Kathy Hamilton She wrote some of the first novels in English, inspired Jane Austen and lived life on her own terms. She was also one of the first women to turn writing into a respected career. Here’s why you need to read Frances Burney.
Imagine a world before the novel exists. When publishing literature in any form was the preserve a small group of men- no women allowed! Enter Frances Burney. A woman took a fledgling genre, the prose novel, and honed it into something sophisticated. In the process, inspiring generations of future writers, including Jane Austen. Frances Burney was a bestseller before the term even existed. In all, she wrote four novels, eight plays, one biography and twenty-five volumes of journals and letters. Which she used as a main source of income to support her family.
Self Taught Flair for Writing
Frances “Fanny” Burney was born in Lynn Regis (Now King’s Lynn) in 1752. The third of six children, she spent most of her life in London and France. Through her father, Charles, a respected musician and historian, the family moved in artistic circles. All this exposed the young Frances Burney to some of the most artistic and progressive ideas of her day.
However, she was largely self-educated. A common reality for many women in the eighteenth century. Her father favoured her elder sisters, Esther and Susanna. He considered them more beautiful and witty and even sent them to school in Paris. Leaving a young Frances to glean what knowledge she could from the family library.
Despite this, she began writing, what she termed her “scribblings” aged 10 – almost as soon as she had taught herself to write. When you read France Burney you discover that this self-taught style freed her from the constraints of “fashionable writing.
She developed a more natural voice. Born out of her prolific letter writing and journaling experience, it’s unique and comic. During this period novel, writing and reading were not considered a credible occupation for anyone of good social status and Frances lived in fear that her father would discover her flair for writing in this style and forbid it.
A Career on Her Own Terms
“Evelina” is probably the perfect example of why you need to read Frances Burney. In contrast to the flowery language, complicated with allusions to Greek and Latin which proliferated at this time, “Evelina” is light and flowing. The story follows – Evelina- the unacknowledged daughter of a dissipated English aristocrat. Through a series of humorous events in London and Hotwells, near Bristol, Evelina learns to navigate the complex layers of 18th-century society. And even finds time to fall in love along the way.
In “Evelina” the characters are more fleshed out and dynamic. With definite progression and growth. A progression from the usual 2-dimensional caricatures that feature in earlier fiction.
Although “Evelina” remains her stand out novel, it’s a line in another novel, “Cecilia”, that inspired Jane Austen’s most famous work: “The whole of this unfortunate business,“ said Dr Lyster, “has been the result of pride and prejudice.“ One guess which novel I am talking about!
An Authentic Glimpse into Eighteenth-Century Life
Between 1780 and 1815 Frances Burney continued to focus her public output on fiction. Including novels and plays. Although times and fashions changed and her later works did not match her early critical acclaim.
For many critics, it is Frances Burney’s posthumous journals and letters that offer us the most value. In fact, some suggest this is the real reason to read Frances Burney at all! Frances devoted almost 70 years to keeping up a fascinating account of daily life. These detailed the everyday life of an upper-middle-class woman at the turn of the eighteenth century.
As such, they cover a fascinating period of history. This includes Napoleon’s rise to power in the early 1800s. Which she experience after her French Husband gained a governmental post in France. She and her family were even trapped in France for 10 years as the Napoleonic wars raged.
“Twice, I believe, I fainted; at least, I have two total chasms in my memory of this transaction, that impede my tying together what passed.”
But perhaps the most fascinating of all is her account of the mastectomy she endured without anaesthetic in 1811. after her breast cancer diagnosis. In a 12 page letter to her sister, she detailed the procedure in great detail. Despite a handkerchief spread over her face she ‘saw the glitter of polished Steel’ through the transparent fabric. You can read that letter in its original form here .
Why You Need to Read Frances Burney
For me, I believe you need to read Frances Burney because she is a pioneer of fiction. In her own life, she counted all the literary greats as fans; Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke, David Garrick were all early fans. Additionally, William Makepeace Thackery apparently used her first-hand account of the Battle of Waterloo when he wrote Vanity Fair.
Her talent for wit and satirical caricature is now, thankfully, re-acknowledged. Critics have renewed appreciation in her fiction. Due to her outlook on the social lives and struggles of women in a predominantly male-oriented culture.
And let’s not forget, if she’s good enough for Jane Austen…do you really need another excuse to read Frances Burney?