1wcarter
Fanny Burney’s Diary, A Selection from the Diary and Letters edited by John Wain 1961
Fanny (Frances) Burney (1752-1840) was one of England’s earliest female novelists. Her first novel, Evelina, is still in print today, and was wildly successful when it was first published anonymously.
She led an extraordinary life, mingling with the upper echelons of society in London, and later in her life, Paris. She was a good friend of Samuel Johnson (of dictionary fame) and met a vast range of people including many members of the aristocratic class in England, Omoo (the Tahitian prince), James Boswell (author), Napoleon Bonaparte, James Bruce (explorer), opera singers, leading doctors and senior military leaders.
She recounts events in her life as varied as the balloon ascent by Mr. Blancahard, the return to London of Queen Caroline, the battle of Waterloo which she experienced from Brussels, and the French Revolution and its aftermath after marrying a French nobleman (General Alexandre d’Arblay) at the age of 41.
For many years in mid-life she was the wardrobe mistress for Queen Charlotte, and on close terms with her and King George III (including during his madness) and their children.
All these events and personalities were recorded in her diary, which makes it fascinating reading, and a great insight to society and life in the latter part of the 18th. Century.
The xii + 315 page book is introduced by John Wain and has 12 monochrome illustrations of people and places mentioned in the text. The book is arranged chronologically and is bound in maroon cloth blocked in gilt on the cover and spine with a design. The grey endpapers are printed with a white pattern. There is an extensive bibliographical index at the back of the book. The top page edges are stained dark blue and the slipcase (22.9x14.2cm.) is grey
. . . 
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
Fanny (Frances) Burney (1752-1840) was one of England’s earliest female novelists. Her first novel, Evelina, is still in print today, and was wildly successful when it was first published anonymously.
She led an extraordinary life, mingling with the upper echelons of society in London, and later in her life, Paris. She was a good friend of Samuel Johnson (of dictionary fame) and met a vast range of people including many members of the aristocratic class in England, Omoo (the Tahitian prince), James Boswell (author), Napoleon Bonaparte, James Bruce (explorer), opera singers, leading doctors and senior military leaders.
She recounts events in her life as varied as the balloon ascent by Mr. Blancahard, the return to London of Queen Caroline, the battle of Waterloo which she experienced from Brussels, and the French Revolution and its aftermath after marrying a French nobleman (General Alexandre d’Arblay) at the age of 41.
For many years in mid-life she was the wardrobe mistress for Queen Charlotte, and on close terms with her and King George III (including during his madness) and their children.
All these events and personalities were recorded in her diary, which makes it fascinating reading, and a great insight to society and life in the latter part of the 18th. Century.
The xii + 315 page book is introduced by John Wain and has 12 monochrome illustrations of people and places mentioned in the text. The book is arranged chronologically and is bound in maroon cloth blocked in gilt on the cover and spine with a design. The grey endpapers are printed with a white pattern. There is an extensive bibliographical index at the back of the book. The top page edges are stained dark blue and the slipcase (22.9x14.2cm.) is grey
. . . 
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2RRCBS
I randomly took this book out to admire just the other day! I read it years ago and loved it, also loved her novels. I know FS will never publish them but they are near the top of my wish list!
3Son.of.York
Fun fact: Burney’s novel Camilla (1796) was sold by subscription (crowd-sourcing for the 18th century), and the list of subscribers includes a then-unknown lady from Hampshire, a certain “Miss J. Austen, Steventon”.
