One of the first romance books ever published, Frances Burney’s 1782 novel paints a vivid portrait of life and love among 18th-century London’s high society set. After 20-year-old Cecilia learns she will only be permitted to inherit her late uncle’s fortune if she finds a husband who agrees to take her surname, the orphan heiress must navigate an army of suitors—ranging from the gentlemanly to the scoundrelly—in pursuit of a partner who will allow her to maintain her financial autonomy. Fueled by misunderstandings, duels, and secret marriage plots, the comedy of manners-meets-romance proved quite successful, earning praise for its sharp social satire and yielding more than 50 different editions in the nearly 250 years since its release. It also had an untold influence on Jane Austen, who adopted a similar use of free indirect discourse and is thought to have pulled the title of Pride and Prejudice from Cecilia’s final pages. Austen also directly references Burney’s work in Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Sanditon.
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