Pretty early in the book (Just finished Ch 16 of Book 1), there's excellent characterisation of the societal norms, but the story drags, things hardly happen, and Fanny is so uninteresting and prudish.
On one hand, it's very refreshing to see, but on the other, it's hard being invested in a meek character who hardly speaks up and lets everyone walk all over them. I'm hoping Fanny eventually gains some semblance of confidence.
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?!
New Smith & Taylor edition of North and South just dropped *and* the lilacs are blooming?! What more could anybody ask for??
Ch 5: yikes #whoknewauntpulletwouldcatchthem #withoutactuallycatchingthem #tomfigureditout #thatshockedme 🤣 #busted #tomwassonastytophil #philwasprettybrave #maggiedefendedphil #tomwenttoofar #maggiesaysbyetophil #andthenripstomanewone #gomaggie #relief #hmmmmmm #staytuned #hashtagbrigade
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 4: #phillovesmaggielovesphil #whatcouldgowrong #imgladmaggieishappier #thiscannotendwell #hashtagbrigade #longliveshortchapters
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
