Co-incidentally I'm reading Evelina for the first time, for a Literature of London online course. After a slow start (oh, those opening letters between her guardians!) I loved her wit and forthrightness.
What perfect timing! Yes, people weren't afraid of a leisurely set-up…although, I do think contemporary readers especially would have been quite intrigued by all the hints about Mme. Duval. It's more poor old Mr. Villars…
Co-incidentally I'm reading Evelina for the first time, for a Literature of London online course. After a slow start (oh, those opening letters between her guardians!) I loved her wit and forthrightness.
What perfect timing! Yes, people weren't afraid of a leisurely set-up…although, I do think contemporary readers especially would have been quite intrigued by all the hints about Mme. Duval. It's more poor old Mr. Villars…
How I would like to see Monsieur Laclos's face, when confronted with women surgeons and astronauts, let alone poets, philosophers, and essayists.
This made me laugh…yes! (Although, of course, everyone knows the only reason women are quite good at novels is because they write so many letters…)
Yes, we're big gossips and graphomaniacs, that's the secret.