Introduction & Overview of Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World by Fanny Burney

Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World Introduction

Fanny Burney's Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World is a fascinating and funny look at high society in late eighteenth-century Britain. Through a quite extensive collection of letters, the story unfolds and the reader is welcomed into the evolving world of a young, innocent country girl as she learns the ways of her society through misunderstandings and embarrassing social errors. Evelina's innocence is matched in equal measure with the lies and pretenses of egocentric characters who make fools of themselves in their attempts to win influence.

With twists and turns, misunderstandings, and false identities, Burney tells a story that is reminiscent of Shakespearean comedies. When Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World was first published, Kate Chisholm writes in an article for the Guardian, "everyone wanted to know who had written such a wickedly funny satire on fashionable...
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