Jane Austen’s novels are everywhere. Her character-centered novels follow, reveal, and sometimes critique, the lives of the English landed gentry. Her works often explore themes such as ove, family, and what it means to be a woman at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Some of her best known works are deeply emotional and philosophical, with the power to move their readers two hundred years later. When people are asked about their favorite Jane Austen novels, most will say Pride and Prejudice, or Sense and Sensibility. Some might mention Emma and Persuasion, and a few might even say Mansfield Park. But very rarely do people name Northanger Abbey, Austen’s first novel to be completed and published in its entirety.
It isn’t much of a surprise that Northanger Abbey is one of the less popular Jane Austen novels. Chronologically and stylistically, it’s closer to Austen’s “juvenilia,” or her childhood books, written mainly for the enjoyment of her family. It is definitely the black sheep of the six big Austen novels. There aren’t many stylistic similarities between Northanger Abbey and her more famous novels. It isn’t as emotional and moving as her other novels are. And there aren’t nearly as many on-screen adaptations of it, compared to Austen’s other novels. Nevertheless, Northanger Abbey is definitely worth a read.
Northanger Abbey is one of Jane Austen’s most satirical works, as it makes fun of the melodramatic genre of Gothic literature that was popular at the time. The novel centers around the coming-of-age story of Catherine Morland, a young woman who is obsessed with reading these Gothic novels. She sees her life as the plot of a thrilling story, and imagines herself as the dramatic heroine. As she visits the city of Bath with her family friends, she is introduced to several new characters, such as the charming Mr. Tilney and the bubbly Isabella Thorpe. Soon after, Catherine finds herself caught up in adventures, intrigue, and maybe even a murder.
All in all, the plot of Northanger Abbey really isn’t that exciting. But the dramatic disposition of the narrator perfectly clashes with this reality, making this novel genuinely funny. Catherine would be taking a nice quiet carriage ride through the countryside, and her internal monologue would be fraught with bandits, vampires, and ghostly apparitions. This contrast adds to the satirical effect Austen was attempting to create. Wherever Catherine looks, the mundane becomes mystery and the benign becomes the diabolical.
Despite Catherine’s active imagination, her story is rather sweet. The central romance in Northanger Abbey has little angst, her family is, for the most part, loving and supportive, and she does grow as a character over the course of the novel. The reader can see Catherine start to stand up for herself and take responsibility for her actions. Like Austen’s other novels, Northanger Abbey’s ending will leave the reader smiling and satisfied.
Overall, Northanger Abbey might not pull on your heartstrings as much as Austen’s other novels can. But it is still a good read, as it is lighthearted, clever, and funny. It is not only a very clever satire of popular and histrionic literature, but it’s also the story about what it means to inhabit the intersection between fantasy and reality, and what it means to grow up. Northanger Abbey and Catherine’s story is relatable for anyone who’s ever let their love for books and their overactive imagination get the better of them.