Virginia Woolf famously lauded Frances Burney as the „mother of English fiction“. In her own time, Burney was a famous novelist who moved between fascinating literary and cultural circles, such as the Bluestockings, and the intriguing world of George III‘s court. Today, however, Burney is mostly - if at all - known as having inspired a supposedly ‚greater genius‘ of her time: Jane Austen. While this is certainly relevant, as Austen greatly enjoyed Burney‘s novels, Burney's own oeuvre deserves more attention for its own merits: Her novels engage in a critical and nuanced manner with important issues of her day, such as gender inequality, and Burney‘s particular style has contributed much to the development of the realist novel. In this seminar, we will accordingly do justice to this influential writer by delving into her fascinating novels and their contexts.
We will be reading two of Burney‘s fictions in full:
Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress, Oxford World Classics edition - ISBN: 9780199552382
Evelina,Or The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World, Oxford World Classics edition - ISBN: 978-0-19-953693-1
Please note:
We will discuss Evelina first and begin on Cecilia roughly half-way through the term. Cecilia is a bit of a longer text and can sometimes have longer delivery times so do make sure you order the book in time and begin reading it in a timely manner!
- Dozent/in: Alina Aulbur