There are a great many Jane Austen fans out there. Many books have been written about her novels, so you may want to read those instead of this review.'
I don't think I could do her justice, as actually, I didn't like Northanger Abbey much. With all her popular titles, maybe I picked the wrong book to start reading, but I would say I am not an Austen fan.
Northanger was the first of her novels completed for publication around 1799. I see there is a BBC production, which might be good, and even a Marvel graphic novel available.
I was intrigued by the flyleaf advertisement, by the authoress. She says the novel was completed in 1803 and sold to the publisher for immediate publication for the sum of 10pds, and even advertised. For unknown reasons it was never printed.
In 1816, the publisher sold it back to Jane's brother for the same 10pds, unaware she had since written four popular novels. She wrote the new advertisement for Northanger Abbey then, but died before it was published, together with Persuasion, in an 1818 edition.
Catherine Morland is a seventeen year old girl who loves to reads gothic novels. She travels with friends to Bath for the season. She meets Isabella with whom she goes to the theatre and social events. Soon she meets Henry Tilney, his sister Elenor, and his wealthy family.
For the first 60 pages they often go to the Pump room for dances, in hopes the man of their choice will engage them for the evening. There is much ado about the social norms and what each person would or would not do, indeed several pages each about things like going for a walk, or dancing twice with/or not again with a certain gentleman.
Around page 75, Henry and his sister ask Catherine out for a walk, but when they are late, she goes for a carriage ride. Then there is a chapter or two about how badly she feels about this and how she can make it up. Around page 140, when the Tilneys leave Bath for their country house, Northanger Abbey, they ask Catherine along as a guest. She has gothic fantasies about the dark history of the mansion, and what happened to Henry's mother.
Now there was a spark of excitement! Perhaps she is locked away, starving in a dungeon; Perhaps her husband murdered her! Wandering in the night, will Catherine stumble upon the twisted secrets locked away down mysterious corridors?
The answer is no.
Back to the walks, the dances, the constant talking. As her stay progresses, a few misunderstandings and mistreatments occur which seem destined to impede Catherine and Henry's romance. There were a few story lines still open around page 237, indeed, Jane steps away from the story to call attention to how few pages remained. How it is all summed up and resolved is hasty and I felt let down. Sure, I didn't think Northanger Abbey was very interesting, but at least give me more than three pages to settle things. After this pedantic novel, the end was sudden and not too believable.
I must say the writing was superb, totally conveying the time and place, the ways of young women and their suitors. This time period is entertaining when done by the great BBC productions, but reading it was dull. Jane does wander away from the story occasionally to address the reader about her heroine, and it's quite charming. Early on she goes into a little two page rant about women reading novels, and authors reluctance in general to have their characters do so. It was the feeling of the time, and well put.
For Austen fans and the like, if you want a season in Bath and the area around Salisbury, or maybe you want to be invited on a carriage ride, and maybe where you would be going (or where it is proper to not be going), or maybe to discuss who indeed went on a carriage ride and what they wore, and who would not ~ indeed, should not! ~ go on a carriage ride, and who it would be proper for you to be invited by for a carriage ride (and surely who to not to accept an invitation from), and if it is even the proper thing for a young girl to go on a carriage ride at all! You might like Northanger Abbey.
I thought it was super boring.
1799 / Tradeback / 241 pages
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