I love reading — I always have. I haven’t read as much for pleasure since starting college, but I’m working on that. Recently, I was hit with a sudden desire to acquaint myself with the classics — and finding a $2 copy of Jane Austen’s “Northanger Abbey” at Gift and Thrift determined my starting point for me, despite me never having heard of the book. Perhaps that was divine intervention, because I don’t think I could have found a better book to begin my journey into the classics.
“Northanger Abbey” was written around 1803, making it one of Austen’s first novels, but it wasn’t published until 1818 — after her death. The edition I bought has notes by Alfred Mac Adam — I have no idea who he is, but he did an excellent job. When reading a book written over 200 years ago, there are bound to be words and cultural references that a modern reader will not understand. Mac Adam’s notes provide insights into terms, locations mentioned in the story, and cultural norms that did not survive 200+ years and a journey across the Atlantic; his contextualizations enable readers unfamiliar with literature from this era to connect with the story and gain some historical knowledge. Additionally, his notes are printed at the bottom of each page, making it easy and convenient for the reader to reference them without interrupting the flow — don’t get me started on the uselessness of notes at the end of a book. Honestly, who reads those?
The story itself is amusing. Austen wrote it as a satirical take on Gothic literature that was popular at the time — with a romantic twist, of course. I must say that the blurb on the back oversells the “mystery” aspect of the story; do not go into this expecting a grand conspiracy or more than a chapter or two of suspense, at most. This book is truly nothing more than a parody of the Gothic style; it is in no way a serious attempt at the genre.
As long as readers aren’t overexpecting on that front, they can thoroughly enjoy the main character’s innocence and overactive imagination that leads her to weave conspiracies out of the tiniest threads of evidence. Catherine Morland, the story’s “heroine,” as Austen calls her, is not a particularly extraordinary girl. Growing up in a small town, her first major adventure is a trip to Bath with some family friends when she is 17 — this is the beginning of the novel. Her world quickly expands, and her lack of experience outside her own small community — in which people generally say and do what they mean, so Catherine has no reason to ever suspect anyone of ulterior motives — poses a unique dynamic between her and the other characters that the reader is more prone to notice than Catherine herself. Her naivety allows her genuineness and goodness to shine through, especially as she falls in love for the first time.
Catherine’s love interest is Henry Tilney, a clergyman who is also visiting Bath with his family. While I do ultimately approve of their relationship, I must address their age difference: Catherine is 17, and Henry is 25. Ordinarily, this would be a dealbreaker for me, and I understand if it is for others. However, when reading a book written in a very different time period, and acknowledging that it is still unacceptable in modern literature unless making a specific point about grooming, I am willing to weigh other factors in addition to the age gap. For me, this relationship was redeemed by Henry’s openness, humor, good nature, feminist leanings, and the fact that he also seems to have been sheltered in his upbringing — albeit in a different way than Catherine. He clearly does not try to take advantage of Catherine — or anyone else, for that matter — so I decided not to let this one detail sour my taste for the story as a whole.
I also must acknowledge the narrator, who is practically a character of her own. The narrator frequently interjects sarcastic remarks into the storytelling, sometimes affectionately teasing our beloved Catherine for her ignorance — because, seriously, that girl can NOT take a hint. Occasionally, the narrator even follows a tangent into a full-on rant — which I always find amusing.
“Northanger Abbey” is one of Austen’s least famous books, but I’m afraid readers underestimate it. While the plot does not go very deep, the story has lovable, well-developed characters written into a witty, sarcastic narrative. Moreover, the lack of depth in the plotline makes it easier to understand for a reader who is new to this older style of writing. It is the epitome of a “just for fun” read, especially as an entryway for someone just beginning to dip their toes in classic literature. (If anyone needs more convincing, it’s also Austen’s shortest work, so it’s not a huge time commitment, either!)