Jane Austen is one of those authors that I've been meaning to read for awhile. Toni and I were talking to Roberta, Toni's future mother-in-law, who has read many of Jane Austen's books and really enjoys them. She recommended "Northanger Abbey" as a good introduction to Jane Austen's writing style. So, the last time I went to the library, I decided to pick it up.
At first, I had a hard time getting in to the book. I've been reading a lot of contemporary writing lately, so it was hard to switch gears and adjust to her flowery, old-fashioned language. The first 10 pages or so really dragged on for me, but I forced myself to keep going. I'm really glad I did, because the book got better as I went on.
The book is about a young woman named Catherine Morland, who comes from a middle-class family with a lot of children. She gets the opportunity to travel to Bath with her neighbors, a childless couple. There, she meets a man named Henry Tilney who she is very interested in. But Catherine is very naive and modest and is not aware of her own beauty, nor is she aware of the fact that her interest him Henry is being reciprocated. Somewhat of a comedy of errors ensues as Catherine navigates the world of courtship and as she attempts to pick up on he social cues around her.
THe second half of the novel centers around Catherine's trip to Northanger abbey with the Tilney family (she is invited by Henry's sister, Eleanor). The tone of the novel takes a different turn in this half. Where the first half of the novel is lighthearted and frivolous, with the overall vibe of a love story, the second half takes on a more gothic turn. In the first half, it is mentioned that Catherine loves gothic novels, and reads them quite frequently. So when she enters the abbey, it seems that she expects to actually experience the content of one of these gothic novels. She anticipates (and hopes for) something exciting and scary to happen while she's there. She stays up late at night trying to uncover a secret lair or find something hidden in the house.
Overall, I liked the novel. It is clearly a satire, which I thought was interesting. I loved how at times, Austen directly addresses her audience. I also loved how, despite that Austen is writing about the "polite society" of some 200 years ago, much of the book is really relatable, especially to a young female reader. I could totally relate to Catherine's naiveté, to her hopes that she would "run into" the man she's interested in, and to her feelings in the abbey as she imagines she is part of one of the gothic novels she loves to read.
My one complaint about the book is that it's a little choppy and inconsistent. I didn't really like that the tone of the first section (in Bath) was so very different than the tone of the second section, when she is in Northanger Abbey. However, I believe this was Austen's first novel, and that it was published posthumously. I am guessing that as she gained more experience, her skills increased and addressed some of these inconsistencies in her subsequent writings.
Ultimately, the book is a coming-of-age story. Catherine is noticeably more mature and more understanding of the world when the book ends than she was when it began. She is also a really well-developed character. Like many 17 year olds, in the beginning of the book, she is a perfect paradox; she is very bright and well spoken, yet her naiveté makes her seem almost completely clueless to the ways of the world. Yet her cluelessness is endearing; it not only endears other characters in the book to her, it also captures the heart of the reader.
I definitely look forward to reading more of her books. Does anyone out there have a favorite Jane Austen book? If so, what is it?
--- Emily
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