Reviews

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

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bookgirl2013's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

elizabethlo's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

katiegilley's review against another edition

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4.0

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

I finally read Northanger Abbey! I picked it up because The Modern Mrs. Darcy book club is reading it this month (even though I’m not a member) and I wanted to join along. I love the cover of this edition — with Catherine digging through the mysterious chest!

It seemed like this book was written in two distinct halves: the first half finds us with Catherine Morland, a jovial 17 year old, visiting Bath with a friend. It’s full of the regency stuff you’d expect: dresses, balls, dancing, swooning. But I found this one much funnier, probably because I’ve learned more about Austen over the last few years. I enjoyed the second half much more – she visits the home of her love interest, Northanger Abbey. The Abbey is a gothic treasure: potentially haunted, strange doors and closets, a mysterious chest in her own suite. Catherine goes a little over the top at times, trying to uncover a mystery that’s simply not there.

I’ve seen it written that this is Austen’s ode to the novel. She’s almost sneering at the people who say that novels are a waste a time – which tickled me, an unabashed fiction lover. I’m hoping to return to more Jane Austen novels over the next few months.