Northanger Abbey is a charming story that revolves around a young, innocent, and naive “heroine” (to use Austen’s words), Catherine Morland. True to Austen’s famous quotation that “If adventures will not befall a young Lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad”, the story progresses with Catherine taking an adventurous journey from her home in Fullerton to Bath and then to a Gothic Abbey in Gloucestershire. In her journey, she comes to understand the people and world around her and what is important in life. She concludes her adventure on a happy note by finding her true love and life-long happiness.
Northanger Abbey can be treated as romance more than any other novel of Jane Austen. In my opinion, the novel’s romantic elements were brought to prominence by the lightness, vibrancy, youthful exuberance, and the elegant setting of Bath in the Regency period. Catherine and Henry Tilney’s initial attraction to each other, their slow and steady attachment which gradually develops into love is most charming to read.
Marriage and money play important roles in Jane Austen’s novels. Here is no exception. The eagerness to make monetarily advantageous matches by young men and women for themselves as well as by parents for their children is cleverly and satirically portrayed. The Regency society’s consideration of money as a necessity for marital bliss has always been treated with a critical hand by Austen. Her unsympathetic social commentary on the matter is fun to read.
Apart from the popular key themes, there is also a Gothic element that touches the story of Northanger Abbey. Gothic mysteries were popular at the time, especially those written by Ann Radcliffe. The wild imaginations that run through the mind of Catherine about the Tilney residence, Northanger Abbey, lead to an uncomfortable confrontation with Henry Tilney. This episode made me ponder whether Jane Austen was being satirical of the popular Gothic horror mysteries or being appreciative of them. Since Austen stresses that Catherine was cured of her senseless imaginations by Henry Tilney’s rebuke, I was inclined to believe in the former.
Catherine and Henry are yet another two unforgettable characters. With each Jane Austen book, I’m adding more characters to the list of my fictitious friends. 🙂 I loved Catherine. Her innocent naivety combined with her steady righteous mind made her so adorable. I didn’t care about her fancy for Gothic horrors, but her love for old castles and abbeys made Catherine a sort of an ally. 🙂 The witty, sarcastic, strong-minded, steady, and affectionate Henry is irresistible. I enjoyed their story very much. The interesting thing however is that their romance was initiated by Catherine, our heroine. It was a novel situation. In Austen’s words, “his (Henry’s) affection originated in nothing better than gratitude, or other words, that a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought” is what makes Henry attaches him to Catherine. Interesting!
Northanger Abbey also has its unforgettable share of characters like all other Austen novels. The kind Allens, the scheming Thorpes, the flirtatious Captain Tilney, the mild-mannered and naive brother of Catherine, and the proud and cruel General Tilney brought different shades and emotions to the story. My attention was engaged more by the faulty characters than the good ones. Jane Austen has portrayed the vain and the wicked best.
The writing is light, spirited, and satirical. However, as the first written work by Jane Austen, there is an amateur touch to the novel. The Gothic element also makes the novel stand apart from the rest of the Austen canon. For my part, I liked the difference in this novel and enjoyed its satire. It is a beautiful work in its own right.
Rating: 4/5
