Northanger Abbey

By Jane Austen

NORTHANGER ABBEY was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be completed for public¬cation, though she had previously made a start on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. According to Cassandra Austen's Memorandum, Susan (as it was first called) was written circa 1798-99.

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is one of ten children of a country clergyman. Although a tomboy in her childhood, by the age of 17 she is "in training for a heroine" and is excessively fond of reading Gothic novels, among which Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho is a favourite. Catherine is invited by the Allens, her wealthier neighbours in Fullerton, to accompany them to visit the town of Bath and partake in the winter season of balls, theatre and other social delights. Although initially the excitement of Bath is dampened by her lack of acquaintances, she is soon introduced to a clever young gentleman, Henry Tilney, with whom she dances and converses. Much to Catherine's disappointment, Henry does not reappear in the subsequent week and, not knowing whether or not he has left Bath for good, she wonders if she will ever see him again. Through Mrs. Allen's old school-friend Mrs. Thorpe, she meets her daughter Isabella, a vivacious and flirtatious young woman, and the two quickly become friends. Mrs. Thorpe's son John is also a friend of Catherine's older brother, James, at Oxford where they are both students. James and John arrive unexpectedly in Bath. While Isabella and James spend time together, Catherine becomes acquainted with John, a vain and crude young gentleman who incessantly tells fantastical stories about himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wisehouse Classics
• Release date: Dec 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9789176371329

Jane Austen

Born December 16, 1775, Jane Austen is one of the most celebrated authors of the English language. Her fiction is known for its witty satires on English society. Austen wrote anonymously during her life and wasn't widely recognized as a great English writer until after her death in 1817.

Book preview

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Chapter 1

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 Richard— and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence besides two good livings—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 anybody 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 boy’s 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 anything 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; 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. 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 spinner; 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 today, 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 everything they ought to be; but her time was so much occupied in lying-in 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, baseball, 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 Thompson, 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 Grief.

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 portray. 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 door—not one young man whose origin was unknown. Her father had no ward, and the squire 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, the village in Wiltshire where the Morlands lived, was ordered to Bath for the benefit of a gouty constitution—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.

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Chapter 2

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. Everything 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, 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, everywhere, 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.

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, or turning her out of doors.

Mrs. Allen was one of that numerous class of females, whose society can raise no other emotion than surprise at there being any men in the world who could like them well enough to marry them. She had neither beauty, genius, accomplishment, nor manner. The air of a gentlewoman, a great deal of quiet, inactive good temper, and a trifling turn of mind were all that could account for her being the choice of a sensible, intelligent man like Mr. Allen. In one respect she was admirably fitted to introduce a young lady into public, being as fond of going everywhere and seeing everything herself as any young lady could be. Dress was her passion. She had a most harmless delight in being fine; and our heroine’s entree into life could not take place till after three or four days had been spent in learning what was mostly worn, and her chaperone was provided with a dress of the newest fashion. Catherine too made some purchases herself, and when all these matters were arranged, the important evening came which was to usher her into the Upper Rooms. Her hair was cut and dressed by the best hand, her clothes put on with care, and both Mrs. Allen and her maid declared she looked quite as she should do. With such encouragement, Catherine hoped at least to pass uncensured through the crowd. As for admiration, it was always very welcome when it came, but she did not depend on it.

Mrs. Allen was so long in dressing that they did not enter the ballroom till late. The season was full, the room crowded, and the two ladies squeezed in as well as they could. As for Mr. Allen, he repaired directly to the card-room, and left them to enjoy a mob by themselves. With more care for the safety of her new gown than for the comfort of her protegee, Mrs. Allen made her way through the throng of men by the door, as swiftly as the necessary caution would allow; Catherine, however, kept close at her side, and linked her arm too firmly within her friend’s to be torn asunder by any common effort of a struggling assembly. But to her utter amazement she found that to proceed along the room was by no means the way to disengage themselves from the crowd; it seemed rather to increase as they went on, whereas she had imagined that when once fairly within the door, they should easily find seats and be able to watch the dances with perfect convenience. But this was far from being the case, and though by unwearied diligence they gained even the top of the room, their situation was just the same; they saw nothing of the dancers but the high feathers of some of the ladies. Still they moved on— something better was yet in view; and by a continued exertion of strength and ingenuity they found themselves at last in the passage behind the highest bench. Here there was something less of crowd than below; and hence Miss Morland had a comprehensive view of all the company beneath her, and of all the dangers of her late passage through them. It was a splendid sight, and she began, for the first time that evening, to feel herself at a ball: she longed to dance, but she had not an acquaintance in the room. Mrs. Allen did all that she could do in such a case by saying very placidly, every now and then, I wish you could dance, my dear—I wish you could get a partner. For some time her young friend felt obliged to her for these wishes; but they were repeated so often, and proved so totally ineffectual, that Catherine grew tired at last, and would thank her no more.

They were not long able, however, to enjoy the repose of the eminence they had so laboriously gained. Everybody was shortly in motion for tea, and they must squeeze out like the rest. Catherine began to feel something of disappointment—she was tired of being continually pressed against by people, the generality of whose faces possessed nothing to interest, and with all of whom she was so wholly unacquainted that she could not relieve the irksomeness of imprisonment by the exchange of a syllable with any of her fellow captives; and when at last arrived in the tea-room, she felt yet more the awkwardness of having no party to join, no acquaintance to claim, no gentleman to assist them. They saw nothing of Mr. Allen; and after looking about them in vain for a more eligible situation, were obliged to sit down at the end of a table, at which a large party were already placed, without having anything to do there, or anybody to speak to, except each other.

Mrs. Allen congratulated herself, as soon as they were seated, on having preserved her gown from injury. It would have been very shocking to have it torn, said she, would not it? It is such a delicate muslin. For my part I have not seen anything I like so well in the whole room, I assure you.

How uncomfortable it is, whispered Catherine, not to have a single acquaintance here!

Yes, my dear, replied Mrs. Allen, with perfect serenity, it is very uncomfortable indeed.

What shall we do? The gentlemen and ladies at this table look as if they wondered why we came here—we seem forcing ourselves into their party.

Aye, so we do. That is very disagreeable. I wish we had a large acquaintance here.

I wish we had any—it would be somebody to go to.

Very true, my dear; and if we knew anybody we would join them directly. The Skinners were here last year—I wish they were here now.

Had not we better go away as it is? Here are no tea-things for us, you see.

No more there are, indeed. How very provoking! But I think we had better sit still, for one gets so tumbled in such a crowd! How is my head, my dear? Somebody gave me a push that has hurt it, I am afraid.

No, indeed, it looks very nice. But, dear Mrs. Allen, are you sure there is nobody you know in all this multitude of people? I think you must know somebody.

I don’t, upon my word— I wish I did. I wish I had a large acquaintance here with all my heart, and then I should get you a partner. I should be so glad to have you dance. There goes a strange-looking woman! What an odd gown she has got on! How old-fashioned it is! Look at the back.

After some time they received an offer of tea from one of their neighbours; it was thankfully accepted, and this introduced a light conversation with the gentleman who offered it, which was the only time that anybody spoke to them during the evening, till they were discovered and joined by Mr. Allen when the dance was over.

Well, Miss Morland, said he, directly, I hope you have had an agreeable ball.

Very agreeable indeed, she replied, vainly endeavouring to hide a great yawn.

I wish she had been able to dance, said his wife; I wish we could have got a partner for her. I have been saying how glad I should be if the Skinners were here this winter instead of last; or if the Parrys had come, as they talked of once, she might have danced with George Parry. I am so sorry she has not had a partner!

We shall do better another evening I hope, was Mr. Allen’s consolation.

The company began to disperse when the dancing was over—enough to leave space for the remainder to walk about in some comfort; and now was the time for a heroine, who had not yet played a very distinguished part in the events of the evening, to be noticed and admired. Every five minutes, by removing some of the crowd, gave greater openings for her charms. She was now seen by many young men who had not been near her before. Not one, however, started with rapturous wonder on beholding her, no whisper of eager inquiry ran round the room, nor was she once called a divinity by anybody. Yet Catherine was in very good looks, and had the company only seen her three years before, they would now have thought her exceedingly handsome.

She was looked at, however, and with some admiration; for, in her own hearing, two gentlemen pronounced her to be a pretty girl. Such words had their due effect; she immediately thought the evening pleasanter than she had found it before—her humble vanity was contented— she felt more obliged to the two young men for this simple praise than a true-quality heroine would have been for fifteen sonnets in celebration of her charms, and went to her chair in good humour with everybody, and perfectly satisfied with her share of public attention.

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Chapter 3

EVERY MORNING NOW BROUGHT ITS REGULAR DUTIES—SHOPS WERE TO BE visited; some new part of the town to be looked at; and the pump-room to be attended, where they paraded up and down for an hour, looking at everybody and speaking to no one. The wish of a numerous acquaintance in Bath was still uppermost with Mrs. Allen, and she repeated it after every fresh proof, which every morning brought, of her knowing nobody at all.

They made their appearance in the Lower Rooms; and here fortune was more favourable to our heroine. The master of the ceremonies introduced to her a very gentlemanlike young man as a partner; his name was Tilney. He seemed to be about four or five and twenty, was rather tall, had a pleasing countenance, a very intelligent and lively eye, and, if not quite handsome, was very near it. His address was good, and Catherine felt herself in high luck. There was little leisure for speaking while they danced; but when they were seated at tea, she found him as agreeable as she had already given him credit for being. He talked with fluency and spirit—and there was an archness and pleasantry in his manner which interested, though it was hardly understood by her. After chatting some time on such matters as naturally arose from the objects around them, he suddenly addressed her with—"I have hitherto been very remiss, madam, in the proper attentions of a partner here; I have not yet asked you how long you have been in Bath; whether you were ever here before; whether you have been at the Upper Rooms, the theatre, and the concert; and how you like the place altogether. I have been very negligent—but are you now at leisure to

Reviews for Northanger Abbey

[jamiem12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's a classic!!

[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.

[tess_w · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am not an Austen fan having read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility previously. That being said, I found this Austen read a bit better than the aforementioned ones. Firstly, it was shorter and secondly I found it more humorous. The novel is a satire on Gothic novels (which I love). Catherine, the heroine of the book is a voracious reader with a good imagination. As in all the Austen novels I've read, class and money play a big part in the story. 217 pages 3 1/2 stars (almost a 4!)

[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.

[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.

[sublunarie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I know! It’s incomprehensible! A bibliophiliac such as myself, and a lover of Dickens and Bronte no less! But it’s true, I had never picked up Jane before this. And I’ve actually had this book in my collection for a few years, and only just now got around to i.There is nothing shocking to reveal here. I didn’t discover a distaste for Austen or throw the book across the room in anger. I thought it was wonderful. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and I was impressed with the hilariously scathing swipes at society life. I loved the discussion of novel reading within the novel. I loved Catherine’s flights of fancy and macabre. I was shocked at how things ended up with Isabella (I guess I should have known better, but I honestly thought she was genuine) and very taken with Eleanor. I absolutely loved the threads of female friendship that ran throughout the novel, and thought the romance was quite secondary in that respect.I was a bit confused by nearly every summary I read of the story. They all mention how the story is about Catherine trying to uncover a dark secret at the Abbey. And in all, that storyline was perhaps 3 chapters of the whole book, and no where near the central plot. I’m unsure why it’s so heavily relied upon in summaries.I loved this, my first foray into Austen, and I look forward to continuing!

[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.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[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.

[mottu_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is abook about a woman. She is Catherine. She came to Bath with Mr and Mrs Allen. When she went to balls, she met a girl. She is Isabella. She became her friend. And there She met a man. He is Henry who is destined to marry her. This book is easy to read. So everyone can read easy.

[carmenere_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At seventeen, Catherine Morland reads books. She especially enjoys gothic novels like Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho which contain castles with secret passages, mysterious rooms and evil inhabitants. Miss Morland takes these romantic thoughts with her to Bath where she spends several weeks with her neighbors, the Allens. It is there that she meets Isabella and the braggart, foul mouthed, deceptive John Thorpe and both love Catherine immensely, or do they really? Catherine also befriends Henry and his sister Eleanor Tilney. Catherine loves Henry from the first sight of him. She is ecstatic to be invited to their home, Northanger Abbey. Henry fuels her romantic thoughts on the trip to the Abbey in what seems like a mockery of her love of novels. I so looked forward to reading my beautiful edition of Northanger Abbey but I was just as let down by the Abbey as Catherine. We both expected something that never transpired. There was little romance and hardly any cat and mouse games which I have become accustomed to in an Austen novel. As usual, her trademark injustices of class distinctions are present . The exception to any romantic liaison is John Thorpe who simply loves John Thorpe. I have never met a character which I detest more than this man. His gaul and audacity make me cringe.I never knew for certain Henry's feelings for Catherine as I found the story to lack passion and intensity with a conclusion that is hurried and is simply a review of events by the narrator. A tidy way to wrap things up. It is as if Austen was ready to finish this story and move on to the next. Disappointed that the object of the title did not present itself until Chapter 20! With all do respect, this novel was Austen's first but published post-humously by her brother.I recommend it to lovers of Austen though not enthusiastically.

[sally86_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

By far my favourite Jane Austen book. Lighthearted and funny, with her usual cutting social observations that still hold true. I adore the way she parodies her favourite Gothic novels, and Our Heroine and her True Love are two of her most loveable protagonists, with all their deliciously human flaws and dramatics. We all know how an Austen book will end, but the story is so witty, and Our Heroine so tragically naive that you can't help but delight in the way the story gets there. Anyone who thinks Austen writes "romance" should read Northanger Abbey, it's the best example of just how much more than that there is to her work.

[scucksey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Austin's hand at gothic-style romance, as a way to poke fun at the novels and those who read them. Protagonist Catherine Morland is overly dramatic and a twit. She's my least favorite Austin heroine.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[doingdewey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This may make me a disgrace to Jane Austen fandom, but Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice have always been fairly interchangeable in my mind. They’re just so similar! So, even though I love them both dearly, I was initially very excited to start this book and find something a bit different. As always, I adored Austen’s writing style and her pointed humor. In this book, she very deliberately breaks the tropes of the Gothic novel, with funny asides about the genre along the way. Her points are made clearly enough that I could tell what she was making fun of in Gothic novels, even though I’ve read very few myself. However, as I got further into the book, it soon became clear that there was essentially no plot and the main character isn’t very bright. Although she does grow a bit, she has very little agency. Nearly all of the difficulties she faces are in her head or at least blown all out of proportion. I didn’t really feel that this silly main protagonist deserved the intelligent, funny, kind love interest. In typical Austen fashion though, everything just works itself out in the last few pages. This doesn’t typically bother me, but in this case, there wasn’t enough action by the main character preceding the speedy resolution. Only Austen’s wonderful writing saved this for me.

This review first published on Doing Dewey.

[tinwara · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ian McEwan (loosely) based his novel Atonement on Northanger Abbey, and this, in its turn, inspired me to read this classic by Jane Austen. My expectations were high, as I liked the story of Atonement, and as I - at times - rather enjoy the films based on Jane Austen's books. However, things turned out a bit different than expected...The first part of the story, set in Bath, deals with our naive heroine Catherine, who is introduced in society, makes friends, some of whom appear to be of rather nasty character, and of course, falls in love with a gentleman. Rather typical Jane Austen material! However, it bored me more than I expected. The only thing that positively surprised me was Austen's voice, the way the narrator turns away from the story, and makes her little side comments to us, the readers. The voice of the narrator seemed refreshing, funny at times. Made me wish I could talk to her, instead of having to read the story! As our heroine joins her two friends to Northanger Abbey, the story changes. Catherine, having read too many Gothic novels, and possessed by a lively fantasy, starts to believe that General Tilney, the father of her friends, has committed a horrible crime. Clearly the part that inspired Ian McEwan. However, as McEwan follows this clue through to its bitter consequences, here tension builds up, but is rather suddenly stopped, as Henry Tilney tells her " what you believe is not true". End of tension, end of storyline. Alas, on to some more boring social affairs. The same thing happens again, as Catherine is suddenly sent away from Northanger Abbey, in a rude and inexplicable way. Why? She wonders. Austen explains. Lover comes by and asks her to marry him. Father doesn't agree, but changes his mind and agrees after all. This storyline takes only 20 pages, and that's the end of the book! It seemed as if Austen just didn't feel like writing any more, wanted the story to be finished, over and done with. I feel that the Northanger Abbey part and the last part of the book contain some themes that are interesting enough for a good or romantic novel, however, it seemed as if the author didn't concentrate or care enough.

[bethanie336 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Please don't be angry Austen fans but I'm afraid I will never be able to join your ranks. I liked Pride & Prejudice but I couldn't even finish Persuasion. I can see why fans like Northanger Abbey. Austen got in some pretty cutting comments on social mores and gothic literature. Unfortunately, the humor was not enough to draw me into the story.

[wubsy_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I am not a fan of Austen and this book is part of the reason why. Apart from anything else nothing really happens.

[mpmills · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Catherine Morland, seventeen and naive, travels to Bath as a companion to neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Allen. There she meets new friends and travels with one family, the Tilneys, to their home, Northanger Abbey. While there, Catherine lets her imagination run wild. She eventually learns the truth and finds love. I love Jane Austen.

[technodiabla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book at the beginning but was not a huge fan by the end. The characters seemed somewhat shallow and although they were on the verge of learning some good "coming-of-age" lessons, they instead basically got their way and walked away almost spoiled, rather than mature. Loved the descirptions of Bath, but the Abbey part kind of lost my interest-- it seemed a bit childish. Might be a good read for a pre-teen.

[sofiaandersson_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read that many gothic novels from the 1700:s, so most of the satire is lost on me.

[pinkmouse_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyed, and one of my favourites. Well written and i could realli identify with the over imaginative heroine. I liked the themes of horror stories and her recurring theme of social hierarchy. The ending was good as always and i liked the male hero as he was mysterious and not as definitive as the heroes in her other books, so it left it more to the imagination.

[colleenharker · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Surprisingly funny for Austen! I first read this one for a Gothic Novels class - fantastic class by the way - and really liked it. It's not my favorite of hers, but definitely worth reading. I enjoyed the way she defended her craft against critics of the novel genre.

[nd1524 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Northanger Abbey is a little different than the previous two Austen novels I’ve read. It is a satire on the Gothic novel. I enjoyed it more that S&S, but it still does not live up to the excellence of P&P. Catherine Morland is a lovable character, but she is no Elizabeth, and Henry Tilney is no Darcy. These observations are not however, the sole basis for my opinions. The plot, and the storyline just aren’t as good. The end of the novel is a letdown. Yes, Henry comes and lives happily ever after with Catherine, but I felt an injustice was done to General Tilney. He had been so good to Catherine, and then you find out that it was all for money!? The end just doesn’t feel right. It is rushed and utterly unfulfilling. The ending aside, I really enjoyed NA. The plot flows along nicely, and the false assumptions Catherine derives from her Gothic novels (i.e. General Tilney murdered his wife), provide some comic relief. I enjoyed the first 224 pages out of 236, but the fact that so much happened in the last 12 pages disturbs me. We didn’t even get to read the actual scenes, they were just narrated to us. I just feel like Austen could have done better. No, scratch that. I know Jane Austen could have done better; she showed me that in Pride and Prejudice.

[lucyb7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first read for the Everything Austen Challenge. I picked it because it was Austen’s earliest major work and I had never read it before. It kind of gave me a glimpse of Austen’s earlier writing style and her perceptions of the times.The heroine in this novel is Catherine Morland, who is just an average girl with straightforward manners and not an ounce of pretension; yet, she has an outrageously vivid imagination. This is cleverly and Austen-intended, I believe, to purposely deviate from the conventional heroines of the times.The story begins with Catherine joining a friend of the family, Mrs. Allen, for a vacation at her home in Bath. Her days are filled with socializing, taking walks and especially spending time at the ‘Pump- room’, where she meets the rather hard-edged Henry Tilney. Catherine’s simple, yet direct and opinionated responses and approaches in conversation lead her to distancing Henry for a while.Realizing that she has feelings for him, Catherine begins to wish she could see Henry again and does everything possible for that to happen. Meanwhile she befriends Isabella Thorpe who shares her passion for books and poetry. As the two become inseparable, Catherine feels close enough to Isabella to tell her all about her feelings for Henry Tilney…In fulfilling her dreams of being with Henry, Catherine’s journey evolves through a fiasco of events revealing true personalities, feelings and deceptions. Other important characters that help bring this about involve John Thorpe, Isabella’s brother, who is full of mischief and schemes. As well, Catherine’s brother James, is one who has a love-story of his own to mourn over as his sister begins to put all pieces of the puzzle together. Just to add to life’s intricacies, Henry and Catherine become at odds about a dilemma, caused mainly by Catherine’s imagination. The couple’s difficulties do not stop there as problems get compounded by family misunderstandings.Confusion of events? You bet. This story is filled with the ups-and downs of young love, anxious situations and very comical moments. Catherine was a girl before her times, which makes situations heartening as well as endearing and perfectly understandable. I gasped, laughed and truly enjoyed this Jane Austen novel. It’s the perfect introduction to the author’s subsequent masterpieces.

[timmoran_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Though published posthumously, Northanger Abbey is the earliest of Austen's six major novels to be composed and an excellent and accessible introduction to her work. The remarkably funny opening sentence -- no one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be a heroine -- sets the stage for what is both a parody and an homage to the gothic novel. Morland is no beautiful heroine and she encounters no murderous villains or supernatural mysteries. Yet her marriage to Henry Tilney is barely less fanciful. Ordinary life is revealed to be adventure enough without the need for fantastic elements to spice them. Morland is contrasted with the ultimately deceitful Isabella Thorpe. Yet the novel is somewhat ambigous as to whether this is because of the superiority of her character or chance. Thorpe professes her love for James Morland but betrays him when she learns she will have to wait two years and that their income will be modest. This disappointment coupled with her fanciful delusions, fostered by her reading habits, make it impossible for Isabella to resist the temptations of the dashing Frederick. But Morland --- who shares the love of the same books as Isabella -- is betrothed only after seeing Tilney's parsonage and knowing she will be secure. And the obnoxious John Thorpe offers little temptation. Would Morland have fared better if she had been in Thorpe's place. Morland fate is happy and her choices sound, it seems, because she is the heroine and must be favored by fortune. A sobering thought from a sober novel.