Novel

Cecilia; or, Memoirs of an Heiress

by Fanny Burney

Cecilia Beverley will inherit a fortune on condition that her husband takes her name, which proves a great deal to ask of a proud family. Burney’s second novel came out in five volumes in 1782, and this is the first. A line near its end, blaming everyone’s misery on pride and prejudice, is often thought to have given Austen the title of her second novel.

The librarian

Read it in the Library After Dark Or read it as plain text

Reading time

About 7 hr 15 min

Where to find it

The Austen Room

Edition

Project Gutenberg, eBook #6346. In the public domain in the United States.