Madame D'Arblay [Frances Burney]; [Charlotte Barrett], ed. DIARY AND LETTERS OF MADAME D'ARBLAY. 7 volumes (complete). London: Henry Colburn, 1842 and 1846. Half blue calf, morocco labels, gilt stamped lettering and designs, and raised bands on spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. 12mo. Each with portrait frontispiece with tissue guard.

7 7/8 x 5 1/4 in. each.

From the Collection of Professor Roberto Severino, Washington, D.C.

Frances (Fanny) Burney (England, 1752-1840), who became Madame D'Arblay after her marriage to a Frenchman when she was in her in early 40s, was a bestselling novelist. She critiqued the lives of aristocrats and her work is often compared to that of Jane Austen. In fact, in the final chapter of her novel Cecilia, one character repeats the phrase "pride and prejudice" three times, reportedly providing the title of Austen's second novel. Significantly, it is argued that her novels "expose the serious contemporary problems facing women in her patriarchal society" (Fung, 937). In addition to novels, D'Arblay wrote plays and made numerous diary entries from the 1770s until her death. These diaries, along with her letters, were edited first by D'Arblay and then later by her niece Charlotte Barrett. First published in 1842-46, the several subsequent editions demonstrate the popularity of her writing that tells a great deal about both D'Arblay and late 18th- and early 19th-century British society.
Fung, Julian. "Frances Burney as Satirist." The Modern Language Review 106, no. 4 (October 2011): 937-53.

Spines sunned and moderately rubbed, board scuffed with light staining, edgewear, and corners rubbed, many with boards slightly bowed; pages toned, with scattered mild to moderate foxing, occasional staining and offsetting.