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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After beginning other novels by Austen and not getting on with them, I really enjoyed this!
I listened to a dramatised audiobook version of it that was narrated by Emma Thompson and I found it helped the story really come to life!
I’m surprised it is not as well known as the others, a funny and charming coming of age novel with likeable characters and enough drama to keep you going! Really pleased I have finally completed an Austen novel.
I listened to a dramatised audiobook version of it that was narrated by Emma Thompson and I found it helped the story really come to life!
I’m surprised it is not as well known as the others, a funny and charming coming of age novel with likeable characters and enough drama to keep you going! Really pleased I have finally completed an Austen novel.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Status: Finished
Okay, I can honestly say: Northanger Abbey is officially my favorite Jane Austen novel so far. I've read Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and now Northanger Abbey — and this one absolutely charmed me.
Although it's technically the first novel she completed, it was published later — but you can still feel Jane Austen’s fresh, bold voice throughout. What struck me most was the way Austen directly speaks to the reader — a little wink here, a gentle commentary there. It adds this cozy intimacy and gives such a delightful insight into her intentions and the era's literary norms.
The Gothic undertone? Adored it. The Abbey setting, the imagination spiraling, the mystery that isn't quite a mystery — it's playful, ironic, and so cleverly executed. It’s Austen poking fun at sensational Gothic tropes while still making them fun to read.
Catherine Morland's character development is one of the best I’ve seen in Austen’s work. She starts off naive, dreamy, and unsure — and grows into someone with discernment, self-respect, and clarity. Watching her grow felt genuine and earned.
That said, certain characters — cough Isabella Thorpe, General Tilney cough — were maddening in the best way. The kind of people you meet in real life and instantly recognize: self-serving, manipulative, charming for the wrong reasons. And that just makes the story more relatable. We all know an Isabella.
What I really loved was how relevant this 19th-century story still feels in the 21st. The themes of manipulation, shallow ambition, and self-discovery haven't changed. Austen had such a sharp eye for human behavior, and it still resonates deeply.
This novel was witty, whimsical, and wonderfully aware. I truly loved every page.
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Status: Finished
Okay, I can honestly say: Northanger Abbey is officially my favorite Jane Austen novel so far. I've read Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and now Northanger Abbey — and this one absolutely charmed me.
Although it's technically the first novel she completed, it was published later — but you can still feel Jane Austen’s fresh, bold voice throughout. What struck me most was the way Austen directly speaks to the reader — a little wink here, a gentle commentary there. It adds this cozy intimacy and gives such a delightful insight into her intentions and the era's literary norms.
The Gothic undertone? Adored it. The Abbey setting, the imagination spiraling, the mystery that isn't quite a mystery — it's playful, ironic, and so cleverly executed. It’s Austen poking fun at sensational Gothic tropes while still making them fun to read.
Catherine Morland's character development is one of the best I’ve seen in Austen’s work. She starts off naive, dreamy, and unsure — and grows into someone with discernment, self-respect, and clarity. Watching her grow felt genuine and earned.
That said, certain characters — cough Isabella Thorpe, General Tilney cough — were maddening in the best way. The kind of people you meet in real life and instantly recognize: self-serving, manipulative, charming for the wrong reasons. And that just makes the story more relatable. We all know an Isabella.
What I really loved was how relevant this 19th-century story still feels in the 21st. The themes of manipulation, shallow ambition, and self-discovery haven't changed. Austen had such a sharp eye for human behavior, and it still resonates deeply.
This novel was witty, whimsical, and wonderfully aware. I truly loved every page.
henry tilney is absolutely my type and catherine is such an absolute mess, i can't help but love her. but miss jane.....why did you not make this book longer TT~TT
if this hadn’t been written by Jane Austen, I can’t imagine that more than 5 people would pick it up.
While I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Pride and Prejudice, I did still enjoy my time reading it. Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland are well developed characters, and you can see how Catherine changes throughout the novel. Henry is so witty and sarcastic and funny, as well, and Mrs Allen so silly but nice, and Isabella and her brother so awful. I think it really does help having seen the adaptation, as you can picture the actors and actresses as you read, and realise how well the adaptation did at getting the story onto the screen.
The plot itself is fairly simple - Catherine is invited to Bath by her wealthy neighbours, and while there meets Mr Tilney, who she takes an instant liking to. She also becomes friendly with Isabella Thorpe, and through her meets John Thorpe, Isabella's brother. After the events in Bath, Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the home of Mr Tilney's father and his sister. The underlying message of this seems to be aimed at the literature of the time, and how seriously it was taken, or perhaps it was just making fun of the ridiculous scenarios in such books.
I think this was quite a funny book, and I am really glad I picked it up.
The plot itself is fairly simple - Catherine is invited to Bath by her wealthy neighbours, and while there meets Mr Tilney, who she takes an instant liking to. She also becomes friendly with Isabella Thorpe, and through her meets John Thorpe, Isabella's brother. After the events in Bath, Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the home of Mr Tilney's father and his sister. The underlying message of this seems to be aimed at the literature of the time, and how seriously it was taken, or perhaps it was just making fun of the ridiculous scenarios in such books.
I think this was quite a funny book, and I am really glad I picked it up.