The Best Quotes From:

Probably like many others, I live for a quotable book, and often find quotes in books that maybe aren't thought of as "quotable". But as an Austen fan I can always find something in any of her work. Recently I've started to dog ear (yes the infamous dog ear) the corners of pages if there is something a character says or some line that I find funny, prettily written, or just want to remember. So here are the quotes from the folded pages of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen:

Austen usually starts off her novels with iconic lines, they always say that the opening line will make or break the novel:

“No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be a heroine.” (page 5)

Often enough you'll see Austen go on a rant of something or other:

“Yes, novels; -for I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure the very performances, to the number of which they are themselves adding - joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the hardest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. Alas! if the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let us leave it to the Reviewers to abuse such effusions of the fancy at their leisure, and over every new novel to talk in therebare strains of the trash with which the press now groans. Let us not desert one another; we are an injured body. Although our productions have afforded more extensive and unaffected pleasure than those of any other literary corporation in the world, no species of composition has been so much decried. From pride, ignorance, or fashion, our foes are almost as many as our readers… there seems almost a general wish of decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labour of the novelist, and of slighting the performances which have only genius, wit, and taste to recommend them.” (page 33-34)

As someone who often has trouble sleeping I found this next quote particularly funny, specifically the last line:

“And now I may dismiss my heroine to the sleepless couch, which is the true heroine’s portion; to a pillow strewed with thorns and wet with tears. And lucky may she think herself, if she get another good night’s rest in the course of the next three months.” (page 97-98)

Taken out of context, this line from a conversation between Isabella Thorpe and Catherine Morland seems to be a great quote about change:

“What one means one day, you know, one may not mean the next. Circumstances change, opinions alter.” (page 162)

The next two quotes are simple but I love them. They are both taken from the same page, one following the other in a conversation between Catherine and Mr. Tilney:

“The pleasure of walking and breathing fresh air is enough for me, and in fine weather I am out more than half my time. - Mamma says, I am never within” (page 195)

Again if you look at the rest of this sentence, not a great quote I'd say but I love this opening line on its own:

“At any rate, however, I am pleased that you have learnt to love a hyacinth. The mere habit of learning love is the thing…” (page 195)