September '05 Book: Northanger Abbey

[Scheherazade]

Please post your thoughts and questions regarding Northanger Abbey here.

Online Copy


Book Club Procedures

[Rosevn]

thanks for your online copy, Scheherazade. First I intended to read Emma but I'd like to follow and take part in your discussion. Im gonna to read it although it may take me a long while to finish and I can't grasp the meaning in details

[Nightshade]

This was the only Austen novel (other than the friendship one that I havent read) that I only read once because I didnt like it but Ive pulled out my copy and will hopefully read in next weekend.

[Sarah's_Chanson]

I'm so glad it's this one as I own it and I have already read it once! I'll dust it off my shelf, where it is hidden behind Hardy and Dickens, and read it again to refresh my memory!

[samercury]

I just started reading the online version of it on this website... It's okay so far (quite good actually) =)

[Scheherazade]

I have finished reading the first volume and...

How gullible and easily manipulated Catherine is! Seems like she is the only who fails to see through Isabella's and her brother's schemes...

[Lady19thC]

It is frustrating, isn't it? Austen usually makes her characters much stronger, but again, she is playing on the themes used in the gothic novels, so popular in her time period, that maybe the heroine isn't supposed to be strong. Catherine is young, and inexperienced, and though I wanted to scream and tell her to please stand up to people when they push you around, perhaps this allows her to be more of an innocent victim type, and sets her up for more adventure. Maybe?

[shortysweetp]

i got my copy today for my birthday from my brother-in-law so i will be discussing soon with you all the wonderful work of jane austen.

[Scheherazade]

It is frustrating, isn't it? Austen usually makes her characters much stronger, but again, she is playing on the themes used in the gothic novels, so popular in her time period, that maybe the heroine isn't supposed to be strong. Catherine is young, and inexperienced, and though I wanted to scream and tell her to please stand up to people when they push you around, perhaps this allows her to be more of an innocent victim type, and sets her up for more adventure. Maybe?

I agree with you Lady that usually Austen's leading female characters are much more stronger but NA is different from Austen's other books (from what I can remember from my first read some years ago; I am re-reading it for the BC). In this book Austen seems much more open about her criticism of the society of the time, which makes the book quite humorous and an interesting read. Among all the controlling, manipulative characters, Catherine, with her good nature and naivety, stands out. Maybe Austen is trying to show us that all is not so bad after all...

Having said that, for her sake, I still wish Catherine was not so naive!

What do you think about Henry Tilney? Is he the one for her?

i got my copy today for my birthday from my brother-in-law so i will be discussing soon with you all the wonderful work of jane austen.

Hiya, Sweetp! Looking forward to hear your thoughts on the book!

[NNoah3]

I started to read it yesterday, it's okay so far.

[Scheherazade]

After finishing reading, I cannot help thinking that Catherine's innocence and naivety might be part of Austen's sarcastic approach to some fiction of her time; similarly, she mocks some of the Gothic novels when Catherine goes to stay at the Abbey (the account of her first night was very funny! ).

I wonder why Austen titled this book Northanger Abbey... She usually picks more... introspective titles... I thought she could have titled this one Innocence or something like that!

[tames]

I really enjoyed the book. Mind you, I am just starting to read the classics. This book at the beginning reminded me so much of Pride and Prejudice (the A&E movie), I was surprised it wasn't more original (I am not sure which was written first). So what is it with this time period, meaning you don't tell someone how you feel about them until your ready to marry them? I know that Catherine stated that a woman should not love until the man has decided to love her. So come on Henry, the entire book you hardly let on that you were interested. No wonder why poor Catherine had to go to the lengths she did to get his attention.

I really did not like the way the book ended. I was hoping for something much more dramatic. We work our way up to her leaving N.A. and going home. Then in the last three or so pages Henry shows up and amidst a lot of prose they marry. They don't converse or play around like they did through the whole book. I was really hoping for some tear-jerker stuff at the end.

--Tim

[Lady19thC]

I thought it was very fitting that she titled this book "Northanger Abbey"! Think about it. Through the majority of the book she makes fun of the gothic novels that were being read at the time, and yet, in the process she wrote one herself, and a very good one, at that! We still have the heroine, the "Abbey" or castle, the mystery, the stairways that go to nowhere, the romance, etc. I have a feeling she laughed at herself, while naming this book! Only someone with her wit would be able to have fun with something like this!

[tames]

Does anyone know of any of the "gothic" books that are being referred to in these posts from this time period? I know a few books were mentioned by Isabella. Are they all of this genre? One of them "The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Radcliffe I was able to find on gutenberg.net, Not sure if it is "gothic" or not. It may be fun to read some of them.

--Tim

--Edit-- OK, I see that Radcliffe's novels are considered gothic. Any other good authors?

[Jay]

Slightly off topic, to reply tames's question here's a few links:

elements of the gothic novel

Wikipedia about gothic novel

an interesting link

Tames, I suggest doing a google search if you're interested, there's a lot more out there