless has someone to whom she may appeal when her small crises arise. Unlike the other heroines of this era—who are often forced to act quickly—Evelina’s predicaments are on a far smaller scale, and she is either given enough time to control the outcome or someone intercedes on her behalf.

Evelina’s early mistakes prove less grave errors than humorous faux pas. Her initial enthusiasm for the wonders of London diminishes after she attends her first ball. There, Evelina declines her first invitation to dance, assessing her admirer, quite rightly, to be a conceited fop. When another man, Lord Orville, whom Evelina describes as “gaily, but not foppishly dressed, and indeed extremely handsome” asks her to dance, Evelina complies. His composure and grace, however, make Evelina feel awkward. When Lord Orville attempts to get her to talk, first discussing the ball, then public places and events, and finally the country, Evelina perceives his intent:

It now struck me, that he was resolved to try whether or not I was capable of talking on any subject. This put so great a constraint on my thoughts, that I was unable to go further than a monosyllable, and not even so far, when I could possibly avoid it.”

…And it is these types of passages that look forward to the wit of Jane Austen in the 19th century.

Meanwhile, Evelina’s embarrassment continues. Mr. Lovel, the man who had originally asked Evelina to dance, returns. As he begins to speak, his “stately foppishness” makes Evelina lose control and start laughing. Mr. Lovel—who had come back to ask why Evelina had refused to dance with him—becomes enraged and even Lord Orville can only stare. Dimly and belatedly, Evelina remembers the rules of decorum:

A confused idea now for the first time entered my head, of something I had heard of the rules of assemblies; but I was never at one before,--I have only danced at school,--and so giddy and heedless I was, that I had not once considered the impropriety of refusing one partner, and afterwards accepting another. I was thunderstruck at the recollection….

Evelina’s gaffes continue, but her problem is more a matter of fine tuning. The appeal of this novel rests in Evelina’s astute observations of herself and society.

Like Jane Austen, Fanny Burney casts a clear eye on her world and notes its foibles with wit, wisdom, and poignancy.

...more

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Sep 30, 2016 Marquise rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, historical-setting-1700s, epistolary-novel

Well... This novel left me with feelings of dissatisfaction that threaten to overshadow all the initial enjoyment I got out of it.

Primarily, it is that I believe the epistolary format was inadequate for the story, it only allows a mere glimpse into the setting through a very narrow and deficient slit. We're confined to read everything mostly through Evelina's version of events in letters to her guardian, Mr Villars, and given that the heroine is an ingénue bordering on helpless maiden or silly ...more

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Dec 02, 2016 Peter rated it really liked it

Fanny Burney's Evelina is a book I have often heard about but never seemed to get around to reading. I'm glad I did. You can certainly see why Austen praised Burney so much, and it is evident that Evelina functioned as a template for Austen's novels.

This novel gives us a clear and candid look at a young woman as she tries to navigate her way around and through society. There are the literary tropes of the title character initially not knowing the full story of her background, male suitors both ...more

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Jul 24, 2016 Hannah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5 Stars - Superb book!

I am genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Not because I expected to not enjoy it but because I really didn't think I would enjoy it that much - no other real reason. (I'm a bit of a skeptical reader but this one won me over). I don't remember why I put this on my to-read list but I'm glad I did!

Fanny Burney was Jane Austen's predecessor and inspiration, really. I was hoping I would see some hints of Jane Austen in this book and I definitely did! In this 5 Stars - Superb book!

I am genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Not because I expected to not enjoy it but because I really didn't think I would enjoy it that much - no other real reason. (I'm a bit of a skeptical reader but this one won me over). I don't remember why I put this on my to-read list but I'm glad I did!

Fanny Burney was Jane Austen's predecessor and inspiration, really. I was hoping I would see some hints of Jane Austen in this book and I definitely did! In this particular story, I found elements of all of Austen's most popular books. I was actually astounded at the similarities. I also enjoyed, being a fan of Jane Austen, being able to see who inspired her writing. If you're an Austen fan I would highly recommend this one! I'm also a bit disappointed that because Ms. Burney preceded Austen and played a big role in Austen's writing, more people aren't aware of her. I think it's a disservice to both authors (for different reasons).

The book is written solely in letter format. At first I didn't know if I would like to read a whole book in that format but it got to a point where I didn't notice it anymore (because the letters were relatively long and contained dialogue).

The main character's Evelina's, background is really interesting and plays a big part in the story. I really enjoyed her character. She was strong but fit into the time period for which she was intended (much like Austen heroines). Her family though were all just absolutely awful but so well written you have to admire at least that. There are so many characters that I dislike and who annoyed me but, as I said, they're so well written - they are consistent in their awfulness. For instance in this story, the constant male assumption that they're saving females/doing them a favor is absolutely revolting (plus, they assume that women should be flattered by that!). It was annoying but I think the author made it purposely so, so I can't fault her for that.

The relationship between Lord Orville and Evelina reminded me (view spoiler).

My one qualm with the book is toward the end. (view spoiler)

The formula of the book, if you've read Austen, is similar but there are some definite curve balls thrown in there. Absolutely recommend this one! ...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Justin Evans rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

I'll admit that reading 18th century fiction is sometimes harder than I'd like it to be. The authors either don't know, or just don't abide by, the rules of fiction that we're all used to. But more and more often I'm struck instead by the sheer joy and verve that animates 18th century novels, and that often seems to have gone missing in the twentieth century--and, obviously, this very much the case with Evelina. There's not a whole lot of unity to the tale, and there are plenty of scenes that I'll admit that reading 18th century fiction is sometimes harder than I'd like it to be. The authors either don't know, or just don't abide by, the rules of fiction that we're all used to. But more and more often I'm struck instead by the sheer joy and verve that animates 18th century novels, and that often seems to have gone missing in the twentieth century--and, obviously, this very much the case with Evelina. There's not a whole lot of unity to the tale, and there are plenty of scenes that Burney includes for no reason other than that they're funny and or mortifying (e.g., random monkey attack towards the end of the novel. No, really.) But it turns out that the funniness, sentiment and mortification of these scenes is more than enough justification. Burney is funnier than Fielding, more touching than Richardson, and a better writer than everyone but Swift at his best--and this is her first novel. I'm looking forward to the others. If you're really into Austen, and can handle some rougher edges and a more satirical narrator, this is a great book for you: Evelina herself is the Great English Heroine a few years after Clarissa, and a few years before Lizzie Bennett.

The most interesting part of this book, though, is the way Burney plays with the modes of eighteenth century fiction: she gives us satire, sentiment, farce, social commentary, bawdy wit, and sententious BS in almost equal doses. And most impressively of all, you can sense that Burney is in total control of all of them, recognizes that each mode lines up well with a way of life as much as with a literary fashion (sometimes this is made obvious in the novel, as Mrs Selwyn stands for satire and Villars stands for sententiousness), and is willing to give each a say--before, ultimately, coming down on the side of Selwyn's satire and Evelina's proto-LizBennettian irony (which itself develops throughout the book rather than being, as in Austen, constant from the start of P&P). She wields a kind of authorial control that very few twentieth century anglophone authors can (Anthony Powell, William Gaddis, J. G. Farrell and Muriel Spark come to mind as possible comparisons).

PS: this edition is great, too--lovingly and helpfully annotated and introduced. ...more

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Nov 02, 2017 BAM The Bibliomaniac rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: own, classic-literature, audiobooks, 1001-before-death, guardian-list, wc-aristocratic

Catching up with the classics #12

I had such high hopes for this novel. Hyped as THE ladies’ read of the late eighteenth century, it was so insipid I wanted to throw my phone and stop the audio play. It had its shining Austen-esque moments (there is even a Willoughby), but not enough to satisfy.
Evelina learns how to deal with posh society at the hands at the not so well meaning adults in her life. In fact they are fairly selfish and conniving. She is a new born babe utterly clueless, artless, ...more

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Mar 17, 2015 Abigail Bok rated it really liked it

Shelves: austenesque-novels

Fanny Burney is like Jane Austen in pupal stage. Her novels use the same marriage plot as the frame for social satire; but what was in Burney’s writing the promise of this premise was only elevated to high art by Austen. Evelina is supposed to have been Jane Austen’s favorite novel, and indeed one can often find echoes of familiar Austen characters or phrases in the book, betraying how deeply familiar it was to her (it was published in 1778, when Jane Austen was a toddler). One can’t read “ Fanny Burney is like Jane Austen in pupal stage. Her novels use the same marriage plot as the frame for social satire; but what was in Burney’s writing the promise of this premise was only elevated to high art by Austen. Evelina is supposed to have been Jane Austen’s favorite novel, and indeed one can often find echoes of familiar Austen characters or phrases in the book, betraying how deeply familiar it was to her (it was published in 1778, when Jane Austen was a toddler). One can’t read “Remember, my dear Evelina, nothing is so delicate as the reputation of a woman: it is, at once, the most delicate and most brittle of all human things” and not recall Mary Bennet’s spurious consolation to her sisters after Lydia elopes with Wickham in Pride and Prejudice. And “She has some good qualities, but they rather originate from pride than principle” foreshadows Darcy’s confession to Elizabeth after his second proposal.

Evelina is an epistolary novel—written entirely as a sequence of letters, mostly from the heroine herself, with a few responses from her correspondents and others—and suffers from the awkwardnesses and improbabilities of most novels that use this device. The letters are ridiculously long, and faithfully report entire conversations word-for-word, including conversations the youthful and rustic heroine could scarcely have understood. Letters take a ridiculous amount of time to be delivered when it is useful for the plot to have misunderstandings prolonged, and so on. The book also suffers from the author’s divided loyalties: obviously, she feels compelled to place an innocent embodiment of virtue at the center of her story, but in fact she is much more interested in mocking contemporary mores and reporting the witty or outrageous conversations of secondary characters. This is especially evident at the end, when the scenes in which the hero and heroine come to an understanding and wed are treated almost offhandedly, overshadowed by the endless drawing-room chatter of the comic figures in the story. Minor characters also appear and disappear to suit the needs of the story or the author’s mood, and travel to odd corners of England simply to further the plot.

Nevertheless, many of the characters are vividly drawn and entertaining to read about, and one wishes the heroine to come to no lasting harm, if only because the shape of the marriage plot requires it. Fanny Burney gives us a more robust version of life among the Georgian gentry than in Jane Austen’s ladylike novels—at least the work she submitted for publication (JA’s unpublished works are a different matter).

I’m glad I read Evelina at last, and I’m glad it wasn’t as long as Burney’s later Camilla! ...more

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Mar 08, 2017 Maddie added it · review of another edition

Shelves: university, classics

It was quite cute, in the end, wasn't it?

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May 31, 2014 Kate rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: england, read-in-2014

"Evelina, the first and best of Fanny Burney's novels, tells the story of a young girl, fresh from the provinces, whose initiation into the ways of the world is frequently painful, though it leads to self-discovery, moral growth, and finally, happiness. Hilarious comedy and moral gravity make the novel a fund of entertainment and wisdom. Out of the graceful shifts from the idyllic to the near-tragic and realistic, Evelina emerges as a fully realized character. And out of its treatment of ...more

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Dec 19, 2016 Nicola rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books

This was quite an unexpected delight. I generally find books from this era a little hard going; taken overall I enjoy them but the long winded and often oppressively religious and virtuous heroines can be a little trying to my patience at times. Evelina, the eponymous heroine, was a pleasant surprise. Yes, she was virtuous but she didn't make a parade of her virtue and didn't write a single line of poetry! I can't remember if she ever even fainted but I don't think that she did. What she did do This was quite an unexpected delight. I generally find books from this era a little hard going; taken overall I enjoy them but the long winded and often oppressively religious and virtuous heroines can be a little trying to my patience at times. Evelina, the eponymous heroine, was a pleasant surprise. Yes, she was virtuous but she didn't make a parade of her virtue and didn't write a single line of poetry! I can't remember if she ever even fainted but I don't think that she did. What she did do was blush a whole lot as her inexperience in social situations in the books early stages landed her in some hot water and then her family and the embarrassing scrapes she frequently fell into continued the process as she became a little more worldly wise.

I could relate to Evelina so very well; an excited young girl, tasting the delights of society for the first time under the auspices of the kindly Mrs Mirvan, whose daughter became a great friend of Evelina's. I watched Evelina fall afoul of societies rules through ignorance with sympathy. Her shame being greatly heightened by the teasing from the men she offended by her gauche behaviour. Still she shouldn't feel too hardly done by as it was this cruelty (social cruelty) which first fixed the eye of Lord Orville upon her and he intervened with great courtesy to spare her the embarrassment and shame that he saw she was suffering under, thus marking him out to the eye of any remotely experienced reader, as the romantic interest that our sweet little Evelina is destined for.

Lord Orville was a little colourless to be honest. In contrast to the delightfully real Evelina he seemed mostly to consist of good manners, very well in their way, but I was hoping, as the book progressed, to see something of his personality under all those courtesies but I never really did.

Once Evelina found her footing a little more, another source of embarrassment was added by the addition of her grandmother (Madam Duval) and her very vulgar cousins. They were hilarious. The fights between the english hating Madam Duval and Evelina's french hating host, Captain Mirvan, were epic. Madam Duval, for all her pretensions of great learning was extremely credulous and fell victim to several of the Captains 'pranks'. Much though I disliked the women, the barbaric treatment she received at the hands of the Captain and his accomplice Sir Clement Willoughby, was extreme.

Sir Clement Willoughby was quite an interesting character, although obviously pretty thoroughly disreputable he certainly had more character than Lord Orville and I couldn't quite help thinking that it was a shame that Fanny Burney didn't put as much effort into developing Lord Orville that she did into Sir Clement Willoughby.

All in all a great book; I can certainly see why it was a favourite of Jane Austen's. ...more

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Nov 22, 2017 Mela rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, open-library, historical-period-long-19th-century, british-literature, historical-romance

I can't believe I have done it. I have finished it! Ok, I can't tell I have read the whole book, because I skipped many, many paragraphs, but still...

I'll start with good things.

The story (I mean the whole Evelina's background and how it was revealed) was really good. When I think of it I see an engaging and interesting base for a novel.

Next, the characters gave additional value E.g. Captain Mirvan and Madame Duval gave the funny side. Sir Clement Willoughby and young Branghton messed in the ...more

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Oct 30, 2018 Sotiris Karaiskos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 18th-century

In the last few weeks I have been reading books of the 18th century to learn more about the history of British literature and to understand the influences on later writers. Of course, in these later writers is my beloved Jane Austen, who was a fanatical reader of the novels of the time. Some of her favorites were those written by the author of this book and were, in fact, the ones that influenced her most and gave her the inspiration to seriously start writing.

This influence becomes apparent In the last few weeks I have been reading books of the 18th century to learn more about the history of British literature and to understand the influences on later writers. Of course, in these later writers is my beloved Jane Austen, who was a fanatical reader of the novels of the time. Some of her favorites were those written by the author of this book and were, in fact, the ones that influenced her most and gave her the inspiration to seriously start writing.

This influence becomes apparent from the beginning to the end of the book, especially considering the fact that in the first attempts Jane Austen experimented with the epistolary novel, with the first version of Pride and Prejudice being written in this form. In this book, then, we find many things we loved later. Its basis is a classic romantic story in which the heroine joins the social circles and somewhere there finds her other half and a lot of obstacles between them. Through it, the author shows us the life of the upper classes, their intense social life and their interests, from the most essentially all the way to the stupid ones, and presents us with some characteristic figures of the time. Above all, however, she shows us the position of the woman at a time when the first steps were taken to her emancipation. The heroine of the book is seemingly shy and weak, and follows all the norms of the time for the behaviour of women, but at the same time she is a woman who has been educated, demands respect and actively seeks a way to secure her future happiness, without deducting her dignity. The criticism of the writer in this issue extends to men, commenting on the superficiality of many of them that is happily compensated by serious men, such as the one who attracts the erotic interest of our heroine and reminds us of Mr Darcy.

Of course, I can not say that there is any kind of copying, there are quite a few differences, a greater emotionality that characterized many novels of the time and a didactic tone that is, however, clearly less obvious than it was usual then. What is definitely there is a great influence from the style of writing. The restrained satirical mood, the equally restrained romance, the intense social critique, the essential dialogues, the beautiful and intelligent female look are the main elements that characterize it and gave rise to its adoption and further development. Apart from the comparison and the influence it had, however, the book has value in itself. It is an extremely interesting reading, particularly pleasant and entertaining and certainly of very high quality. From the first page I liked it very much, as I kept going, I liked it more and more as I was identified with the characters and the plot became interesting and in the end I left with the most excellent impressions, absolutely satisfied and confident that I will read some more books of this author.

Τις τελευταίες εβδομάδες διαβάζω βιβλία του 18ου αιώνα για να μάθω περισσότερα για την ιστορία της βρετανικής λογοτεχνίας και να καταλάβουν ποιες ήταν οι επιρροές των μεταγενέστερων συγγραφέων. Φυσικά μέσα σε αυτές τις μεταγενέστεροι συγγραφείς είναι η αγαπημένη μου Jane Austen, η οποία ήταν φανατική αναγνώστρια των μυθιστορημάτων της εποχής. Μερικά από τα αγαπημένα της ήταν αυτά που έγραψε η συγγραφέας αυτού του βιβλίου και ήταν, μάλιστα, αυτά που την επηρέασαν περισσότερο και της έδωσαν το έναυσμα να ασχοληθεί σοβαρά με τη συγγραφή.

Η επιρροή αυτή γίνεται ολοφάνερη από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος του βιβλίου, ειδικά άμα λάβουμε υπόψη μας το γεγονός ότι στις πρώτες τις προσπάθειες η Jane Austen πειραματίστηκε με το επιστολογραφικό μυθιστόρημα, με την πρώτη εκδοχή του Pride and Prejudice να γράφεται σε αυτή τη μορφή. Μέσα σε αυτό το βιβλίο, λοιπόν, συναντάμε πολλά πράγματα που λατρέψαμε στη συνέχεια. Η βάση του είναι μία κλασική ρομαντική ιστορία, στην οποία η ηρωίδα μας κάνει την είσοδό της στους κοινωνικούς κύκλους και κάπου εκεί βρίσκει το άλλο της μισό και ένα σωρό εμπόδια ανάμεσα τους. Μέσα από αυτήν η συγγραφέας μας δείχνει τη ζωή των ανώτερων τάξεων, με την έντονη κοινωνική ζωή και τα ενδιαφέροντά τους, από τα πια ουσιαστικά μέχρι τα εντελώς ανόητα και μας παρουσιάζει κάποιες χαρακτηριστικές φιγούρες της εποχής. Πάνω από όλα, όμως, μας δείχνει τη θέση της γυναίκας σε μία εποχή όπου γίνονταν τα πρώτα βήματα για τη χειραφέτηση της. Η ηρωίδα του βιβλίου είναι φαινομενικά ντροπαλή και αδύναμη και ακολουθεί όλες τις νόρμες της εποχής για τη συμπεριφορά των γυναικών, παράλληλα, όμως, είναι μία γυναίκα που διαθέτει μόρφωση, επιδιώκει να τη σέβονται και αναζητά ενεργά έναν τρόπο και να εξασφαλίσει τη μελλοντική της ευτυχία, χωρίς να κάνει εκπτώσεις στην αξιοπρέπειά της. Η κριτική της συγγραφέως σε αυτό το θέμα επεκτείνεται και στους άνδρες, σχολιάζοντας την επιπολαιότητα πολλών από αυτών που ευτυχώς αντισταθμίζεται από σοβαρούς άντρες όπως για παράδειγμα εκείνον που προσελκύει το ερωτικό ενδιαφέρον της ηρωίδας μας και κάτι μας θυμίζει από τον Mr Darcy.

Φυσικά με κανέναν τρόπο δεν μπορώ να πω ότι υπάρχει κάποιου είδους αντιγραφή, υπάρχουν σαφέστατα αρκετές διαφορές, ένας μεγαλύτερος συναισθηματισμός που χαρακτήριζε πολλά μυθιστορήματα της εποχής και μία διδακτική τάση που είναι, όμως, σαφώς μικρότερη από ότι ήταν συνηθισμένο τότε. Αυτό που σίγουρα υπάρχει είναι μία μεγάλη επιρροή από το ύφος του γραψίματος. Η συγκρατημένη σατυρική διάθεση, ο εξίσου συγκρατημένος ρομαντισμός, η έντονη κοινωνική κριτική, οι ουσιαστικοί διάλογοι, η όμορφη και έξυπνη γυναικεία ματιά είναι τα κύρια στοιχεία που το χαρακτηρίζουν και έδωσαν το έναυσμα για την υιοθέτηση και την εξέλιξή του στη συνέχεια της λογοτεχνικής ιστορίας. Πέρα από τη σύγκριση και την επιρροή που είχε, όμως, το βιβλίο έχει αξία από μόνο του. Είναι ένα εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον ανάγνωσμα, ιδιαίτερα ευχάριστο και ψυχαγωγικό και σίγουρα ιδιαίτερα ποιοτικό. Από την πρώτη του σελίδα μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ, όσο προχωρούσα μου άρεσε όλο και περισσότερο καθώς ταυτιζόμουν με τους χαρακτήρες και η πλοκή γινόταν ενδιαφέρουσα και στο τέλος έμεινα με τις πιο άριστες εντυπώσεις, απόλυτα ικανοποιημένος και σίγουρος ότι θα διαβάσω και κάποια άλλα βιβλία της συγγραφέως. ...more

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Mar 22, 2008 Brad rated it really liked it

I read Evelina for a class examining the British novel. The epistolary nature of this novel makes it an interesting read because everything communicated has already happened. I found the social customs and faux pas' of the era to be somewhat fascinating. The story is both funny and serious, sweet and sour, and happy and sad. It has twists that you would never expect to see. If you enjoy books like Pride and Prejudice, you would extract much enjoyment from Evelina.

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Jan 15, 2008 Summer rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anyone with a romantic nature

I know the exact date I read this book because right after I finished reading it - aloud, to my boyfriend - we eloped!!! We've been married seven years and while other couples have a song, we have a book...Evelina.

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Apr 13, 2016 anna (readingpeaches) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-ish, first-person-pov, 1-contemporary, favourites, 3-slowburn, 5-young-adult

every time evelina tells a dude to go fuck himself, my lifespan gains 14 years!!

also mrs selwyn is a butch lesbian and i will not hear otherwise

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Jun 20, 2017 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: social-commentary, guardian-1000, kindle, love

This 1778 novel reminded me of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, except for the epistolary writing. Despite the somewhat predictable plot, the satirical social commentary is a lot of fun (especially for those who are familiar with the social mores of Georgian England).

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Jan 04, 2009 Alisha rated it liked it

Shelves: classic

I did not love Evelina as much the third time around. Also, it's been a number of years since I read it, and I think my tastes and level of tolerance has changed a little. This is a really, really long book, and though I enjoyed the last section, where Evelina and Lord Orville (who is honestly a little too idealized) actually get a chance at figuring each other out, my patience ran thin for all of the horrible people Evelina has to hang out with. The main thing I came away with was pity for the I did not love Evelina as much the third time around. Also, it's been a number of years since I read it, and I think my tastes and level of tolerance has changed a little. This is a really, really long book, and though I enjoyed the last section, where Evelina and Lord Orville (who is honestly a little too idealized) actually get a chance at figuring each other out, my patience ran thin for all of the horrible people Evelina has to hang out with. The main thing I came away with was pity for the helplessness of young women back in the day. And even though Evelina is a person of sense and good judgment, she has to hide it most of the time in order to be polite. I'm not saying we don't do something similar nowadays, but the language of excessive decorum got a little tiring. And then it swung to the other extreme of spending way too much time on scenes where vulgar people are making mischief. There was hardly anybody ever talking sense. Even Evelina's guardian, who is supposed to be the ultimate voice of reason, mostly just talks about how he is looking forward to dying in her arms. I have to wonder, was all this kind of thing common in letter-writing and speech of the day? Or is it an exaggerated reality that people were supposed to aspire to?
As a reader, I always felt like Evelina was a bit of an enigma to me, in spite of the fact that nearly all of the hundreds of letters were written by her. I think it's because, though she is describing what happens to her in society, one gets the sense that she never really participates in it. Mostly she just watches and then feels appropriately disturbed or contented. No doubt she was seen as a paragon of womanly virtue at the time of publication, but it's hard to read without feeling the injustice of it.
It is interesting to view this as a prototype of women's literature. Jane Austen's novels, which came a few decades later, show society as still a mix of posh and crass, but with more of an insistence that there is a middle ground, and her heroines, while still polite, are less afraid to express their thoughts in conversation. She has also nicely pared down her dialogue and descriptions, so that they are not nearly as high-flown as Mrs. Burney's. ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Marianne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 2019-reads

4.5 stars!

I believe that Evelina is the book universally suggested to anyone who has read through all of Jane Austen's works and craves more. That is at least how I came upon this book, and I have to say 2019 is shaping up to be a good reading year because I adored Evelina! I believe this is my first epistolary novel and it did not take long for me to quickly get sucked into the story despite the format. Its very reminiscent of Jane Austen (no surprise considering Burney was an inspiration of ...more

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Oct 16, 2013 Seema Khan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: brit-lit, fanny-burney, my-fav-author, unmatched-writing

3.5-4* for Evelina.

Well to start with, I had higher expectations from Evelina after having read Camilla and Cecilia because those books were outstanding! Maybe the epistolary nature of Evelina is the one thing which I was not comfortable with, because logically thinking it is though not impossible but very difficult to reproduce word to word accounts of the conversations one has had! And making a story flow in this medium was something I personally did not much like.

Then the other thing that 3.5-4* for Evelina.

Well to start with, I had higher expectations from Evelina after having read Camilla and Cecilia because those books were outstanding! Maybe the epistolary nature of Evelina is the one thing which I was not comfortable with, because logically thinking it is though not impossible but very difficult to reproduce word to word accounts of the conversations one has had! And making a story flow in this medium was something I personally did not much like.

Then the other thing that really tested my patience was the clamour of unnecessary chatter of the secondary characters. In many places it was totally unnecessary. For the first 350 or so pages there is no tremendous movement in the story and I was on the point of shelving the book away unread! The hero Lord Orville is absent for close to a whopping 200 pages!
After the re-entry of Lord Orville the story then braces momentum. I enjoyed the latter half much better than the earlier one.
One thing about Fanny Burney's writing is she tied all the loose ends before the end of her stories and gave a detailed narrative of all the different situations (Read the explanations and acknowledgements of Lord Orville and Evelina regarding the growth of their affections towards the end of the story). Keeping in mind the period in which the book was written it is only fair to spare the author the criticism on this point because I presume the readers then of these kind of books (which were chiefly women) did not have much other diversions and would enjoy reading detailed accounts within the stories and so these accounts are justified.
Coming to the story. It is about a disowned seventeen years old girl Evelina trying to enter into society and also trying to gain her rightful place. The story by itself, I did like. Also one appreciable thing is all the characters were very thoughtfully designed and portrayed. No blemishes in that. Also the portrayal of society and the position of women, especially the ones without a great family background is remarkable! The dependence of a woman on a man which may be either a father, a brother or a husband were absolute necessities otherwise they could be ill used by society in a way it wanted. Specially what I liked portrayed in the book was the hypocritical aspect that a man who bore a status and esteemed place in society was not censured for behaving disrespectfully towards a woman and still enjoyed the respect of people.
Fanny Burney did take a daring step in getting a book published at that period of time with such views of the society regarding women.
Coming to the characters, Evelina is beautiful, sweet and a guileless girl with no clue about behaviour in high society. She blunders on many occasions but she is wiser the next time in many cases. Her relationship to Mr Arthur Villars is beautiful and touches the heart. The filial affections she bears are genuine and unaffected. Her understanding is superior and manners are respectable. Just because her parentage is unknown she has to face various ugly circumstances and also the contempt of many. Her beauty is much coveted but the respect and recognition she deserves are not availed to her except by Lord Orville who shows her distinguished attentions even though her birth is unknown and also before knowing that she may be an heiress.
Lord Orville is a superior individual. Very dignified, earnest, polite, delicate, honest and respectable man. He understands his responsibilities and is very caring. I liked how he is attentive to Evelina and accepts her for who she is and is eager to give her recognition with his name. A flaw with his character was that he asked for explanations from Evelina but what I believe is that is just because of the passion he possesses for Evelina and a fear that he may loose her. I liked his sweetness and eagerness to comfort Evelina. My favourite character from the book.
The other characters from Mr Arthur Villars to Madam Duval and Mrs Mirvan to Mrs Selwyn, Sir Clement and Captain Mirvan were given substantial places in the whole book and were drafted without imperfections.
Overall, had it been a regular narrative or descriptive format I think I would have liked it better. Except for the unnecessary chattering of the secondary characters I liked the book and would recommend it for a read to those who can bear patience with the same. ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Georgianary: Evelina Read-along	1	25	Nov 05, 2019 03:46PM
Play Book Tag: Evelina by Fanny Burney 4.5 stars and no wonder Jane Austen admired this author!	3	20	Dec 07, 2017 05:20PM
Guardian Newspape...: June 2017 - Evelina	12	17	Jun 23, 2017 10:27AM
The 1700-1939 Boo...: Evelina by Frances Burney (Letters 29-56)	3	8	Jan 14, 2017 01:06PM
The 1700-1939 Boo...: Evelina by Frances Burney (Letters 1-28)	9	12	Dec 03, 2016 02:26PM
The 1700-1939 Boo...: Evelina by Frances Burney (Letters 57-84)	1	8	Oct 09, 2016 11:08AM
Women's Classic L...: Evelina	82	48	Aug 04, 2016 04:28PM

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About Frances Burney

Frances Burney

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Also known as Fanny Burney and, after her marriage, as Madame d’Arblay. Frances Burney was a novelist, diarist and playwright. In total, she wrote four novels, eight plays, one biography and twenty volumes of journals and letters.