Camilla; Or, A Picture of Youth

Both satirical and serious, comedic and Gothic, Burney’s novel helped establish her reputation as one of the most popular writers of eighteenth-century England. Referred to in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (1803) and Maria Edgeworth’s Belinda (1801), Camilla; Or, A Picture of Youth was a popular and critically acclaimed novel that served as inspiration for some of the leading literary figures of the early nineteenth century. After years of silence, Mr. Augustus Tyrold moves to the rural estate of Cleves to be near his brother Sir Hugh, who lives at a local parsonage. Lonely and crippled, Sir Hugh hopes to act as a mentor to his nieces and nephews. He takes a liking to Camilla, the middle daughter, and endeavors to make her his heiress while raising her in his own household. Although initially cautious, Mr. and Mrs. Tyrold eventually send Camilla to live at Sir Hugh’s home, where her