Evelina

1778, Signet Classic edition 1992
Fanny Burney
Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World
Original price $6.95, bought used for unknown
Paperback in pretty bad condition
B

Far more genteel than Humphry Clinker, this novel was one of Jane Austen's major influences.  Austen wrote both parodies and homages of such Burneyan characters as stiff, aristocratic love interests; naive, sentimental young ladies; and crude, embarrassing relatives.  Even without the Austen connection, this story told through letters from and about Evelina "Anville" (the pseudonymous last name being almost an anagram of the first) is a fun, quick read (despite being 400+ pages).  That's why the condition is so poor for a (relatively new for me) edition:  I've reread it every two or three years since I bought it.