Evelina: Or the History of A Young Lady's Entrance into the World [Paperback]

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.