Northanger Abbey | 
pickI‘m so glad I was able to re-read this Jane Austen classic! It‘s been years and was a delightful listen! Henry Tilley calls Catherine out so many times for her overactive imagination and jumping to conclusions based off of her reading novels! Austen did a great satire on the Gothic novels of her time!
I finished ahead of the #JaneAdjacent readalong and am prepared for Victorian Book Club‘s discussion early next month.
Catherine gets a tour of the abbey's interior and surprise, surprise, her imagination starts to run away with her. To be fair, General Tilney is off-putting as hell, but they doesn't mean he's imprisoned his wife in some secret room like Udolpho's Signor Montoni (or legendary emo drama queen Mr. Rochester). Try telling that to Catherine, though! Who needs proof when there's *vibes*?? #PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
Catherine awakes in the cold light of day to find that her mysterious manuscript is nothing more than a laundry bill. She feels like a total idiot about it (I mean....yeah) but soldiers on to breakfast where we get the one scene with Henry that I hate, where he talks about how valuable it is for a woman to be "teachable" which, barf. The General inserts himself into the ladies' morning walk and generally acts sus as hell the whole time. ?
Catherine is shown to her bedroom and finds it comfortable and relatively cheerful. But then she catches sight of an old trunk and is immediately more suspicious of an inanimate object than any person in history. She immediately opens it and starts to snoop but then has to go to dinner. Afterward it's the quintessential dark and stormy night and she catches sight of a spooky cabinet and pretty much loses her mind. Oh, Catherine.
Northanger Abbey Day has officially arrived for Catherine! TBH its a little weird because the General is stressing her OUT with all his attention toward her, but at least Cath gets to travel some of the way with Henry! As they drive, he takes the piss and spins her the best Gothic tale of what the Abbey will be like, which she of course takes fully at face value. But then she arrives and is surprised and disappointed to find it all very modern. 😂
LOL, shout out to this blogger from 2103 with the most straightforward take on the matter. While I normally don't love a slut-shamer, I deeply love a hot take on an Austen novel so this one's kind of a wash. 😂 Anyway, Catherine is very concerned about Isabella and the Captain and shakes Henry down for the dirt. He reminds Cath that every couple draws their own boundaries of acceptable behavior. We know this will backfire but still - a king!
Another chapter full of Thorpe nonsense. Catherine and Isabella hang at the Pump Room and there's big news: John wants to marry Catherine! Cath is astonished and appalled to hear this (so real) and reiterates that she's never had feelings for him. Isabella doesn't believe her but rationalizes it to herself saying, "What one means one day, you know, one may not mean the next." HMMM, YOU DON'T SAY ALSO HERE COMES CAPT TILNEY TO SHAMELESSLY FLIRT. ?
Chapter 17 is short but incredible, if only because it's probably Jane's horniest, most suggestive writing (with apologies to Mary Crawford). She doesn't even veil the fact that Catherine's wild fantasies of exploration relate to both Henry and the abbey. Damp passages, indeed. To Northanger, therefore, they are to go. #PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
There's a new Tilney man in town and while he may be fashionable and slightly more handsome than his brother, he's also a total dick about the fact that Henry enjoys dancing so Catherine and I both know not to trust him. Later, James writes to Isabella with the details of his living which she and her mom find underwhelming, to say the least. She makes some excuse for her low spirits but we all know the deal (even if Catherine doesn't).
The person, be it gentleman or lady, who had not pleasure in a good novel, most be intolerably stupid
#PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
Getting caught up today after a busy weekend! In a nutshell: John Thorpe is lying, mainsplaining twat, Isabella is an insincere manipulator, and James Morland is...pretty lame. Henry and Eleanor Tilney, however, remain solid and ask Catherine to take a pleasant walk together. She's psyched about it but then John Thorpe totally lies about them standing her up, leading to a quick, awkward face-off between Cath and Ms. Tilney on the street.
#picforattention
Hey #hashtagbrigade before things get crazy and I forget to post, I‘m having surgery in 11 days (my uterus is trying to kill me) I‘m hoping to read ahead a little during the next week, and I shouldn‘t miss a day…. But who knows? I‘m having a total hysterectomy and I might be cranky 🤷🏻♀️ so if you don‘t hear from me for a day or three, that‘s why! I will catch up in the days following if necessary! #fuckcancer
“Oxford! There is no drinking at Oxford now, I assure you. Nobody drinks there. You would hardly meet with a man who goes beyond his four pints at the outmost. Now, for instance, it was reckoned a remarkable thing at the last party in my rooms, that upon an average we cleared about five pints a head.”
I‘m so happy to find out how little they don‘t drink at Oxford
#PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
Tonight's dance is a total let-down since the Thorpe siblings prove they're the absolute worst, abandoning and ignoring Catherine. On the plus side, Henry Tilney is back! He's with a young lady but instead of flying into a jealous rage about it, Catherine sensibly, and correctly, assumes the girl is his sister. Sadly, Cath has to turn down Henry's invitation to dance because she's stupidly promised herself to John Thorpe, resident dirtbag.
Ch.8
Catherine sits abandoned by Isabella and her brother waiting for John Thorpe to come claim his dance (which he is far less eager to do now that the opportunity is present) when she sees Mr. Tilney with his sister (whom she does NOT mistake for his wife).
Despite this, she cannot dance with him as stupid John Thorpe keeps getting in the way and Isabella is too distracted making sure she is the center of attention to commiserate.
Is this Austen‘s way of letting us know that we have met the villain already?
Doesn‘t like reading
#PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
Ch.7
The girls are nearly run down by Isabella's brother John who is out driving with Catherine's brother James (who is googly-eyed over Isabella).
John is an ill-mannered fellow and will NOT stop going on about his horse despite no encouragement and then proceeds to rate the attractiveness of every woman passing.
But he insists Catherine is the most charming ever, so she is too easily flattered to think as ill of him as she ought.
Welp, it's a recycled meme but it's the best I've got to sum up what it's probably like to spend even 10 minutes with John Thorpe, one of Austen's most boorish and contemptible men. Within moments of meeting Catherine he's droning on and on about his ride, and then swiftly moves to judging the looks of random women in the street and being an utter ass to his mother and sisters. Can someone kick this man in the balls with extreme haste, please?!
Today's chapter shows us Catherine being the most YA paranormal romance BookTok-obsessed teenager who ever lived, and I'm loving it. Even though she's still got an eye out for Tilney, he really can't compete with her current favorite novel (so relatable). Isabella keeps trying to turn the talk to men but Catherine doesn't want to stray from the mystery of the black veil and Laurentina's skeleton - and honestly, can you blame her??
Ch.6
Oh, Isabella - the all too common manipulative attention-seeking Mean Girl where everything she says is calibrated for her audience to provide her with the correct reaction (usually some sort of fawning - oh Isabella, you are just too good!)
Then Catherine is forced to report on the movements of two young men whose staring was "bothering" Isabella before they essentially chase them down the street to capture their attention. Shades of Lydia!
This chapter is a true classic! Jane breaks the fourth wall pretty consistently in Northanger, but never with so much fervor as in her absolute harangue about novels. She's not wrong, though, and novels written for women are still seen as "less than". Screw that bullshit, and brava to Jane for her impassioned defense and for making her heroines novel-readers! Catherine and Isabella reading together on rainy days should be an inspiration to us all!
Ch.5
Isabella and Catherine are soon inseparable - when they cannot be out scouting for Tilney, they stay in and read novels.
But the chapter is sidetracked by a spirited (and lengthy) preemptive defense of novels by the author/narrator against those that essentially call them trashy.
"If the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard?"
#Pemberlittens
#JaneAustenThenandNow
Ch.4
Catherine is super-excited to see Tilney again, but nope. Just the usual Mrs. Allen wishing she had acquaintance and sighing loudly without doing anything about it. But wait! An old schoolmate appears to drone on endlessly bragging about her children and their accomplishments (even the narrator digs at how she never shuts up...)
The eldest daughter, Isabella, basically makes a pet of Catherine and enjoys being admired by her new friend.
they were still resolute in meeting in defiance of wet and dirt, and shut themselves up, to read novels together. Yes, novels; - for I will not adapt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure the very performances, to the number of which they are themselves adding
#PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
Catherine hopes to meet Mr. Tilney again but suddenly he's nowhere to be found?! She's not disappointed for long, though, because an old acquaintance of Mrs. Allen's comes over to introduce herself and her beautiful daughter Isabella (and there's other daughters, too, but nobody cares). Catherine is delighted to have a friend in Bath, and I'm delighted by the last paragraph where the author snarkily relays how Mrs. Thorpe talks too damn much. 😆
Ch.3
Gentle Reader, Tilney has been spotted! He is funny and a little silly poking fun at "accepted conversation". I should find myself very charmed by a Mr. Tilney and his amusing nonsense. Not to mention, he knows his muslins!
With Tilney around, Catherine's second ball in Bath is much more fun than the first - and she gets to dance!
#Pemberlittens
#JaneAustenThenandNow
#TalkTilneyToMe
Days go by and still Catherine and the Allens don't actually meet or speak with anyone at all. And then at last, a Master of Ceremonies takes pity on Catherine and introduces her to, not just Some Man, but THE Man. The witty, kind, utterly divine stone-cold fox (well, "near handsome", anyway) Mr. Henry Tilney. He is funny and charming and oozes respect for the ladies and damn if I wouldn't let him distress me with his nonsense any day of the week!
Absolutely nothing exciting happens as Catherine and the Allens make their way to Bath, and then absolutely nothing happens when they arrive, save for Mrs. A's 4-day search for the perfect gown. Finally, finally, they make their way to the Upper Rooms and it's...not great. They suffer through a long, hot, and utterly boring evening until Catherine happens to overhear the mildest compliment ever. And suddenly the whole night has been a success!
I'm listening to the Amazon Classics version of Northanger Abbey this month. This will be my second time reading this novel. Last time I realized belatedly that the edition I listened to was abridged, so while it was delightful I'm looking forward to getting the full experience this time around.
#JaneAustenThenandNow @Crinoline_Laphroaig
Ch.2
Mrs. Allen, Catherine's chaperone in Bath, is determined to be in fashion, so Catherine looks her best when she attends her first ball at the Upper Rooms (above). Mrs. Allen is significantly less diligent when it comes to making introductions that might allow Catherine to dance (or even speak to someone), so she is a bit bored and uncomfortable until she overhears 2 young men call her pretty. At which point the evening is redeemed.
And we're off! I've been so excited to read this book again, and found myself laughing out loud as we got the full backstory on our heroine. Meet Catherine Morland: her dad's not a tyrant and her mom isn't dead; she's never nursed a dormouse and she can't play piano; she's never been in love and her neighborhood is boring as shit. But - but! - she loves books (brava!) and she's about to have an adventure. Look out, Bath, here comes our girl!
"...if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad..."
#Pemberlittens
#JaneAustenThenandNow
Ch.1
In which our heroine is described as altogether ordinary: sometimes inattentive to her schooling, a bit rowdy but kind. As she grows into a young lady, she reads a bunch of fun romantic novels and yearns for an exciting adventure of her own - a feeling I remember well.
I love the knowing tongue-in-cheek narration that affectionately makes fun of her youthful silliness and the overwrought tone of the stories Catherine devours.
repost for @Crinoline_Laphroaig
I'm ready for Northanger Abbey! My plan is read a chapter a day. And I'm going to post every day. ??
#PemberLittens
#JaneAustenThenAndNow
#TalkTilneyToMe
“No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine.“
Ready for my 4th reading of this book
The opening sentence:
“No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine.”
And later in the chapter:
“But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes of their eventful lives.”
pickI was debating whether or not to give this 3.5 or 4 stars. I finally decided on 4 because the story was so clever!
This was my third Jane Austen novel. Previously, I had read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and enjoyed both of them.
My immediate impression of this book was that it was hilarious.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/review-northanger-abbey/
pickWhile staying in Bath Catherine meets 2 sets of siblings. The Thorpes, who become insufferable as their true nature is revealed, & the Tilneys (Henry & Eleanor). Austen does a wonderful job comparing the 2 sets, demonstrating a false nature vs. a genuine one. I love that Catherine & Henry like each other from the start. He is patient & kind & rises above his family with his moral compass. He‘s a truly good & one of my favorite Austen characters.
pick“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”— direct quote from your new book boyfriend. Northanger Abbey is a clever, comical, and loving send-up of the gothic novel, starring a naive, book-loving heroine who always thinks she‘s about to be thrown into the plot of her current page-turner and a pining know-it-all hero whose defense of popular fiction had me swooning over 200 years later!
pick
pickThis is a book that truly let me down. I love many aspects of it so I am rating it highly. I loved the writing. I loved Catherine. I do love all the Jane Austen “heroines” that I have met. Their strength and assertiveness is beyond their time. But, there are so many holes left in this story. Was there supposed to be a sequel? I have lots of questions. When I got to the last page, I said to myself: “Oh, no! This can‘t be the ending!”
This novel has been so hilarious to me. I love Catherine, “the heroine” so far. I have been absent from Litsy, reading all the volumes of “In Search of Lost Time” by Proust. It really was worth it.
#AboutABook
With nine siblings, Catherine Moreland has #ABigFamily albeit apparently a very plain one (but still fine)! 😉
“A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number; but the Morlands had little other right to the word, for they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her life, as plain as any.”
Sometimes this book truly hits the spot. To me, Northanger is the most outright funny of Austen's works, and certainly the most overtly satiric. Even though I've read it several times, I still found myself cracking up at the way she affectionately mocks literary convention, style, and characters. I love the early scenes in Bath being kind of a boring let-down, and I love Eleanor's actual Gothic heroine arc happening entirely off the page. 😂
Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.
#WomensHistoryMonth
