Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

By Jane Austen and Alfred Mac Adam

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:

•     New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars
•     Biographies of the authors
•     Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events
•     Footnotes and endnotes
•     Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work
•     Comments by other famous authors
•     Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations
•     Bibliographies for further reading
•     Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate

All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.

A wonderfully entertaining coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen’s “Gothic parody.” Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist.

The story’s unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry’s mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.

Executed with high-spirited gusto, Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen’s novels, yet at its core this delightful novel is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics
• Release date: Jun 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781411432796

Jane Austen

Born in 1775, Jane Austen published four of her six novels anonymously. Her work was not widely read until the late nineteenth century, and her fame grew from then on. Known for her wit and sharp insight into social conventions, her novels about love, relationships, and society are more popular year after year. She has earned a place in history as one of the most cherished writers of English literature.

Book preview

Volume 1

008

CHAPTER I

009

No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected, or poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was Richard¹—and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence,a besides two good livingsb—and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters. Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born; and instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world, as any body might expect, she still lived on—lived to have six children more—to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself. A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number; but the Morlands had little other right to the word, for they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her life, as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features;—so much for her person;—and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind. She was fond of all boys’ plays, and greatly preferred cricket, not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush. Indeed she had no taste for a garden; and if she gathered flowers at all, it was chiefly for the pleasure of mischief—at least so it was conjectured from her always preferring those which she was forbidden to take.—Such were her propensities—her abilities were quite as extraordinary. She never could learn or understand any thing before she was taught; and sometimes not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasionally stupid. Her mother was three months in teaching her only to repeat the Beggar’s Petition,² and, after all, her next sister, Sally could say it better than she did. Not that Catherine was always stupid,—by no means; she learnt the fable of The Hare and many Friends, as quickly as any girl in England.³ Her mother wished her to learn music; and Catherine was sure she should like it, for she was very fond of tinkling the keys of the old forlorn spinnet;c so, at eight years old she began. She learnt a year, and could not bear it; and Mrs. Morland, who did not insist on her daughters being accomplished in spite of incapacity or distaste, allowed her to leave off. The day which dismissed the music-master was one of the happiest of Catherine’s life. Her taste for drawing was not superior; though whenever she could obtain the outside of a letter from her mother, or seize upon any other odd piece of paper, she did what she could in that way, by drawing houses and trees, hens and chickens, all very much like one another.—Writing and accounts she was taught by her father; French by her mother: her proficiency in either was not remarkable, and she shirked her lessons in both whenever she could. What a strange, unaccountable character!—for with all these symptoms of profligacy at ten years old, she had neither a bad heart nor a bad temper; was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and very kind to the little ones, with few interruptions of tyranny; she was moreover noisy and wild, hated confinement and cleanliness, and loved nothing so well in the world as rolling down the green slope at the back of the house.

Such was Catherine Morland at ten. At fifteen appearances were mending; she began to curl her hair and long for balls; her complexion improved, her features were softened by plumpness and colour, her eyes gained more animation, and her figure more consequence. Her love of dirt gave way to an inclination for finery, and she grew clean as she grew smart; she had now the pleasure of sometimes hearing her father and mother remark on her personal improvement. Catherine grows quite a good-looking girl,—she is almost pretty to-day, were words which caught her ears now and then; and how welcome were the sounds! To look almost pretty is an acquisition of higher delight to a girl who has been looking plain the first fifteen years of her life, than a beauty from her cradle can ever receive.

Mrs. Morland was a very good woman, and wished to see her children every thing they ought to be; but her time was so much occupied in lying-ind and teaching the little ones, that her elder daughters were inevitably left to shift for themselves; and it was not very wonderful that Catherine, who had by nature nothing heroic about her, should prefer cricket, base ball,e riding on horseback, and running about the country at the age of fourteen, to books—or at least books of information—for, provided that nothing like useful knowledge could be gained from them, provided they were all story and no reflection, she had never any objection to books at all. But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes of their eventful lives.

From Pope, she learnt to censure those who

bear about the mockery of woe.

From Gray, that

"Many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its fragrance on the desert air."

From Thomson, that

—"It is a delightful task

To teach the young idea how to shoot. "

And from Shakespeare she gained a great store of information—amongst the rest, that

—"Trifles light as air,

Are, to the jealous, confirmation strong,

As proofs of Holy Writ. "

That

"The poor beetle, which we tread upon,

In corporal sufferance feels a pang as great

As when a giant dies. "

And that a young woman in love always looks

—"like Patience on a monument

Smiling at Giief. "⁴

So far her improvement was sufficient—and in many other points she came on exceedingly well; for though she could not write sonnets, she brought herself to read them; and though there seemed no chance of her throwing a whole party into raptures by a prelude on the pianoforte, of her own composition, she could listen to other people’s performance with very little fatigue. Her greatest deficiency was in the pencil—she had no notion of drawing—not enough even to attempt a sketch of her lover’s profile, that she might be detected in the design. There she fell miserably short of the true heroic height. At present she did not know her own poverty, for she had no lover to pourtray. She had reached the age of seventeen, without having seen one amiable youth who could call forth her sensibility: without having inspired one real passion, and without having excited even any admiration but what was very moderate and very transient. This was strange indeed! But strange things may be generally accounted for if their cause be fairly searched out. There was not one lord in the neighbourhood; no—not even a baronet. There was not one family among their acquaintance who had reared and supported a boy accidentally found at their door⁵—not one young man whose origin was unknown. Her father had no ward,f and the squireg of the parish no children.

But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way.

Mr. Allen, who owned the chief of the property about Fullerton, h the village in Wiltshire where the Morlands lived, was ordered to Bathi for the benefit of a gouty constitution;j—and his lady, a good-humoured woman, fond of Miss Morland, and probably aware that, if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad, invited her to go with them. Mr. and Mrs. Morland were all compliance, and Catherine all happiness.

CHAPTER II

010

In addition to what has been already said of Catherine Morland’s personal and mental endowments, when about to be launched into all the difficulties and dangers of a six weeks’ residence in Bath, it may be stated, for the reader’s more certain information, lest the following pages should otherwise fail of giving any idea of what her character is meant to be; that her heart was affectionate, her disposition cheerful and open, without conceit or affectation of any kind—her manners just removed from the awkwardness and shyness of a girl; her person pleasing, and, when in good looks, pretty—and her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is.

When the hour of departure drew near, the maternal anxiety of Mrs. Morland will be naturally supposed to be most severe. A thousand alarming presentiments of evil to her beloved Catherine from this terrific separation must oppress her heart with sadness, and drown her in tears for the last day or two of their being together; and advice of the most important and applicable nature must of course flow from her wise lips in their parting conference in her closet. Cautions against the violence of such noblemen and baronets as delight in forcing young ladies away to some remote farm-house, must, at such a moment, relieve the fulness of her heart. Who would not think so? But Mrs. Morland knew so little of lords and baronets, that she entertained no notion of their general mischievousness, and was wholly unsuspicious of danger to her daughter from their machinations. Her cautions were confined to the following points. I beg, Catherine, you will always wrap yourself up very warm about the throat, when you come from the Rooms at night; and I wish you would try to keep some account of the money you spend;—I will give you this little book on purpose.

Sally, or rather Sarah, (for what young lady of common gentility will reach the age of sixteen without altering her name as far as she can?) must from situation be at this time the intimate friend and confidante of her sister. It is remarkable, however, that she neither insisted on Catherine’s writing by every post, nor exacted her promise of transmitting the character of every new acquaintance, nor a detail of every interesting conversation that Bath might produce. Every thing indeed relative to this important journey was done, on the part of the Morlands, with a degree of moderation and composure, which seemed rather consistent with the common feelings of common life, than with the refined susceptibilities, the tender emotions which the first separation of a heroine from her family ought always to excite. Her father, instead of giving her an unlimited order on his banker, or even putting an hundred pounds bank-bill into her hands, gave her only ten guineas,k and promised her more when she wanted it.

Under these unpromising auspices, the parting took place, and the journey began. It was performed with suitable quietness and uneventful safety. Neither robbers nor tempests befriended them, nor one lucky overturn to introduce them to the hero. Nothing more alarming occurred than a fear on Mrs. Allen’s side, of having once left her clogs behind her at an inn, and that fortunately proved to be groundless.

They arrived at Bath. Catherine was all eager delight;—her eyes were here, there, every where, as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already.

They were soon settled in comfortable lodgings in Pulteney-street.l

It is now expedient to give some description of Mrs. Allen, that the reader may be able to judge, in what manner her actions will hereafter tend to promote the general distress of the work, and how she will, probably, contribute to reduce poor Catherine to all the desperate wretchedness of which a last volume is capable—whether by her imprudence, vulgarity, or jealousy—whether by intercepting her letters, ruining her character,m or turning her out of

Reviews for Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

[jamiem12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's a classic!!

[et.carole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this one. Got it in a small green volume from our local library. My first Jane Austen read.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I realize I've read this twice before, but I enjoyed it more this time than in the past. This is lighter and more amusing than some of Austen's books. Catherine's over-active imagination, fueled by the novels she reads, leads to some interesting situations and misunderstandings. As always, I enjoy reading about this time in English history.

[belana-990668 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Pride and Prejudice, but Northanger Abbey has always been one of my favourite Jane Austen books. What's not to love? A young girl with her head full of Gothic novels, falling in love with the youngest son of a noble man. A spooky mansion, a secret, angst, etc. I think it's brilliant, but then I guess I'm a Jane Austen fan. ;)

[jessicareadsthings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I know people don't typically enjoy this novel because it doesn't "sound like Austen." But I really loved it. I can see so much of myself in Catherine Moreland. Aside from assuming that I'm living in a Gothic novel, of course.

[spiralsheep · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

113/2020. This was a set text at school when I was 11. As you can probably imagine, I had far more in common with the protagonist in the first few paragraphs, when she was keeping pets and rolling down hills, than for the entire remainder of the novel. I had no interest in romance novels and probably the only gothic fiction I'd encountered was Scooby Doo cartoons. And so I, like so many other schoolchildren, was unnecessarily put off a classic text and author for no perceivable reason. Fortunately, unlike many other ex-schoolchildren, I had the inclination to re-assay a few of the classics that education had ruined for me by forcing them on me when I was far too young to connect with them. Needless to say that as an adult I have much more empathy for the teenage heroine than I did as a child.Northanger Abbey isn't as funny as Pride and Prejudice, or as emotive as Sense and Sensibility, and it shares the mild tendency to longueurs with Persuasion, but the protagonist is adorable and the author witty.My only annoyance with the novel is the hero, Henry Tilney, who is one of those ghastly entitled sons of the gentry who claims a position in the Church of England for the tied house and tithed income and then takes the money and runs, leaving the pastoral care of his parishioners to an underpaid curate. Jane Austen did care enough about the situation to show Henry attending at least one parish meeting, which would've been in his financial interests after all, and filling in at one Sunday service because his curate was otherwise occupied, so that's more of a damn than most of this author's peers gave, but even as someone who couldn't give two hoots about religion I still can't like or approve of Henry the greedy hypocrite. I can only hope teen bride Catherine Morland's early family training stays with her into marriage and she doesn't begin to imitate her Tilney in-laws too much.Quote"She was heartily ashamed of her ignorance - a misplaced shame. Where people wish to attach, they should always be ignorant. To come with a well−informed mind is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others, which a sensible person would always wish to avoid. A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can."

[philsyphe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I admire Jane Austen’s eloquent language, gripping plots are not her strong point. That said, “Northanger Abbey” engaged me more than all but one (“Emma”) of her other books. More happens in this novel than in, say, “Pride & Prejudice”, and I liked most of the characters, especially Catherine.

[thetruebookaddict · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite Austen, but definitely worth a read for any Austen fan. Austen had a knack for writing duplicitous characters. Isabella Thorpe, I'm looking at you. I loved all the references to the Gothic novels of the time.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I was younger, I didn't think that this book by Austen measured up to her other books. Now I find it so amusing! Perhaps I was too close to the teenage mentality that she pokes fun at in this book to see the humor back then.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the way she mocked the tropes of this type of book

[nog_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This early Austen skewers the Gothic novel, or at least how seriously impressionable young ladies were affected by them. I was reminded of how often Poe used the word "gloomy", but here it is used for comic effect. What's interesting is how you can see the prototypes of future Austen characters; here they are definitely more cartoonish, especially a particular cad. Right out of the gate, she pulls out her favorite plot device: the unfortunate misunderstanding that won't get resolved until the final pages. Once again, we get to that ending with the happy wedding. Obviously, these marriages were destined to work out, since the novels stop here.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really solid for her first work. Enjoyable characters. Not TOO predictable plot. The ending was a little abrupt, but overall a quick, fun read that shows how Austen developed her craft.

[steller0707 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So says Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey - I can almost hear her voice:

“And now I may dismiss my heroine to the sleepless couch, which is the true heroine's portion - to a pillow strewed with thorns and wet with tears. And lucky may she think herself, if she get another good night's rest in the course of the next three months.”

Is this a foreshadowing of more ominous events that will intrude on our heroine's new society life? Of course it is! Catherine is young and naive when she travels to Bath and begins to make friends, to go to balls and to learn what manners are expected of a lady. She loves gothic novels, popular at the time. So when she finds herself a guest at Northanger Abbey, her imagination runs wild.

The annotated version I read was peppered with prints of Bath, the countryside and the fashions of the times, which added to the enjoyment of Jane Austen's prose. Although not one of her better known novels, it is just as good.

[haloedrain · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I see what she was trying to do here, but it comes off more frustrated and catty than satirical. It does make me glad that I live in the 21st century, though, and not the 18th.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey was the first she completed for publication, in 1803, though it was not published until after her death in 1817. The work satirizes gothic novels though the heroine, Catherine Morland, who “is in training for a heroine.” She is fond of gothic novels, particularly the work of Ann Radcliffe’s work, and this allows Austen to comment on the novel as a literary form, defending it against critics who derided it for its supposed lack of serious content. Discussing her reading habits, Catherine describes the follies then current in historical writing, saying, “The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all – it is very tiresome: and yet I often think it odd that it should be so dull, for a great deal of it must be invention. The speeches that are put into the heroes’ mouths, their thoughts and designs – the chief of all this must be invention, and invention is what delights me in other books” (pg. 102). As modern academic history was relatively recent, first appearing with Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in 1776, Austen comments on the earlier fashion of historical writing and how authors would simply repackage classical texts with some of their own inventions to spice up the narrative. The power of reading runs through Austen’s work, driving many of Catherine’s choices and informing her conversations. This Barnes & Noble edition includes an introduction and notes from Alfred Mac Adam that the Austen scholar may find interesting, though his habit of putting definitions for all the early-nineteenth century terms in the footnotes becomes distracting, especially as the meaning of most can be gleaned from context.

[ainjel-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favourite Austen novel, but still a lovely read and a very intriguing story. Northanger Abbey concerns itself with appearance, style, and fashion. This is established immediately with the author's advertisement, and with the repetition in the first few chapters that Catherine is the "heroine" and must appear "heroic." Of course, Austen breaks down the rules of appearances, demonstrating throughout the length of the novel that nothing is as it appears. Even the lovely abbey that Catherine longs for, she soon remarks that it is the place where she has been most miserable, and received the most terrible news, as opposed to its exterior joys. All in all, it's a snarky Austen, and a witty Austen, but it lacks the mastery of some of Austen's other works.

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quite surprising novel in its frankness and how it treats the subject matter. Austen proves her worth by crafting characters whose journeys inward parallel the motion of the plot-line occurring around them. While the prose might seem a little dated by today's standards, there is still much to be admired here. This is, I believe, one of Austen's finer novels.

3.35-- worth the read.

[eraderneely · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After being so-so about Pride and Prejudice, which everyone seems to love, I was suprised at how much I liked Northanger Abbey. It is genuinely funny.

[cassandrat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

actually very exciting and intriguing. early references to baseball and literature. it has a lot of character. Austen still can't write dialogue for confessions of love.

[jamiebh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm on a mission to read (and in some cases re-read) all of Jane Austen's novels this year. I had never read Northanger Abbey and a good friend suggested I start here because the book is entertaining and on the shorter side.

I really enjoyed the story and the amazing amount undertone of sarcasm in regards to the lack of respect for novel writing/novel reading during this time.

I kept having to remind myself that Catherine is only 17 however, regardless of age she has absolutely no self awareness or confidence. Honestly, there were quite a few times where she annoyed me to the point of having to put the book down. I hated how naive she was in recognizing Isabella as the awful man hunter that she is and I hated that she allowed both the Thorpes (and even her own brother) to manipulate her continuously.

I loved how Henry tried to act as Catherine's voice of reason and teach her what things in life are truly important or how to see people for what they really are. His patience in her daftness is sweet and makes him the perfect hero and love interest.

This novel was entertaining and scarily reminiscent of certain young girls even in this modern age.

[seriesousbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think Pride and Prejudice is still my fave Austen novel but this is a close second. I love the satire of it all and wish more of her books were like this. highly entertaining!

[frenzie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first glance a simple parody of gothic novels turned parody of manners, Austen's irony manages to surpass the limitations that might seem inherent in such an approach. Perhaps the parody is not of the fiction as of the society that inspired it, that reveled in keeping women ignorant.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not nearly as strong as Jane Austen's other novels, this one is a little lacking but makes up for it with beautiful prose and well developed characters. This novel attempts to be gothic in points and I don't believe that is Austen's strong suit; I'm more about deception, societal roles, and romance. This story centers on Catherine, a smart sensible girl of 18 who gets to spend several weeks in Bath with her childless neighbors. While there she becomes best friends with Isabelle and finds herself always going on double dates with Isabelle, her older brother, John, and James, Catherine's older brother. John quite fancies Catherine but she has her eye on Mr. Tinley and she's determined to make his and his younger sister's acquaintance. What's a girl to do (hint, get a husband... but which man to choose?!?!?) Good ol' fashioned regency era romance.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen contains several elements that make one believe this is a Gothic novel, it is really more of a satire on Gothic novels, especially the ones that were popular during Jane Austen’s time. This is a coming of age story about seventeen year old Catherine Morland, who is thrilled to be taken to Bath, a resort community for wealthy members of the British society, by family friends.While at Bath, she meets a young clergyman, Henry Tilney and is very impressed by him. She also befriends his sister, Eleanor. She is invited to accompany the Tilney family to their home of Northanger Abbey. Catherine who pictures herself as a Gothic novel heroine is thrilled to be visiting the Abbey and gives her imagination free rein which leads her into some embarrassing difficulties. Also a rejected suitor spreads some lies about her family’s finances which causes Mr. Tilney to order his son, Henry, to stay away from her. Eventually the truth comes out and Henry and Catherine are free to declare their love for each other. I listened to an audio version of Northanger Abbey as read by Juliet Stevenson who did an excellent job with the story and the many characters. Through Catherine’s adventures she matures and comes to a greater understanding of herself. Although Catherine and Henry didn’t have the spark of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, or the quiet intensity of Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth from Persuasion, they grew on me over the course of the book and I found myself rooting for them. Northanger Abbey is an excellent vehicle for showing Jane Austen’s comedic side and I enjoyed this playful love story a great deal.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

17-year old Catherine has gone to visit friends, Mr. and Mrs. Allen, in Bath. While there, she meets Isabelle and Miss Tilney, who will also become friends,. Miss Tilney has a handsome borther, who catches Catherine's eye, though Isabelle's brother is also interested in Catherine. I really liked this one. I liked Catherine and Mr. Tilney, in particular, and I loved their banter! I thought it got even more interesting in the last 1/3 of the book, when Catherine came to Northanger Abbey, the Tilney's home. I especially enjoyed Mr. Tilney's description of the house and Catherine's first couple of nights there. So far, this is one of my favourites by Austen.

[krazy4katz · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Although Jane Austen has a wonderful sense of humor, which weaves its way through her stories, I found the plot rather dull. I knew (or suspected) the ending quite early in the book and thought more could have been written about it. Instead it was just tacked onto the end of the book. Not much happens but the dialogue is very good.

[narshkite · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the past 10 years I have revisited many books I did not like when forced to read them in high school and college. This has been a wonderful experience on the whole. Authors like Faulkner and Wharton were despised by young me and are beloved by old me. So the time seemed right to revisit Northanger Abbey, a book I did not like on first reading though it was written by one of my favorite authors. Sadly it did not work out fot me. I was perhaps more impressed with Austen's facility with language than I was at 20. I also suspect I may have missed some of the dry quips on first read, and I enjoyed those. But the story bored me to tears, and the parody of horrid novels was lost on me. Also, it bothered me that I liked no one, and found no character at all interesting. Ah well, I love all other Austen, it would be petty to complain about a single outlier.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am so glad I read this - so that I never have to read it again. She's a very good author, I agree - but you have to have some knowledge of a subject to enjoy a satire on it, and I avoid Gothic novels because I find them boring and histrionic. So I missed 90% of her clever satirical bits (all but the ones she pointed out with loud handwavings and lampshadings) and got to read a boring, histrionic Gothic novel. The characters are rather sketchy - aside from Our Heroine and a little bit Our Hero, none of them move much past stereotype. The events are (deliberately) dull, ordinary, and conventional...hmm, we never did get that abduction in a coach and four she mentioned as a future event. I was expecting it to show up during her ride home, and to be conventionally explained. It's almost a sweet little romance, but the obstacles are so silly... I also found the narrator/author extremely intrusive, particularly at the beginning while she was explaining how Catherine was a heroine despite lacking all the standard markers. Hopefully this is part of the satire, and not her standard form. I will read more Austen (this was, I believe, my first), and will do my best to forget about this one.

[majesdane-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delightful parody of popular 18th century Gothic novels. I never cared much for Austen before, but this book is fantastic.

[gennac-606910 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Austen’s earliest written yet last published of her most famous novels is, arguably, her most satirical work and an absolute gem. An undeniably feisty narration, easily envisioned as the impervious Jane with its invaluable commentary on novel reading and writing of the era, follows the heroine Catherine Morland as she blunders adorably through society and her misconceptions about life and romance. Endearing in her innocence and preoccupation with projecting the plots of melodramatic gothic novels onto her everyday experiences, it is impossible to not sympathize with and encourage the young heroine simultaneously as she struggles to right herself. In spite of its subtle flaws, or perhaps because of them, Northanger Abbey serves as a unique juxtaposition to Austen’s later writing style and subject matter; a quietly comic literary achievement.