Why Evelina is a Must-Read for Jane Austen Fans

Overall Rating

3.80 stars ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Genre:

• Classics
• Romance
• Sentimental
• Epistolary novel (story told through letter exchanges between characters)

My Thoughts…

I don’t know where I found this out, but Evelina was a novel that much inspired Jane Austen to write her wonderful works we read today. I believe I’ve read almost all of Austen’s works and naturally loved them all to bits. It only made sense to read the origin of what inspired her to write the masterpieces I grew up reading and it happened from a languid browse at my favourite bookstore and an effortless purchase moment. I got the book. I started reading. And I couldn’t stop.

The entire novel is told through letters from one character to another, mostly between Evelina herself and her adopted father. Evelina is a young woman of 17 years, who’s just ready to come out into society and begin her journey knowing the world and its people. She started expanding her company between family friends, distant relatives and almost instantly, the hoard of annoying young men throwing themselves (literally!) at her feet for her adoration and love. I like that, even though she is so young, raised in the countryside and isn’t familiar with grandeur luxury, she carries herself with sensibility and delicacy, and appropriately responds to many different situations that would have caused your typical Victorian girl to panic. She expressively appreciates people with good manners and characteristics, ehem our Lord Orville, the primary hero of the story, and her witty ridicule of poor manner and etiquette mostly observed in her not-very-nice snobby relatives and acquaintances, and desperate admirers.

I think this novel is a great palate cleanser for those who love Austen and Bronte’s works. They feel very similar but unique in their own way. The only slight pinch I had while reading this novel was the constant “banter” between two specific characters: Captain Mirvan and Madame Duval, Evelina’s French grandmother. They mostly quarrelled between each other because of their differences that sometimes drowned out the other characters and why they’re there in the room. At times, I even forgot what they were even fighting about. These fights often got physical too and I wondered if I should still look at it as satire and funny because when I looked it up online, it’s supposed to be humorous. I didn’t laugh at all, just so you know.

Overall, I loved the book for what it is, and I do recommend others to try and read it too! I look forward to seeing other works from Frances Burney when I can.