Volume IV of The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney, covering the years 1780-1781, will be of particular interest to students of Burney as it marks the young author's introduction into the world following the astonishing success of her novel Evelina (1778) and includes her visits to Streatham and her encounters with Hester and Henry Thrale and Dr Johnson. It was an exciting period in her life, which she managed to enjoy despite struggling to repeat her first success while avoiding the often unwelcome attention it brought. But it was also a difficult period in her family life as she dealt with jealous interference by her stepmother, the courtship of her sister Susan by a man she considered untrustworthy, and the misbehaviour of her brothers. Burney's enthusiasm makes the most of her experiences and she describes characters and scenes with all the genius displayed in her novels. Her descriptions contain the four great attributes that distinguish her novels: brilliant handling of detail, total and full recall of conversations characteristic of the speaker, sensibility and empathy for others, and great relish for the ridiculous wherever it occurred.

Frances Burney's profile page

Betty Rizzo's profile page

Fanny Burney was best known in her own time as the author of Evilina and other novels. Her modern reputation, however, rests primarily on her extensive journals and letters. The third of eleven children of Charles Burney, an eminent musician, author, and composer, she began keeping a journal of her experiences in London's musical, theatrical, and literary circles as a shy and precocious girl of 15.

"Rizzo's knowledge of the Burney family and most of the relevant contexts required to understand and explain Burney's frames of reference is remarkable. The Streatham Years, Part II, 1780-1781 makes a significant contribution to research and will be essen

"A magnificent work of scholarship. The Streatham Years, Part II, 1780-1781 makes a valuable addition The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney, under the general editorship of Lars Troide. It provides hitherto unpublished material ans contains remarkably extensive and astute annotations by Betty Rizzo. She brings an exceptional grasp of Burney's world to this volume. Scarcely any stone has been left unturned, and almost every appropriate reference work has been put to good use." Peter Sabor, Département des litteratures, Université de Laval