Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen is an interesting parody of Gothic novels. I, being relatively new to Gothic fiction, picked up Northanger Abbey not knowing what I was getting myself into, just excited to read my very first Jane Austen novel.
Northanger Abbey tells the story of an ordinary girl, if not painfully ordinary, going to Bath in order to be introduced to society. There, she runs across all sorts of individuals she’s never met before, such as manipulators who easily take advantage of situations, or seemingly noble gentlemen.
Artistry and Craft
I was hopeful I would become one of those Jane Austen enthusiasts after reading Northanger Abbey, but I found there were moments when the story lagged for me. Some passages dragged, especially in the slower middle sections.
Even if I haven't been converted to an Austen fan, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the storyline, even if at points it was hard to follow. This wasn’t a novel centered on a darkly brooding hero or a heroic female lead. Instead, the main character is almost painfully normal and naive, with the surrounding characters mediocre or worse. I found this aspect to be interesting for a classic "gothic" novel.
This book was interesting in terms of its pacing and didn't follow definable acts that have intense climaxes or resolutions, letting the reader follow along with the unpredictable and mundane life of Catherine Morland.
Like I said, the pacing was the most difficult part of this book for me—the fact that the pacing and the boring, if not normal storyline, was front and center of it. ★★★
Themes and Messages
Catherine Morland, the protagonist, is not unusually beautiful, clever, wealthy, or fashionable, an unexpecting female lead, an unromantic figure for a romantic novel. This irony acts as an inquiry into the expectations we have for female leads to have in books, valuing authenticity and reliability over fantastical virtues or vices.
Throughout the story, Catherine makes all sorts of blunders and social errors, very human mistakes, moral misunderstandings, and naivety that leads to embarrassment and apologies. She’s painfully a seventeen-year-old who is figuring out how to be human in an environment that expects the best. I find this painfully human defining point in her character is a common human experience that, as we grow, we try to bury and pretend either it never existed or that we weren't as bad as we were.
I think this novel gives its reader permission to be a clumsy teenager or be able to admit to ourselves our less heroic and glorious moments. That maybe like Catherine, who isn't wearing a mask to gain social influence or status in meeting social expectations, that that is ok or even better than the latter, to be yourself because it is better than the alternative; instead of social blunders and misunderstandings, manipulation and flattery is arguably worse. This makes the book inherently comforting as well as eye oping in the way the author comically presents the "two" different types of youths when ironicly enough, most of the times we have taken turns being both. ★★★
Final Thoughts
This book is one that is relatable and nice for a rainy day. If you don't mind slow pacing and unexceptional elements that move a story along, this book may be comforting and relaxing, a classic that doesn't pretend humans are not human. Overall, I rate this book
3 out of 5 stars.
Content Discretion:
Manipulation, false accusations, comparison, deception.
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