Northanger Abbey (Modern Library Classics)

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Though Northanger Abbey is one of Jane Austen's earliest novels, it was not published until after her death--well after she'd established her reputation with works such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility. Of all her novels, this one is the most explicitly literary in that it is primarily concerned with books and with readers. In it, Austen skewers the novelistic excesses of her day made popular in such 18th-century Gothic potboilers as Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho. Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers all figure into Northanger Abbey, but with a decidedly satirical twist. Consider Austen's introduction of her heroine: we are told on the very first page that "no one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine." The author goes on to explain that Miss Morland's father is a clergyman with "a considerable independence, besides two good livings--and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters." Furthermore, her mother does not die giving birth to her, and Catherine herself, far from engaging in "the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush" vastly prefers playing cricket with her brothers to any girlish pastimes.

Catherine grows up to be a passably pretty girl and is invited to spend a few weeks in Bath with a family friend. While there she meets Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor, who invite her to visit their family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Austen amuses herself and us as Catherine, a great reader of Gothic romances, allows her imagination to run wild, finding dreadful portents in the most wonderfully prosaic events. But Austen is after something more than mere parody; she uses her rapier wit to mock not only the essential silliness of "horrid" novels, but to expose the even more horrid workings of polite society, for nothing Catherine imagines could possibly rival the hypocrisy she experiences at the hands of her supposed friends. In many respects Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen's novels, yet at its core is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage, 19th-century British style. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

Jane Austen’s first novel, Northanger Abbey—published posthumously in 1818—tells the story of Catherine Morland and her dangerously sweet nature, innocence, and sometime self-delusion. Though Austen’s fallible heroine is repeatedly drawn into scrapes while vacationing at Bath and during her subsequent visit to Northanger Abbey, Catherine eventually triumphs, blossoming into a discerning woman who learns truths about love, life, and the heady power of literature. The satirical Northanger Abbey pokes fun at the gothic novel while earnestly emphasizing caution to the female sex.

This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the first edition of 1818.

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Fans of Jane Austen will delight in this engaging, lesser-known work.

Customer Reviews:

Fill out your Austen collection.......2007-07-31

As a lover of Austen novels, it is well worth reading "Northanger Abby", which was Austen's first (but last published) novel. As her first novel, her writing style is still rough and lacks some of the refinment of her later works, but she still brings her sharp eye for satire and examination of societal/marriage topics. Catherine Morland pales in comparison to later strong heronies like Elizabeth Bennet or Fanny Price, but she's delightful to read and chuckle about her naive outlook on life.

Northanger Abbey: Janeites rejoice in this light and lively tour de force.......2007-07-12

Northanger Abbey is a gem. Jane Austen (1775-1817)has written a charmiing little novel about a charming little lady named Catherine Moreland. Catherine is 15 as the novel begins in Wiltshire. She and the hilariously stupid Mrs. Allen go on a six week trip to nearby Bath to take the waters. Catherine meets the fashionable and fast Isabella Thorpe. Catherine dances with the clergyman Henry Tilney at a ball becoming infatuated with the clever young man. Henry and Catherine share a love for the Romantic Gothic novels of such authors as Ann Radcliff and Fanny Burney. Complications ensue but in the end the couple are wed.
The first half of the novel deals with doings in Bath; the second half is a trip taken by Catherine to the Tilney estate Northanger Abbey. Catherine thinks the house may contain a ghost as she is influenced in her thinking by a vivid imagination fueled by her sensational Gothic reading.
Minor characters are of interest: Captain Frederick Tilney the ladies man brother of Henry; old General Tilney the gruff father of Fred and Henry; Catherine's parents and Eleanor Tilney the kind and lovely sister of the two Tilney boys with whom Catherine forms a solid friendship.
The book includes a spirited defense of the art of novel writing by Miss Austen. It is a light and commonplace tale of young love told with the wit and wisdom of one of England's greatest authors. This less well known Austen novel is a delightful way to become an addict of the spinster from Hawton parsongage!

Part satire of Gothic novels, part comedy of manners .......2007-07-04

Northanger Abbey was one of Jane Austen's earlier works, and, reading it , you can definitely see her gift of writing in its infancy. While this work is not perfect by any means, it is a fine-tuned effort that any Austin fan will enjoy and appreciate. Basically it works as part comedy/drama of manners and part parody of Gothic literature, taking many of the elements of Ann Radcliffe's work The Mysteries of Udolfo, and slightly satirizing it. The ending's closure--where Austin ties everything together nicely--is something seen in many of her other, more popular works, where all loose ends are tied and questions are answered.

The first part of the novel focuses on Catherine Morland, her family, and her acquaintances. Catherine goes away from her family and stays with the Allen family. While there, she meets the Thorpe family, and becomes an acquaintance and friend of Isabella Thorpe. She has to fight off the advances of Isabella's brother. Later on, at a dance, she also meets Henry, a man who she will eventually fall in love with. She finally gets the opportunity to stay with the Tilney family at Northanger Abbey. Because of her love of novels, and her chance to become better acquainted with Henry and his sister, Catherine is excited to go. The second part of the novel begins with Catherine staying at Northanger Abbey.

One of the funnier aspects of the novel is the 2nd part, when Catherine goes to Northanger Abbey and immediately becomes entranced with the many Gothic elements she seems to have read about. This is when her knowledge and love of Gothic literature tales runs away with her imagination. At one point, she believes that Henry's father has murdered or imprisoned Henry's mother, or that he is keeping her stowed away and doing malicious and evil things. There is also a moment when Catherine is alone in her room late at night and sees a chest, and fears that it has something awful inside it--so naturally she goes to investigate. It seems that all her suppositions and fears are well-founded to her, but we see that she clearly has taken some things too far in her mind, and perhaps there is an anti-climax in her not finding anything noteworthy.

What makes Catherine a likeable heroine is that there are faults to her, so she is perfect by no means. For one thing, she is oblivious to many events that are seemingly obvious to others, namely the romance that begins with her brother and Isabella. She also has some trouble expressing herself in the earlier parts of the novel, but as time wears on she becomes more assertive and mature. Also, her love for novels can be seen as a weakness because she tends to over dramatize and fantasize about them--this seems to be Austen's way of lightly poking fun at reading novels, something you have to admire from a great writer. Over all though, she is a character that is fun to read about and follow around in her adventures.

While the story does have moments where it may drag a little, it still is a fun and adventurous read and is a must for Austen fans. This review is in reference to the Dover books version of the novel.

Fragmented, and Written Before Her Major Works: Not Her Best.......2007-07-01

I do not like the title since only part of the story takes place in the Northanger Abbey. The novel has some fame as a parody of Gothic novels, but that is not the primary focus of the novel. This is a novel written by Jane Austen at least a decade before her famous novels. It is similar to the later novels but it is less sophisticated, shorter, and it seems fragmented - as I discuss below. It was sold for publication in 1803. It is her earliest work but it was not a success. She bought back the rights and it was published after her death in 1818.

As background information, I have read all of Austen's novels, and I have read various analyses of Austen's work. Jane Austen's formula for success was to write a novel about of a financially disadvantaged young woman who meets and marries a wealthier man. The exception is her novel "Emma" where the protagonist has her own means. There are no axe murders in an Austen novel or any nasty elements. Her stories take place in small English towns and they all have a variety of characters including a few willful women and usually one male rogue.

"Pride and Prejudice" is Jane Austen's finest novel. That book is the perfect balance of story, prose, structure, and interesting characters. It evokes many emotional responses in the reader. That novel is among the greatest novels of all time on par with for example Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" or Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." From a strictly literary point of view, "Mansfield Park" is the most complicated and sophisticated literary work penned by Austen.

So, where does that leave "Northanger Abbey" among her works? All of her five mature novels share a certain fixed writing style and a common structure, or the Austen formula as mentioned above. She uses the early pages to introduce the families, and other characters, and give start the story. She moves characters around from place to place in part for time shifting. She does a wrap up in the last few chapters. This is her sixth major work but written earlier. That Austen formula is partially present in the plot and structure. The first half of the novel is good. Catherine is a sympathetic protagonist and John Thorpe is a suitable rogue. Her love interest, Henry Tilney, seems a bit weak or enigmatic. The story is good for about half the novel. When the action moves to the Abbey it seems to become very fragmented and disorienting for the reader. But the Abbey section is not too long, and then story returns to more what we would expect from Austen near the end.

Most Austen fans will find the piece to be interesting but a bit confusing in parts and not her best.

Classic Austen.......2007-06-25

Northanger Abbey is a classic in several senses of the word: It's pure Jane Austen; it's set in the early 1800s, mostly in a Gothic abbey; it's dramatic and overwrought and wonderfully written. Any Austen fan who has not yet picked up this little gem of a novel should do so immediately because you are sure to be delighted!

Catherine Morland, aged 17, is expanding her horizons by visiting Bath with her neighbors, The Allens. While there, she becomes entangled with the Thorpe family, who are not quite what they seem to be, and the Tilney family, with whom she forms a sincere attachment that leads her to visit their family home, Northanger Abbey. Catherine has spent a good deal of time reading novels, and she allows her imagination to run wild once she finds herself in the dark corridors of the abbey; the appearance of Henry, her hopeful love interest, helps quell her theatrics a bit but she still finds herself drawn into situations she doesn't understand. Classic Austen includes misunderstanding and love, and this novel has both in abundance.

This is a slim novel, and from what I gather, one of Austen's earliest. The characterizations are not perhaps as finely tuned as some of her other works, but overall this is a satisfying read with the delights of the time period. Sit back, curl up, and enjoy!

Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

A 'nice' collection of early Austen and a few out-takes

Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon (Oxford World's Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192840827

Book Description

'...in suspecting General Tilney of either murdering or shutting up his wife, she had scarcely sinned against his character, or magnified his cruelty.' Northanger Abbey is about the misadventures of Catherine Morland, young, ingenuous, and mettlesome, and an indefatigable reader of gothic novels. Their romantic excess and dark overstatement feed her imagination, as tyrannical fathers and diabolical villains work their evil on forlorn heroines in isolated settings. What could be more remote from the uneventful securities of life in the midland counties of England? Yet as Austen brilliantly contrasts fiction with reality, ordinary life takes a more sinister turn, and edginess and circumspection are reaffirmed alongside comedy and literary burlesque. Also including Austen's other short fictions, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon, this valuable new edition examines the ambitious and innovative works with which she inaugurated as well as closed her career.

Customer Reviews:

A 'nice' collection of early Austen and a few out-takes.......2005-05-24

This book brings together Austen's earliest novel, Northanger Abbey (although it was not published for many years after completion), with some of her earlier works and her final, unfinished, piece Sanditon.
This edition also has a fine introduction, which gives an interesting view of Austen's works and fleshes out some of the details surrounding the three lesser known works.
Northanger Abbey is, of course, the best known of these works, and a review follows below. Of the other three pieces, Lady Susan is the only completed one.
It follows the epistolary format that Austen experimented with extensively in her early career, but ultimately abandons the format, a little disappointingly.
It is an engaging piece, and the Lady Susan of the title is a vivacious, although reprehensible, character. Lady Susan has by far the strongest voice of the piece, but it is unclear whether she is truly intended as the heroine, or whether our sympathies should lie with her hapless daughter Frederica. Lady Susan is certainly a much more determined flirt than any of Austen's other major characters, and much older too (although perhaps not wiser).
The Watsons is a much shorter fragment, also dating from Austen's earlier career. It is darker in tone than her other works, and seems to tend more towards realism. It seems that this may be one of the reasons she chose not to finish the piece, although it seems that she ultimately intended for the piece to have a happy ending.
Sanditon is Austen's final work, begun shortly before her death and, sadly, never finished. The piece appears to have had a great deal of scope, describing the life and a times of the seaside resort of Sanditon. The tone and outlook of the piece are surprisingly upbeat, given the poor state of Austen's health as she was writing.
I hear that authors never like people to pick their early works as their best, but I've always had a sneaking fondness for Northanger Abbey. Luckily, Jane Austen is unlikely to complain about me liking one of her earliest works.
The novel's appeal is its extremely likeable anti-heroine, Catherine Morland. Catherine's appeal is her innocence and above all her fallibility. Of course, none of Austen's heroines are perfect, but Catherine has a charm that Austen's more self-possessed characters like Emma Woodhouse and Lizzie Bennett lack.
For this reason, I would say that Northanger Abbey can be a good introduction to Jane Austen, especially for younger readers, who may identify more readily with Catherine's naivete than with some of Austen's more mature characters.
As ever, Austen is in fine satirical form, but she and her characters stop short of outright mocking the fanciful Catherine and her unfortunate novel-reading habits. As one might expect, the novel ends with Catherine's reform, redemption would perhaps be too strong a term to use here, and Austen allows the imperfect Catherine to shine among a sea of other imperfect characters. (Naturally, some are more imperfect than others.)
One of the novel's stated objects is to satirise the gothic novels of Mrs. Radcliffe and her imitators. For the most part, Austen succeeds admirably, but once again her treatment of the subject is rather gentle. Although not many people these days will read the original gothic novels, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there addicted to contemporary fantastical horror that would crack a wry smile at the story, and be able to identify with 'poor' Catherine.
Perhaps at times the characters do seem to be a little overstated, maybe a little too black and white, but this is a very creditable early effort from Austen, and perhaps some of her characterisation issues can be traced back to her use of the gothic novel as inspiration.
All in all, a fine book, and certainly one for all of those 'almost pretty' girls out there who have their heads stuck inside books at every opportunity.

Overall, this edition makes a good addition to any Austen fan's bookshelf, the inclusion of the lesser known pieces makes an interesting companion to Northanger Abbey.

The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen: Volume V: Northanger Abbey (The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen)

Average customer rating:

The irony!
The irony!

The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen: Volume V: Northanger Abbey (The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0192547054

Customer Reviews:

The irony!.......2001-10-11

Northanger Abbey was a very entertaining novel. The heroine, Catherine Morland, is a very mediocre but charming girl whose only wish in life is to have an exciting Gothic adventure, which of course will end up with herself saving the day. Like Austen's other work, it is entertainingly ironic, mainly due to the idea that throughout the entire story, Catherine creates the most Gothic of Gothic mysteries out of a situation that is completely normal. Catherine's innocence and amiability are completely captivating, proving that a good heroine need not be particularly witty or mysterious or in any way alluring. It is, on the whole, a very light, entertaining novel.
Persuasion is also very entertaining, but it has a more solid conflict. The heroine, Anne Elliot, is a really wonderful person, which irritatingly is only apparent to the reader and one or two other characters. Anne faces a dreadful situation when she is confronted by her former fiance, whom she chucked on the mistaken advice of her best friend, but still loves deeply. Personally, I was really in suspense nearly the entire time as to how it would turn out, because the entrance of Anne's cousin, Mr. Elliot, hints at an attachment with him. It' s a well-written and of course ironic and well worth reading if you remotely enjoy Austen's style.

The irony!.......2001-10-11

Sense & Sensibility/Pride & Prejudice/Mansfield Park/Emma/Northanger Abbey/Persuasion/Lady Susan/Love & Friendship

Average customer rating:

8 Books in 1: Jane Austen's Complete Novels
not great
Pride and Prejudice
Good value
Wonderful

Sense & Sensibility/Pride & Prejudice/Mansfield Park/Emma/Northanger Abbey/Persuasion/Lady Susan/Love & Friendship
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0954840194

Book Description

Jane Austen's complete novels, collected together in one uniquely comprehensive volume, now published with the complete set of Hugh Thomson's famous illustrations. Comprises the complete text of: "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield Park", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion", "Lady Susan", and "Love and Friendship". This is the only single-volume edition of Jane Austen's novels to contain not only the wickedly humorous "Lady Susan", but also the irrepressibly exuberant early work "Love and Friendship". This collection allows readers to explore the development of one of the English language's greatest writers, following her development from the farcical comedy of "Love and Friendship" and "Northanger Abbey", via her most popular work, "Pride and Prejudice", to the masterpiece "Emma", and the considered romance of "Persuasion". A unique collection of the finest and most perceptive love stories ever written. Hugh Thomson first illustrated Jane Austen's works in the 1890's; his illustrations are prized for their wit and liveliness. The illustrations in this edition have been photographed directly from the original books, and digitally retouched for enhanced clarity. Copies of the original Hugh Thomson illustrated edition of Pride and Prejudice, from which these illustrations are taken, are highly prized by collectors, and valued at up to $10,000.

Customer Reviews:

8 Books in 1: Jane Austen's Complete Novels.......2007-09-05

The type is very small. It is more comfortable to read a book printed as an individual book. I should have thought this through before ordering a book with all 8 books in one. On the other hand, if you just want to take one book with you, you have 8 to read and only have to carry one. So, for that reason, it's quite a bargain.

not great.......2007-03-09

I ordered this book online thinking it would be cool to have all books in one book so to speak. I was disappointed, each page is split into 2 in the middle, it was not fun reading, and i actually returned it.

Pride and Prejudice.......2007-03-09

I have the video of one of the older versions of the movie and I also have the cd of the most recent movie. I love both of them so much that I had to get the book since it gives you more of an indebt of the thoughts etc. of the characters.
I love the book

Good value.......2007-01-30

For the money, this was great. A few typos, but nothing too bad. If you just want all of Jane Austen's works in one volume I would recommend it.

Wonderful.......2007-01-28

I found this book absolutely wonderful. The illustrations are very good and the Pride and Prejudice illustrations are quite funny. The price is great and I thought it was qutie a steal. Getting a good copy of each of Jane Austen's novels can be pricey, but in this book you get all six plus two fractions of a novel! This is a very good deal.

Modern Library : Complete Novels of Jane Austen, Volume II : Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion

Average customer rating:

Transcends Time
Strong Edition
Jane Austen anti-Modern Library consipiracy??
Caveat Emptor - DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM BEFORE READING THIS
Jane's prose is perfect

Modern Library : Complete Novels of Jane Austen, Volume II : Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679600256
Release Date: 1992-09-05

Customer Reviews:

Transcends Time.......2006-09-26

This is an EXCELLENT collection of Jane Austen's novels. Yes, when buying it, my brother and I chuckled over the irony of "The Complete Novels... Volume I," but neither of us was silly enough to think we were immune from having to also purchase Volume II in order to have the Complete Novels. If you are looking for quality at a reasonable price, this is the collection to buy. These books are exceptionally well made, and the type and paper quality are well above average.

Volume I Review:

I originally read Volume I years ago after having first seen the television and movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I recently decided to re-read this volume and was even more enraptured with it than I was during the first read. The plight of the Dashwood sisters and the malleability of their step-brother by his cold wife in Sense and Sensibility is made so vivid by Jane Austen's flawless writing. What girl or woman reading Pride and Prejudice doesn't imagine she is Elizabeth Bennet, with both her beauty and intelligence, inadvertantly making Mr. Darcy fall in love with her? My heart positively ached for Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, and I wondered how she could put up with the neglect of her rich, fancy relatives and the tyranny of her Aunt Norris and maintain such a pure heart. I am awed by the timelessness and reality of these novels. In my mind, it simply does not get any better than Jane Austen.

Volume II Review:

I also recently finished re-reading Volume II. Jane Austen's novels certainly do transcend time. Whenever I read them I am struck by some new truth applicable either to my life or life today in general. What was true about human nature approximately 200 years ago remains true today, which makes relating to and understanding Jane Austen so easy as well as gratifying.

Like the heroine in Emma, who hasn't known a spoiled brat whose natural vanity is the result of being blessed in everything? Emma's superior attitude is a bit galling at times, and I positively cringed at some of her blunders, but Emma has a good heart. She makes mistakes, like we all do, but eventually she begins to understand her errors through the help of her good friend Mr. Knightly. Thank goodness for friends who love us in spite of our imperfections!

In Northanger Abbey, I am tickled to death not only by Catherine's naivete but also by Jane Austen herself. The first half of this novel is filled with the most hilarious observations which seem to come directly from Austen, and the second half is filled with the overactive imagination of Catherine Morland, who has read perhaps too many novels. In this parody of Gothic fiction, Austen pokes fun at both herself and her audience. It is truly a delight.

When I first read Jane Austen in my mid-twenties, Persuasion was my favorite novel. It gave me hope. I felt so strongly for Anne Elliot, who at nineteen was convinced by her family to reject the man she loved because of his lack of rank and fortune. Seven years later, after he has acheived his fortune, she is thrown into this same man's company. She must watch, agonizingly, while he courts two other young ladies. Anne's courage and fortitude are inspiring.

Strong Edition.......2006-03-20

This hardback is a solid binding on good quality paper. It easily stands up to the many re-readings Austen's novels deserve.

Jane Austen anti-Modern Library consipiracy??.......2005-11-10

There are two similar in tone if not identical reviews on amazon.com and amazon.ca warning people away from this edition because it's not "complete".

Clearly, they didn't read the title past "Complete Novels" to the "Volume I" part which specified pretty precisely which of the six complete novels were part of this volume.

I'm mystified. Surely anyone who's willing and eager (let alone able) to read Austen could understand it would take two volumes to publish the complete works? Come on, they average 300 pages apiece!

So I think the two correspondents are agents of Penguin or Oxford World's Classics or somebody who has an interest in turning people away from the Modern Library editions.

Oh yeah, a review: the Modern Library editions are excellent. They're complete (so you have to buy TWO books!), they're affordable, and they're durable.

Caveat Emptor - DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM BEFORE READING THIS.......2000-08-16

This review is not for the novels of Jane Austen, rather for the item offered here on amazon.com

Much to my surprise, after I ordered "The Complete Novels of Jane Austen (Modern Library Series)" ISBN 0679600264, only one book arrived. As pictured above, Vol I contains S&S, P&P, and MP.

The other three novels must be in Vol II, you surmise? Wrong! THAT IS ALL YOU GET !

Apparently, "complete" is a relative term, meaning "half of". At best, this listing shows ignorance. At worst, this listing is fraud.

Jane's prose is perfect.......1998-04-14

Jane Austen is still where she belongs, between book covers. We know the stories are good, but what isn't immediately obvious is the many recent adaptations is what an impeccable writer of English prose she is - no posturing word-dropper, no purveyer of hoary terminology, but a fine, simple, straightforward narrator.

She is brief but telling, using tilt and tone to make us smile. She doesn't bore with tedious flashbacks or podding descriptions of a new character's background. And she tells us what we wanted to know, just when we want to know it. As I am wondering what became of Mr. Bingley, he turns up; as I am trying to remember what the party is doing in Bath, it becomes clear. She's always ahead, dropping just the right number of crumbs.

Jane's world moved slowly, and reading her takes time. Her cncerns are universal - how to fill the hours of the day, the pairing of single young men and women, the effects of money, household matters. Her ethical domain is dominated by consideration - of others' feelings, needs, requirements. The occasional rebellious spirit is not admired, concepts such as fulfillment and freedom never enter her head. As for "needs" beyond basic physical ones - an idea that would have astonished her - she would have substituted "obligations."

Book Description

Catherine is invited to spend a few weeks in Bath with a friend. While there she meets Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor, who invite her to their family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic romances, allows her imagination to run wild, finding dreadful portents in the most prosaic events. But Austen is after something more than mere parody; she uses her rapier wit to mock not only the essential silliness of "horrid" novels but also to expose the horrid workings of polite society, for nothing Catherine imagines could possibly rival the hypocrisy she experiences at the hands of her supposed friends. In many respects, Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen\'s novels, yet at its core is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.

Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics)

Average customer rating:

Absolutely delightful

Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1593082649

Product Description

From cover: "A wonderfully entertaining coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austens 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 storys 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 Henrys 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 Austens novels, yet at its core this delightful novel is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage."

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely delightful.......2005-09-22

I approached this book somewhat warily, knowing that Northanger Abbey was to some degree a satirical take on the immense popularity of Gothic romances such as Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, a book I dearly love. Happily, Austen's means of poking fun at Gothic horror literature are far from mean-spirited and, as a matter of fact, can be delightfully humorous indeed. Her heroine, Catherine Morland, is by no means the type of heroine to be found in the giant tomes of Radcliffe and her indulgent imitators, as Austen tells her reading audience directly from the very start. "Almost attractive" on a good day, this unintellectual tomboy has reached her fifteenth year without inspiring a young man's fancy, nor would she be able to delight him with musical skill or even draw his profile in her secret notebooks if she had. Having encountered no strangers who would prove to be a lord or prince in disguise, her heroic ambitions seem stymied at best until fate steps in and grants her a stay of several weeks in the delightful town of Bath. Making her transition from naïve girl to equally naïve young lady, Catherine almost immediately falls quite in love with young Henry Tilney, while at the same time she becomes intimate friends with an older young lady named Isabella, whose inconstancy as both friend and intended beloved of Catherine's own brother eventually brings her much pain. To her intense delight, however, Catherine is invited by General Tilney, Henry's father, to spend some few weeks in his home, Northanger Abbey. Her joy at spending such private time in the company of her beloved and new best friend Eleanor Tilney is immense, but equally exciting to her is the chance to spend time in a mysterious former abbey of the sort she has read so much about. Such Gothic romances as Udolpho have been the source of her recent heroic training, and she is wildly desirous and fully expectant of discovering hidden passages, dark secrets, frightening circumstances, and possibly even incalcitrant perfidy in the halls of her beloved's family home. Her overactive imagination runs wild in Northanger Abbey, bringing her a fair share of embarrassment, but the very sweet and tender sensibilities that fuel her fire for Gothic mystery make her all the more endearing to me. Catherine is remarkably innocent, and as such she is absolutely delightful in my eyes.

Much of the story does fit in with your typical Gothic novel, but the frightening and dismaying things Catherine eventually discovers are of a far from supernatural sort. Ever so gradually, a true monster slowly coalesces from the pages of this remarkable novel. I, like young Catherine, was somewhat overenthusiastic concerning the Gothic qualities of this adventure I feel I shared with her, and the truly despicable thoughts and actions of the book's villain did not immediately strike me as forcefully as they should have; the afterword by Elizabeth Hardwick included in my Signet Classic copy of the book, however, served to make me fully comprehend its import. Greed, selfishness, pride-these are the horrors of Northanger Abbey, and it does deeply hurt a reader of romantic sensitivity to stand idly by, unable to aid and assist a sweet young lady such as Catherine in her time of despair and emotional suffering.

Lovers of Gothic horror or literature in general will surely find nothing but delight in the pages of Northanger Abbey. Austen's critique of Gothic literature is quite subdued, and I actually find immense pleasure in the overindulgence the author sometimes employs in her attempts to satirize it. Written by Austen at a tender age (though not published until the year following her death), Northanger Abbey features incredibly human, complex characters full of wit and charm. The hidden motives of seemingly delightful friends is brought to light, teaching young Catherine as well as the reader a painful lesson in real life, yet romance stands at the ready to right the wrongs of self-interest, deception, and greed. I absolutely adore this novel and everything about it.

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Northanger Abbey, Large Print
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Waking Lion Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1600963072
Release Date: 2006-08-03

Book Description

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Northanger Abbey [EasyRead Edition]
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: ReadHowYouWant.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1425046959
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Book Description

"Northanger Abbey" is a remarkable contribution in romantic fiction. The story revolves around a simple, innocent young girl Catherine Morland who lives in a utopian world created by novels and believes whatever she reads. Her utopian world is demolished when she confronts harsh realities of life. The twists and turns of the plot entangle the reader and captivate till the end. Engrossing!

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