Evelina: An entertaining story

  I enjoy reading Charles Dickens, really I do. But having slogged my way through all of his Boz sketches as then only slightly cheered by Hard Times I began to forget the pleasure of an entertaining book. I am just over half way through Fanny Burney's Evelina and again feel the anticipation and look forward to the pleasure of diving back into the pages.

   No I couldn't say she comes close to the greatness of Charles Dickens but when you want a book to entertain you, when you have had your fill of endless sentences and descriptions of twisted faces and alleyways of similar description, then this book will give you some pleasure.

   It was first published in 1778; Miss Burney's first novel, she was 25 at the time. Since it was written so long ago it is really interesting to read and the manners, customs, and way of thinking of the time in comparison to how it would be written in modern times. In many modern historical fiction novels the heroine thinks as a modern girl would and that totally ruins them for me. I much prefer to read a novel that is really written way back then.

   I bought my copy of the book at the library where they sell books all the time for only $1, I have got a whole pile of classic books from there which the library doesn't seem to think worthy of their shelves. But our library dose have a good stack section where all the old books are available and not hidden away in a store room underground like they are in many libraries.