Jane Austen's Gothic Satire
A Northanger Abbey Review
I'm hesitant to start with Northanger Abbey of all books. It may seem like an odd choice for anyone who knows a bit about Austen, you're probably thinking "why wouldn't you start with Pride and Prejudice?" And it's a good question, because why wouldn't I. Not only would it make sense since it's Austen's most popular novel now. Plus, I'll be honest now, this isn't going to be the most positive review, and I am afraid of turning away any possible Austen fans by talking badly about one of her works. However, I think moving from least favourites to my favourites of Austen's work will help brighten the mood as I go on.
Also, I do have a partial reason for starting with Northanger Abbey. Although published last (along with Persuasion) after Austen's death in 1817, Northanger Abbey was one of the first books she wrote. It is believed that she may have even tried to publish Northanger Abbey under the title Susan before attempting (and actually publishing) any of her other novels. And when you compare it to some of her other works it definitely feels younger, the protagonist Catherine Morland is her youngest out of all her novels.
When you put Northanger Abbey, Austen's youngest novel, beside it's publishing partner Persuasion, Austen's most mature work, it's amazing to see how much she had grown as a person and writer.
Northanger Abbey Reviewed:
Northanger Abbey follows our heroine Catherine Morland. In the opening sentence we're told that Catherine is an unusual heroine.
"No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine."
Catherine was born to a big church family, like Austen herself who was the one of eight children. Like many of Austen's protagonists Catherine is "not like other girls" to put it in simple terms. She has a vivid imagination that ultimately causes many of her problems.
Gothic novels, mysterious thrillers filled with love and lust, were the THING as shown in Northanger Abbey through Catherine and her friend Isabella sharing their love of reading such books. As much as I sometimes find Catherine's naivety annoying, I relate to her fantastical daydreams and her running imagination that often lead to dark places.
Austen often writes about things that closely relate to her own life experiences and that makes me wonder if she too daydreamed like Miss Catherine Morland?
My biggests problems with the story revolve around Catherine's time in Bath with the Thropes and her time spent at Northanger Abbey (which may surprise you as only being half the book even though it's titled after it).
To make a long story short Chatherine is invited by “rich” friends to accompany them to Bath. (I say rich with quotations because they are richer than the Morlands and relatively I guess). In Bath Catherine meets two families, the Tilneys (who live in Northanger Abbey) and the Thorpes.
Isabella and John Thorpe are the definition of bad friends. They lie to her, they lie to other people about her, and everything they do is with the intention of helping themselves. On top of that, in the 2007 movie adaptation of Northanger Abbey (starring Felicity Jones), they don’t make John Thorpe particularly attractive. While reading the book I had always pictured him being fairly attractive and that’s why Catherine puts up with his overbearingly annoying personality, but in this movie he doesn’t even have that.
When Catherine is with the Thorpes is when we see her naiveness the most I would say. They lead her to do things she doesn’t want to, and I feel bad that she believed them her friends enough to trust their words.
In the Abbey the book reminds me a lot of Jane Eyre. Or I should say Jane Eyre reminds me a lot of Northanger Abbey (not only because I read NA first but because it came out 40 years earlier). I will be doing a more in depth article on the similarities between these two novels.
Of course, this being a Jane Austen story, everything for the heroine ends happily in the end, or at least she gets the guy. (Spoiler alert I guess?).
Why this novel (compared to Austen’s others) is my least favourite, I’m not entirely sure anymore? If I had to take a guess, I’d say it’s because who I believe to be the only two good characters (not in a good v evil way, but in a quality way) have a minimal part in the actual story. The stupid, naive, and mean characters all have bigger parts that out shine the actual goodness within. On top of that the dramatics of the gothic style is a bit too melodramtic for me. I had the similar feeling while reading Jane Eyre, and although Austen is making fun of Gothic novels throughout by showing how stupid they can be, I don’t think the mysterious, thriller stories are really my cup of tea.
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Link to Northanger Abbey (Vintage Classics Edition): https://www.amazon.ca/Northanger-Abbey-Vintage-Classics-Austen-ebook/dp/B00JLLDA7E
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Lauren Writes Austen
A dedcated creator to all things Jane Austen!
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