McConnell Fine Books - Antiquarian Books and Fine and Original Leather Bindings

12mo (5" tall). Full contemporary vellum, with black label, gilt bands and ornate floral tooling to panels. Marbled edges and endpapers. Single gilt rule framing boards, gilt dentelles. Engraved half title and frontispiece. Boards slightly spotted.

A charming copy of Burney's classic first novel, uniformly bound with our other copies of Dove's English Classics. Published anonymously in 1778, Evelina was an instant success and "even those who professed themselves unwilling to read fiction in general found in Evelina social truth, along with humour, entertainment, realistic characterization, and an expressive style." (DNB). Her identity eventually revealed, Burney was launched into the highest echelons of London's literary society, where she established friendships with writers including Dr Johnson, James Boswell, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and fellow bluestockings such as Elizabeth Montagu and Hannah More.