A review by goldmana
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

5.0

Having just read The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, I was compelled to re-read Northanger Abbey which is a direct parody of the gothic genre in general and Radcliffe’s work specifically. Not surprisingly, Austen is both scathing and hysterically funny in her send up. She starts by telling us that our heroine is not the typical gothic star. She has dark hair, is rather plain, and has not one, but TWO loving parents who are alive and well. There are no ghosts, but one could argue that the money-grubbing social climbers provide their own kind of gothic horror. Not my favorite Austen, but very entertaining and an easy 5 stars because, well, it’s Jane.