Northanger Abbey

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Summary: northanger abbey review
Review: it was a good book but very hard to get into. once you start reading (and understand it) its hard to put down. read this book if you have a lot of time on your hands.

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Summary: Jane Austen lite but still enjoyable
Review: This is actually one of Austen's first works, she kept it for fifteen years, polishing it. It is her lightest work but it is still very good, we all need something light once in a while.

Our heroine is Catherine, she is a rather silly young girl who has read too many gothic romances. "The Mysteries of Udolpho" in particular has turned her silly head. She seems to see a gothic mystery everywhere she looks. Catherine soon learns that the world is not all melodrama and eventually matures and marries a very sensible man. What keeps Catherine likable is her capacity to learn from her mistakes. She is certainly the least mature of Austen's heroines but she is never boring.

This is a marvelous book to start with if you want to get into Jane Austen, it does not have as many characters or subplots as her other works and it is very breezy. I enjoyed it and am now reading Udolpho myself. We'll see what happens. ;-)

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Summary: Don't expect another "Pride and Prejudice".
Review: In the first chapter of "Northanger Abbey", Jane Austen introduces Catherine Morland and pretends to apologize for having such an unromantic heroine. In the next few chapters, Catherine appears to live up to her creator's apology, while the author appears to forget all about telling us about the abbey for which her novel is named.

The presence of the two shockingly audacious and impudent Thorpes--John and Isabella--almost makes up for this. Never did I want to slap and/or kick two fictional characters more. The ways in which they try to foil Catherine's hope of romance with Henry Tilney--and arrange a marriage between the artful Isabella and Catherine's innocent, unsuspecting brother--are enough to make readers gnash their teeth. Ironically, the scenes with the charming Henry and his kind sister Eleanor ramble along in comparison to the explosive scenes "graced" by the outrageous Thorpes.

I liked the last twelve chapters better. Actually set in Northanger Abbey, they are a hilarious satire of the nineteenth century Gothic novel. Catherine stumbles into misadventure after misadventure (if I may be so generous as to call them such), thanks to her wild imagination and voracious novel-reading. It is wonderful to be caught in the excitement of a (pseudo) Gothic mystery that readers know is not real, but that they understand _could_ be real. It's the excitement of telling ghost stories around a campfire then trying to get to sleep. Everyone believes that anything could happen, though anything rarely does. It's nice, safe, thrilling fun.

In my opinion, Jane Austen was having so much fun herself, in writing these scenes, that she did not sufficiently develop the romance between Catherine and Henry. They have few scenes together and Henry's character is too agreeable to be as interesting as John Thorpe's--or even General Tilney's. (Jane Austen should have apologized for him instead of for Catherine. Henry Tilney is more a Mr. Bingley than a Mr. Darcy.)

Despite this, "Northanger Abbey" has the expected happy romantic ending--with the author still giving cheeky asides to the reader. I'd still recommend this book . . . but only after "Pride and Prejudice", of course.

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Summary: Tedious
Review: Northanger Abbey is an overwrought, underpaced book - terribly dull by modern standards. The satirization of the novel of manners and the gothic novel forms is almost entirely lost on the modern reader who is unlikely to have read a single one of the 18th century popular novels Austin is constantly referring or alluding to.

The only thing that saves this book from the dreaded one-star rating is the strong characters. This was one of Austin's earliest attempts at a novel, but already she shows her knack for creating fascenating characters that would reach its zenith in Emma. The three main characters of Catherine, Belle, and Henry really come alive and actually manage to extract some genuine concern from the reader by the end of the novel.

What holds the characters back however, is the incredibly tedious pacing. The plot develops VERY slowly by modern standards. The first 150 pages are used mostly to describe a bunch of society balls and carriage rides, with only very gradual character development - the sparks don't start flying until volume II.

The bottom line is, Northanger Abbey may have been a *decent* novel for its time, but these days it should be read only by true Austin Addicts who are beyond all hope of recovery ;-)

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Summary: More about social conventions than Gothic novels
Review: So much of the discussion of "Northanger Abbey" centers on the Gothic send-ups of the second half of the novel, but the primary focus of this wonderful novel is the absolute skewering of the social mores and behaviors of the era. As Catherine, Isabel Thorpe, and the other girls their age frantically pursue wealth and status in the form of a fair-faced husband, Austen provides us with a splendid portrayal of a society. General Tilney's treatment of Catherine is only the most obvious of Austen's criticism's of the "Bath society," for several other characters also behave selfishly.

Read "Northanger Abbey" for several reasons. First, it is an entertaining novel--and that alone should give encouragement to a prospective reader! Second, it is a pointed description of a society based only on class and wealth, in which one's happiness depends upon securing "a fortune." Finally, it is an accessible introduction to Austen's works and may encourage you to read more.

Enjoy journeying with Catherine Morland from her small town home to Bath and thence to Northanger Abbey and home again!

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Summary: Jane Austen did it again!
Review: Jane Austen has created an immortal being in the heroine of the book: Catherine Morland. While at times Catherine is naive, her charming innocence and bright, engaging personality captures your affections. She is easy to sympathize with as she goes through a stay of 6 weeks in Bath, England, and as she is whisked away to an old abbey, the home of her new friend Eleanor Tilney, and also the home of the hero, Henry Tilney. Jane Austen has written a short novel that draws out your attention so you become completely involved with the characters and the plot. In my opinion, it is the best book by Jane Austen! I would highly recommend reading Northanger Abbey.

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Summary: A glance into a mind most brilliant
Review: The story of Northanger Abbey is really the story of the literary influence of fiction in Jane Austen's day. At a time when fiction was still spoken about in whispers and the subject of much debate, Ms. Austen was writing this epithet to the genre. Many believe that Northanger was the means of Austen's scorn for gothic novels. However, a closer look reveals a bold defense of the fiction writers of her day. This, alone, makes the book a treasure chest - because not only does Austen give you a picture of society's views of all things poetic, but actually lists novels that were popular in her time. Specifically, she lists novels and authors she personally enjoyed.

The power that novels seem to hold over her leading lady, Catherine, was not a source of derision for the silly, flighty escapades of young ladies - but another way of Austen's showcasing the power of the written word - fictional word, that is. Here, she addresses the audience of her novel directly, and most provokingly in places - arguing those attributes of fiction novels which she believes show a greatness of mind.

Because of the insecurity of fiction, she actually published her novels anonymously as did many other authors mentioned in her first novel - this one not being published until after her death. I have found great personal pleasure in seeking out and indulging myself in the many authors she lists whom she personally enjoyed and was inspired by. In reading them, I feel that I have discovered more about Ms. Austen and what made her brilliant mind tick. My imagination tells me that a glance at Catherine was a little glance at Jane.

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Summary: Shimmering Prose
Review: Although this was not my favorite of the Jane Austen books, such an observation can hardly be interpreted as a criticism. I mean, there simply are not enough superlatives to describe her books. As far as Northanger Abbey is concerned, I was particularly struck by the exuberance of the heroine. When her imagination runs away with her in the wake of her reading of The Mysteries of Udolpho I was completely charmed. Austen captured the imaginative spirit of young womanhood in this book in ways that are quite timeless.

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Summary: A great pick for first time Austen readers!
Review: I loved this book, and although I do admit to liking all of Jane Austen's novels, I think it is the best way for a non-Austen-fan to understand her wit and charm. Her irony in this book is much more apparent than in the other five, except perhaps "Emma". It is short, and easy to get through, and her leading lady is endearing. This was Austen's first novel, but wasn't published until later. It is obvious that she still has much to learn, but her genius is still present, if a little raw. A wonderful book.

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Summary: enjoyable and funny
Review: A 17 year-old girl,Catherine Morland travels to Bath with Mr and Mrs.Allen,the family's neighbours and friends.There she meets some friends,including a man that Catherine will fall in love with,a polite gentleman,Henry Tilney.She is invited by the Tilneys to spend some weeks in Northanger Abbey,where Catherine ,influenced by the reading of The Misteries of Udolfo and naive as she is,starts to have the most absurdings ideas about the place and about Henry's father!!
This is a very funny,enjoyable book.It's ironic and satirical in a delightful way.