Book of the Week #41 "Northanger Abbey"

Northanger Abbey

by Jane Austen

Catherine Morland grew up as a very plain and ordinary girl. Though by the time she turned seventeen, she had grown fond books, and in the right circumstances, would be considered pretty. The heroine in training goes to Bath to spend time with family friends, the Allens. She attends balls with the superficial Mrs. Allen, and on one such occasion, meets the witty reverend, Henry Tilney. While in Bath, she also meets John Thorpe, and his sister, Isabella. John tries to woo Catherine each chance he gets, but comes off as insensitive and manipulative, while Isabella befriends Catherine, claiming her to be the dearest friend she has, though the reader comes to question her motives. Catherine finds herself falling for Henry Tilney, as he jokes with her, and the two discuss books. Mr. Tilney, along with his father (General Tilney) and sister (Eleanor Tilney) lives in an old abbey named Northanger Abbey. When invited to come and stay at the abbey for a while, Catherine leaps at the chance, enchanted not only by the thought of staying in an old Gothic home, such as fills the novels she so loves, but also by the thought of spending more time with Henry. Though Henry, being a tease, and knowing how much Catherine loves Gothic novels, fills her head with stories about his father and the abbey that she takes to heart. She soon makes statements that very well could put the relationship she so desperately desires at stake.

Amber hosted a read-along in March of this lovely Austen novel. I had skipped around in it last year, but didn't remember a whole lot about it. When I read it this time, I really enjoyed it. Reading this book in a group pushed me to delve deeper into the book and really take the time to read it. I enjoyed it much more than last time and it really made me want to read everything Jane Austen has written. The only other novel of her's I've read is Pride and Prejudice, so I have my work cut out for me, but I look forward to getting to more classics.

One can't help but like Catherine Morland. She's described as plain and nothing terribly special; quite different than the other Austen heroines I've known. In these ways, she is more relatable to a wider range of readers than some more ideal heroines. But she's also quite gullible. It seems like it takes forever for her to realize that the Thorpes are up to no good, when we could smell it the second they came on the scene. And she quickly falls prey to Henry's good-natured teasing, taking it too seriously and throwing around some pretty big accusations. Sometimes you feel frustrated with her, but mostly, you pity her and want to help lead her in the right direction. And who doesn't relate to her fascination with abbeys and castles? I know I would certainly love to visit some of the places Catherine goes to in the book, though I must agree that the cottage in Woodston would be a much more comfortable abode to actually live in. And Henry Tilney is a very different kind of Austen hero. He isn't brooding like Mr. Darcy; he's witty and playful and comes off as a bit quirky, which you wouldn't expect from a 19th century reverend, but thank heavens he isn't like Mr. Collins! In the beginning, I wondered if he might be too teasing, and it's true; sometimes his teasing goes a bit too far. But there are those serious moments, like when he's talking to Catherine about novels, that round him out make you like him.

I also want to mention how much fun I had with this read-along. I made some good friends (waves to Julie, Grace, and Kara!) and just had a nice time reading this book. Amber is a great host and came up with very interesting and thought provoking discussion questions that were fun to answer. I'm very much looking forward to more read-alongs, both of Jane Austen's other novels, as well as titles by other authors.

All in all, Northanger Abbey is an enjoyable read. It's different from Jane Austen's other books, but good all the same.

I give this book a 4 out of 5.