Fanny Burney

United Kingdom: David & Charles. Very Good/Very Good. 1980. First Edition. Hard Cover. 8vo 0715377884 Dust jacket complete. Original cloth boards, bright gilt titling on spine. No ownership inscription. 232 pages clean and tight.`Miss Burney is a real wonder', said Dr Johnson, and indeed the long life of novelist Fanny Burney (1752-1840) is of unusual interest. She was born into the fascinating and brilliant society of the Augustan Age: her father's circle included David Garrick, Sir Joshua Reynolds, as well as Dr Johnson himself. In her old age she was visited by Sir Walter Scott. The historical events she witnessed or recorded range from the trial of Warren Hastings to the Battle of Waterloo, from George III's fits of madness to the death of the young Princess Charlotte in childbirth. She met the old court wits, like Horace Walpole, politicians, - actors and musicians as well as every important literary man or woman of her time. Her own character and achievements were in themselves remarkable.Evelina, her first novel, kept Edmund Burke from his meals. She was prudish, but endlessly forgiving of the sins of others; she was warmly loving, but had a dry, ironic humour; more than anything else she hated dullness - and, as if in response to that aversion, her life was magnificently crammed with drama. Here a distinguished novelist of our own, time looks with sympathy and astringent humour at the life of a novelist of another age. .