Northanger Abbey (Collins Classics) | 
pickOn a visit to Bath and then to friends at the titular house, Catherine Morland learns to tell the difference between fiction and reality.
Deservedly a classic. Too many people cannot tell the difference between the world as shown in the media they consume and the real world. Austen shows it is not a new problem but it is one that is becoming more urgent.
I‘m a day late, but happy 250th birthday, Jane Austen! Here‘s my Austen collection 💞
Happy 250th Birthday to Jane Austen 🎂🧁🎈🎉
#NorthangerAbbey #ProdeAndPrejudice #SenseAndSensibility #Emma #Persuasion #JaneAusten
so-soCatherine‘s holiday at Bath seems to be all the better for her introduction to the Thorpe siblings. & then it‘s love at first sight when Henry Tilley enters the scene.
This was a sweet romance that also did a fantastic job of showing the difficulties of getting ensnared into a toxic friendship, as well as how important it is to find a partner who truly understands you. I would have liked more time @ Northanger & w/ Tilney & his sister.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her.
#NorthangerAbbey #JaneAusten #firstline #openingline #book #books #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #Classics #Romance #Fiction #Gothic #HistoricalFiction #Audiobook #Literature #19thCentury 🤍🤍
@Crinoline_Laphroaig #Pemberlittens #JaneAustenThenandNow
1. My 4th time (at least). I appreciate Austen's humor more every time.
2. Henry, but I love Eleanor and would have loved to hear more of her voice in the novel.
3. The early scenes when Isabella is dropping hints about her love interest in James, and Catherine is oblivious. I also love when Catherine finally acknowledges Isabella's true character and finally shows some pluck. ⬇️
pickI'm so behind on the #JaneAustenThenandNow challenge, but my goal is to catch up this month! I just did the May reread of Northanger Abbey, and as with all her works, I have loved it more each time. @Crinoline_Laphroaig
pickFinished last month for #JaneAustenThenAndNow @Crinoline_Laphroaig
1. This was my second time reading. This time I understood all the Udolpho references and it really enforced just how popular that book was, to have so many allusions that you know the audience will understand without explanation.
2. Catherine, I love her growth, and Tilney of course
3. I like the scene on the way to Northanger when Tilney
(cont'd ↩️)
1. My 4th read
2. The Tilney siblings
3./ 4. I love when Austen is defending the reading of novels & making fun of people who don‘t read them, chap 5 & 7
5. Dance, at least I have a chance of surviving that
6. Snooping
7. SIL
8. That‘s hard since there‘s more people I wouldn‘t want to invite. Getting an invite: the Tilney siblings & Catherine. Not getting an invite: Mrs Allen - all the talk about muslins. Mrs Thorpe. Mr Thorpe - such a brute
pickAnother winner from Austen
I particularly like the defense of reading the novel and all the literary references.
Some neighbors of the Morland‘s ask if Catherine would like to join them in Bath. Off course she does, and in the beginning it‘s boring since they don‘t know anyone. The. Catherine is introduced to Isabella and later to Henry and suddenly it‘s not so boring anymore
#PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow
I might have finished the book, but there are still two days left in Northanger Abbey month with the #PemberLittens, so enjoy a roundup of tweets that made me laugh! #JaneAustenThenAndNow
pickOops, got too excited and read ahead again! The General unceremoniously throws Catherine out of the house but Henry quickly comes to check up on her and also propose to her. Henry Tilney, the man that you are! I love the glimpse of Catherine back at home, love Mrs. Morland, love Eleanor becoming a Viscountess, love every single bit of Jane's (non)Gothic romp. A+, no notes for this hilarious, witty genre send-up that has so much heart at its core.
I adore this Reddit user who respects the game so much that they actually have contempt for Isabella, who in their mind should go even harder as a self-serving, social climbing, manipulative grifter. Losing your safety fiancé before securing the rich guy who will actually help you achieve status and wealth? Amateur hour! Anyway, Isabella writes a last-ditch "save me!" letter to Cath who is not buying it one bit and ghosts her former friend. Brava!
#JumpStartSummer #WrapUp
Having hubby home cuts into reading time. Finished my two buddy reads and progress was made on my audio and ebook but zero progress on my other 2 print books.
Thanks for hosting @TheSpineView
No meme because #TomKitten joined in today to inspect the reading and gave a look which exactly sums up my feelings about the General. The man himself arranges a trip to Woodston to show it off for Catherine but is so domineering that she has no idea what to say, lest she risk his wrath. He also puts down the village, the landscape, and the house itself at every turn and she can't politely contradict him, so really, General, just stfu please. 🙄
Henry is a total mensch about the whole "Catherine suspected his father of murder thing", which is to say he never brings it up, ever, and is also extra kind to her. This guy rules, I swear. Which is something that could never be said about Isabella, who we learn has gone full-out dirtbag and heartlessly dumped James for...Fred Tilney! Its all kinds of awkward and Catherine can't believe Isabella's behavior, but Eleanor and Henry help her process.
Eleanor tries to take Catherine into Mrs. Tilney's rooms, but of course the General interrupts. Later Cath boldly heads off alone to explore Mrs. T's bedchamber and then...Henry catches her in the act! He's astonished and she's ashamed and he launches into his whole, "We live in a CIVILIZED country!" spiel which never fails to make me laugh. I rather enjoyed Sarah Emsley's breakdown referenced above; link in the comments.
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
