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Title:
Northanger Abbey
Series: ----------
Author:
Jane Austen
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre:
Classic
Pages: 175
Words: 81K
For this
read through, I did my best to peer past the parody asides that
Austen threw in and just see the romance story she had written. It
was a pretty plain jane, vanilla flavored romance. It was also very
much a coming of age story. Catherine is a sheltered young woman and
this story was more about her seeing a wider world and the evil side
of people, which she hadn’t been exposed to at home, than it was
about her meeting and eventually marrying Henry Tilney.
It was also
a good reminder of just how insecure and unsettled young people are.
Catherine wasn’t confused, she just didn’t know enough to react
properly to her so-called friend Isabella’s actions. She had to
learn by experience. Overall, I’m a pretty confident guy and it can
be hard for me to remember that not everyone else is the same. I have
a feeling I’d fulfill the role of General Tilney (Henry’s father)
and intimidate Catherine without even realizing it. I know I mock the
idea of “special snowflakes” a lot, but I am aware that kids do
need a little bit of care in handling, sometimes, but not often.
The other
thing I noticed was just how much of a role letter writing played. It
is in all of Austen’s stories, but here it just made me think. I am
a texter and I write on my blog and I journal, so I’d like to think
that I would have been a great letter writer back in the day. But
there is a big difference between typing and writing. And there is a
HUGE difference using a gel pen and a quill and ink stand. Upon
reflection I suspect that I would not have been a huge letter writer
unless I had an amanuensis to take dictation for me. If that was the
case, I’d probably be sending letters every day :-D
You get a
letter, you get a letter, everybody gets a letter! (well, except for
you!)
Overall I
enjoyed this more than my previous times and I suspect it had as
much, if not more, to do with my appreciation of good writing than
just having a good time with a story.
★★★★☆
From
Wikipedia.org
Seventeen-year-old
Catherine Morland is one of ten children of a country clergyman.
Although a tomboy in her childhood, she is "in
training for a heroine" and is fond of reading Gothic
novels "provided they [are] all story and no reflection."
The
Allens (her wealthier neighbours in Fullerton) invite Catherine to
accompany them in their visit to the city of Bath and
partake in the winter season of balls, theatre and other
social activities. Shortly after their arrival, she is introduced to
a young gentleman, Henry Tilney, with whom she dances. Mrs.
Allen meets an old school friend, Mrs. Thorpe, whose daughter,
Isabella, quickly becomes friends with Catherine. Isabelle introduces
Catherine to Ann Radcliffe's 1794 Gothic novel Mysteries of
Udolpho. Mrs. Thorpe's son, John, is a friend of Catherine's older
brother, James, at Oxford University where they are both students.
The two young men come to Bath, where John is then introduced to
Catherine.
The
Thorpes are not happy about Catherine's friendship with the Tilneys.
They correctly perceive Henry as a rival for Catherine's affections
even though Catherine is not at all interested in John Thorpe.
Despite Thorpe continually attempting to sabotage her relationship
with the Tilneys, Catherine tries to maintain her friendships with
both the Thorpes and the Tilneys. This leads to several
misunderstandings, which put Catherine in the awkward position of
having to explain herself to the Tilneys.
Isabella
and James become engaged. James' father approves of the match
and offers his son a country parson's living of a modest
sum, £400 annually, but they must wait until he can obtain
the benefice in two and a half years. Isabella is
dissatisfied, but to Catherine, she misrepresents her distress as
being caused solely by the delay, and not by the value of the sum.
Isabella immediately begins to flirt with Captain Frederick Tilney,
Henry's older brother. Innocent Catherine cannot understand her
friend's behaviour, but Henry understands all too well as he knows
his brother's character and habits.
The Tilneys invite Catherine to
stay with them for a few weeks at their home, Northanger Abbey. Once
at Northanger Abbey, Catherine and Eleanor Tilney, Henry's and
Frederick's younger sister, get to know each other better on a
personal level.[7] Catherine, in accordance with her novel
reading, expects the house to be exotic and frightening. Henry teases
her about this as it turns out that Northanger Abbey is pleasant and
decidedly not Gothic. However, the house includes a mysterious suite
of rooms that no one ever enters; Catherine learns that they were the
apartments of Mrs. Tilney, who died nine years earlier due to a
serious illness,[7] leaving Mr. Tilney with three children to
raise by himself.[8] As General Tilney no longer appears to be
affected by her death, Catherine decides that he may have imprisoned
her in her chamber, or even murdered her.
Catherine discovers that her
over-active imagination has led her astray as nothing is strange or
distressing in the apartments. Henry finds and questions her; he
surmises and informs her that his father loved his wife in his own
way and was truly upset by her death.[9] She leaves the
apartments, crying, fearing that she has lost Henry's regard
entirely. Realising how foolish she has been, Catherine comes to
believe that, though novels may be delightful, their content does not
relate to everyday life. Henry does not mention this incident to her
again.
James
writes to inform her that he has broken off his engagement to
Isabella and implies that she has become engaged instead to Captain
Tilney. Henry and Eleanor Tilney are sceptical that their brother has
actually become engaged to Isabella Thorpe. Catherine is terribly
disappointed, realising what a dishonest person Isabella is. A
subsequent letter from Isabella herself confirms the Tilney siblings'
doubts and shows that Frederick Tilney was merely flirting with
Isabella. The General goes off to London, and the atmosphere at
Northanger Abbey immediately becomes lighter and more pleasant from
his absence. Catherine passes several enjoyable days with Henry and
Eleanor until the General returns abruptly in a temper in Henry's
absence. He forces Catherine to go home early the next morning in a
shocking and unsafe mode that forces Catherine to undertake the 70
miles (110 km) journey alone.
At
home, Catherine is listless and unhappy. Henry pays a sudden
unexpected visit and explains what happened. General Tilney (on the
misinformation of John Thorpe) had believed her to be exceedingly
rich as the Allens' prospective heiress, and therefore a proper match
for Henry. In London, General Tilney ran into Thorpe again, who,
angry at Catherine's refusal of his earlier half-made proposal of
marriage, said instead that she was nearly destitute. Enraged,
General Tilney, (again on the misinformation of John Thorpe),
returned home to evict Catherine. When Henry returned to Northanger,
his father informed him of what had occurred and forbade him to think
of Catherine again. When Henry learns how she had been treated, he
breaks with his father and tells Catherine he still wants to marry
her despite his father's disapproval. Catherine is delighted, though
when Henry seeks her parents' approval, they tell the young couple
that final approval will only happen when General Tilney consents.
Eventually,
General Tilney acquiesces because Eleanor has become engaged to a
wealthy and titled man; he discovers that the Morlands, while not
extremely rich, are far from destitute.
