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Evelina

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Evelina

By: Frances Burney
Narrated by: Dame Judi Dench, Finty Williams, Geoffrey Palmer
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Summary

Fanny Burney's wickedly funny satire follows the trials and romantic adventures of the young and beautiful Evelina as she tries to make her way through 18th-century Britain handicapped by her three great problems: being poor, being illegitimate - and being a girl.

Evelina was a raging best seller when it was first published in 1778 and is widely credited with being the first of the great British domestic novels. Burney was a direct influence on her immediate follower, Jane Austen, who used some of the final lines from Burney’s novel Cecilia for one of her own fairly successful novels: "...if to pride and prejudice you owe your miseries...to pride and prejudice you will also owe their termination".

Public Domain (P)2008 Silksoundbooks Limited Classics Drama & Plays Funny Witty
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I had never heard of Frances Burney before but now I wonder why she is not better known, as this story was every bit as delightful as Jane Austen.

I cannot speak highly enough of the narration. Finty Williams was a perfect choice for the role, and of course Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer were excellent also. An engaging and enchanting performance, just wonderful.

stunning

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This is one of my favourite novels. The first couple of minutes, which set the scene, are a little dull but the story soon gets going. It is full of adventures and is very funny. It is even better than Jane Austen. Published in 1778, it is a fascinating insight into life in Eighteenth Century England. As England and France were at war that year, it is not surprising that Madame Duval is a figure of fun. It is lovely to return to the days of virtuous heroines and happy endings. Most of the narration is undertaken by Finty Williams who is a marvellous narrator and is excellent at performing both male and female voices. It is the kind of novel that you can listen to over and over again. Excellent.

Very exciting, very funny, and fascinating

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I loved every second of this book - She was an excellent writer, & so bloody funny! Jane Austen, who I also adore very clearly followed closely in Burney's footsteps. why she isn't better known confounds me

an absolute banger!!

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I must admit, I was surprised at the straight talking feminism in this piece. Loved it.

astonishingly modern

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Gosh, you can see the influence of Fanny Barney on Jane Austin’s writing. Great story to housework or decorate to.

Evelina

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