Evelina: Or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World (Penguin Classics)

Rating:
Summary: A fun, easy read
Review: "Evelina, or The History of a Young Lady's Entrance Into the World" is an entertaining story of a girl's 'coming-out' into society as well as a fascinating record of the genteel and not so genteel diversions of the middle and upper classes in Georgian England. Frances Burney published it anonymously in 1778, setting a precedent for Jane Austen both by this anonymity and by making writing a respectable pastime for women, thus allowing women to turn the novel into a medium of their own. The extent to which writing was considered improper for respectable women during this time is revealed in the author's own life: when Fanny was 15, her stepmother made her burn her writings, which consisted of odes, plays, songs, farces, and poems as well as a story about the character Evelina's mother. And while writing "Evelina," Fanny had to keep her work private, writing at night and even disguising her handwriting so that it would not be recognized at the printer's, who would certainly have been a man familiar with her father, a renowned music historian.

How very fortunate we are that this did not keep her from writing, and how very fortunate too that "Evelina" was so well received by everyone from common readers to Dr. Johnson! Burney continued to write fiction, setting a precedent for Jane Austen and the female novelists of the 19th century, and continuing to entertain her readers.

Although I came to "Evelina" with some lamentably negative preconceptions, expecting it to be inferior to Austen and, worst of all, tedious for every purpose but the literary historian's, I have found the book fascinating, fun, and refreshing. The story centers around the eponymous heroine, a beautiful 17-year-old girl who has grown up in the country under the guidance of her parson guardian, Mr. Villars. Her family background is less than spotless. Evelina's mother, pressured by her own vulgar and ill-bred mother into a distasteful marriage, eloped with a highborn rake who subsequently deserted her and burned the proofs of their marriage. Evelina's mother died in misery, leaving an infant daughter unclaimed by her own father.

Evelina grows up provincially, and when an unprecedented series of events brings her into London with some friends, away from the company of her guardian Mr. Villars, she is launched into an unfamiliar world of dances, balls, operas, and outings. Evelina, though uncertain and uncomfortable in this new and flashy world, is not merely naïve, but a young woman of understanding and feeling, so that it's a pleasure to read what she thinks of the places and people she sees. As a modern reader, I loved to encounter references to the places where people would enjoy themselves in Georgian London, like Vauxhall Gardens and museums of mechanical curios.

Evelina has the misfortune to become acquainted with many vulgar and persistent personalities, some of the most repulsive of whom are her very own relatives, like her grandmother Madame Duval. This is the very same embarrassing and insensitive figure who tried to bully her own daughter (Evelina's mother) into an unwanted marriage years before, who suddenly wants to become reconciled with Evelina and foist from the girl's father an acknowledgement of her position-as well as a hefty estate. On top of Madame Duval, there are Evelina's lowly cousins, the Branghtons, who live in the commercial area of London (gasp!), and even a repulsive and shameless suitor that plagues the poor young woman to no end. Oh yes, there's also the xenophobic and graceless Captain Mirvan, father of Evelina's friend, who enjoys nothing more than tormenting Madame Duval (often brutally); and the satirical and witty Mrs. Selwyn, one of the best characters in the book, who always has something pertinent to say to the fops and fools around Evelina -- and even to Evelina herself

But it's not that poor Evelina has only the troubles and setbacks of relatives and rude acquaintances. Since this is a comedy of manners, one of its ends is, like in Austen's books, marriage. The relationship between Evelina and her love interest is very interesting and sweet, and one can see the way that Evelina grows and develops as a character. I won't spoil the story anymore; I will only add that there are some other interesting subplots along the way, one of which deals with a mysterious and depressed Scotsman, so the story in no way merely hinges on marriage.

I would recommend "Evelina" to anyone, but most especially to those who consider themselves fans of Jane Austen, or who are at least patient with unfamiliar styles of writing. It is an epistolary novel, a kind that was very popular in the 18th century, meaning it is written in a series of letters between the characters. This takes a little bit of acclimatizing to enjoy thoroughly, but I found that after I was about 20 pages in, it came naturally, and became, for all practical purposes, a first person narrative from the engaging point-of-view of a pleasant young heroine to whom I could relate, with her candor and good breeding. Whenever I was unfamiliar with some of the details of late 18th-century life, my Signet edition of the book provided some helpful footnotes. And I must say that Burney's writing style really grows on me. Like the best 18th century writing, it has an elegance and beautifully organized lucidity that is such a pleasure to read after the postmodern crap modern authors churn out. Furthermore, Burney uses paragraphs like a modern, so you don't have to plod through long dreary passages or unbearable run-on sentences.

Rating:
Summary: Who said 18th century stuff is boring?
Review: 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 literary 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 too be dull.

Rating:
Summary: A good read; check out her other works, too
Review: I was introduced to Frances Burney via a college course on 18th century literature. I found her longer novels, "Cecilia" and "Camilla" to be very enjoyable; ironically, her most famous work was a bit less so. She has a charming writing style, and has a voice all her own, but it doesn't seem to sparkle as much here. Written completely as a series of letters (the correct term is "epistolary novel") the story is about a young woman's emergence into society in eighteenth century England. Her encounters with various characters are entertaining and amusing, especially the episodes between Madame Duval and the Captain. However, the novel dips into redundancy when Evelina constantly explains to her beloved guardian, Rev. Villars, about her embarassments. True, this has to do with Burney's intent, but for a modern reader it can grow repetitive. One can see the influence Burney had on Jane Austen's writing. A good read if you are interested in this period, early women writers, or Jane Austen.