240 pages
English language
Published Oct. 1, 1996 by Signet Classics.
Northanger Abbey is both a perfectly aimed literary parody and a withering satire of the commercial aspects of marriage among the English gentry at the turn of the nineteenth century. But most of all, it is the story of the initiation into life of its naïve but sweetly appealing heroine, Catherine Morland, a willing victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance.
When Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the grand though forbidding ancestral seat of her suitor, Henry Tilney, she finds herself embroiled in a real drama of misapprehension, mistreatment, and mortification, until common sense and humor—and a crucial clarification of Catherine’s financial status—puts all to right. Written in 1798 but not published until after Austen’s death in 1817, Northanger Abbey is characteristically clearheaded and strong, and infinitely subtle in its comedy.
Abyss: The Abyss - Comedy & Parody | Element: Water | Satire, absurdism, genre self-awareness
Die Abtei von Northanger (Northanger Abbey) war für mich eine überraschende und gleichzeitig erfrischende Lektüre. Jane Austen spielt hier nicht nur mit den Erwartungen eines romantischen Romans, sondern auch mit denen der Leserinnen und Leser – und das auf höchst charmante Weise.
Die Geschichte folgt der jungen, naiven Catherine Morland, die aus ihrer ruhigen Heimat in die gesellschaftlich aufgeladene Welt von Bath eintaucht. Catherine ist keine Heldin im klassischen Sinn – und genau das macht sie so sympathisch. Sie liebt Schauerromane, ist verträumt und gleichzeitig oft sehr ehrlich in ihrer Wahrnehmung.
Während sie sich zwischen Freundschaften, gesellschaftlichen Regeln und einem aufkeimenden Liebesinteresse zu Henry Tilney bewegt, entlarvt Austen auf kluge Weise die Mechanismen sozialer Inszenierung und weiblicher Rollenzuweisung ihrer Zeit.
Besonders faszinierend fand ich Austens satirischen Ton: Sie nimmt sowohl die Gothic-Romane ihrer Epoche aufs Korn als auch die naive Vorstellung, das Leben müsse wie ein Roman …
Die Abtei von Northanger (Northanger Abbey) war für mich eine überraschende und gleichzeitig erfrischende Lektüre. Jane Austen spielt hier nicht nur mit den Erwartungen eines romantischen Romans, sondern auch mit denen der Leserinnen und Leser – und das auf höchst charmante Weise.
Die Geschichte folgt der jungen, naiven Catherine Morland, die aus ihrer ruhigen Heimat in die gesellschaftlich aufgeladene Welt von Bath eintaucht. Catherine ist keine Heldin im klassischen Sinn – und genau das macht sie so sympathisch. Sie liebt Schauerromane, ist verträumt und gleichzeitig oft sehr ehrlich in ihrer Wahrnehmung.
Während sie sich zwischen Freundschaften, gesellschaftlichen Regeln und einem aufkeimenden Liebesinteresse zu Henry Tilney bewegt, entlarvt Austen auf kluge Weise die Mechanismen sozialer Inszenierung und weiblicher Rollenzuweisung ihrer Zeit.
Besonders faszinierend fand ich Austens satirischen Ton: Sie nimmt sowohl die Gothic-Romane ihrer Epoche aufs Korn als auch die naive Vorstellung, das Leben müsse wie ein Roman verlaufen. Als Catherine später die titelgebende Abtei besucht, glaubt sie, dunkle Familiengeheimnisse zu entdecken – nur um festzustellen, dass das wahre Leben oft ganz unspektakulär ist.
Doch Austens Witz bleibt dabei nie kalt. Sie schreibt mit feiner Ironie, aber auch mit einer spürbaren Zuneigung zu ihren Figuren. Die Abtei von Northanger ist ein Roman über das Erwachsenwerden, über Illusionen und über die Kraft des klaren Blicks – verpackt in eine scharfsinnige, leichtfüßige Erzählung.
Ich habe die Lektüre als literarisches Spiel empfunden, bei dem Austen nicht nur die Konventionen ihrer Zeit hinterfragt, sondern mich gleichzeitig immer wieder liebevoll zum Lächeln gebracht hat. Ein unterschätztes Juwel mit zeitloser Eleganz.
Northanger Abbey is easily my favourite of the five Jane Austen novels I have read so far this year. From what I have heard about Emma, I think it may well turn out to be my favourite of the whole challenge! A considerably shorter work than some of the others, there isn't the space for lengthy diversions so I appreciated Austen's maintaining a good narrative pace throughout. I could empathise with ill-at-ease Catherine and really began to root for her once she started standing up to the selfish Thorpes.
What I now recognise as Austen trademarks are all present and correct! Much of the action happens in Bath society. The older female character, in this case the airheaded Mrs Allen, provides much of the humour, and no attachment can be assumed to be secured until the church bells have rung. I loved the additional excursion into Gothic darkness and …
Northanger Abbey is easily my favourite of the five Jane Austen novels I have read so far this year. From what I have heard about Emma, I think it may well turn out to be my favourite of the whole challenge! A considerably shorter work than some of the others, there isn't the space for lengthy diversions so I appreciated Austen's maintaining a good narrative pace throughout. I could empathise with ill-at-ease Catherine and really began to root for her once she started standing up to the selfish Thorpes.
What I now recognise as Austen trademarks are all present and correct! Much of the action happens in Bath society. The older female character, in this case the airheaded Mrs Allen, provides much of the humour, and no attachment can be assumed to be secured until the church bells have rung. I loved the additional excursion into Gothic darkness and Catherine's first night at Northanger Abbey is wonderfully atmospheric. I felt Austen spoke directly to her readers more in this book than in the others. Apparently this was the first she completed although one of the last to actually see publication. Perhaps a future editor discouraged the style, but I enjoyed her defense of novelists and her frequent namedropping of other authors she liked herself. I am now seriously considering the six Mrs Radcliffe novels for my 2018 challenge!
This is the least well-known book of Jane Austen’s, as well as the last typical of her style. But, aside from the fact that I had to adjust my expectations, I enjoyed it greatly.
This is a farce. It’s clearly how romances are NOT supposed to go; there are set-ups and then an unexpected curve balls that makes you laugh.
The heroine is obsessed with low-brow novels and wants to see horror in every detail of this ancient abbey she is exploring. She is capital-R Romantic in a very realistic world where she looks a tad ridiculous. I could see myself in her.
She’s also socially awkward and often doesn’t know what to do; it’s all very comedic, a fun story. And by the end, we do still get a satisfying ending typical of a Jane Austen novel.
There is a lot of breaking the fourth wall and talking directly …
This is the least well-known book of Jane Austen’s, as well as the last typical of her style. But, aside from the fact that I had to adjust my expectations, I enjoyed it greatly.
This is a farce. It’s clearly how romances are NOT supposed to go; there are set-ups and then an unexpected curve balls that makes you laugh.
The heroine is obsessed with low-brow novels and wants to see horror in every detail of this ancient abbey she is exploring. She is capital-R Romantic in a very realistic world where she looks a tad ridiculous. I could see myself in her.
She’s also socially awkward and often doesn’t know what to do; it’s all very comedic, a fun story. And by the end, we do still get a satisfying ending typical of a Jane Austen novel.
There is a lot of breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the reader. At first this jarred me, but I got used to it, especially because sometimes it was quite funny, although it wasn’t always used to comedic effect. Unfortunately, after a time it came to feel overdone for my tastes. That was the main detractor for me that caused this to drop a little in the ranks below Austen's other works.
Something very strange about this work is that it felt as if perhaps, just maybe, Austen was actually bending over backward to be critical of women in a way that would line up with chauvinistic values? I don't have the full context of how Austen thought, nor do I have the full benefit of understanding the culture of the Regency period in order to discern how certain comments and criticisms are meant to be taken. So take that with a grain of salt.
But there is still a lot here to love. The characterizations of several people, the way she subtly makes fun of everyone simply through characterizing them so well, etc. I'm very glad I read it and look forward to revisiting it throughout the years.
It's a good book, but it's not for me. I didn't particularly feel for any of the characters aside from the Tilney siblings, I found Catherine's 'naivety' to be strange in that she's incapable of seeing cruelty from people who do nothing but act clearly mean and also too eager to see cruelty in those who don't really show a hint of violence.
The language is pretty and its composure is nice, as expected of an Austen novel, but outside of the house-exploration scenes I wasn't particularly drawn in or excited by it. I don't think that's due to failings of the novel and more that I just don't particularly care for explanations of gossip, I don't know.
It's a good book, but it's not for me. I didn't particularly feel for any of the characters aside from the Tilney siblings, I found Catherine's 'naivety' to be strange in that she's incapable of seeing cruelty from people who do nothing but act clearly mean and also too eager to see cruelty in those who don't really show a hint of violence.
The language is pretty and its composure is nice, as expected of an Austen novel, but outside of the house-exploration scenes I wasn't particularly drawn in or excited by it. I don't think that's due to failings of the novel and more that I just don't particularly care for explanations of gossip, I don't know.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, so it actually should be 3,5 stars. However, the ending felt really rushed and all the events happened very suddenly. It felt like she didn’t feel like writing any more and just wanted to get it over with. The beginning and the middel of the novel I did like, and the scenes in Bath are beautifully described.
I've been reading the "minor" Austen novels in roughly reverse-order of importance. I was bored to tears with Emma, was decidedly meh about Mansfield Park, and figured Northanger Abbey would be another step down. I was SO wrong! OMG what a blast! "Northanger" is a broad satire of potboiler gothic romance novels, with a real feeling of very modern snark. The characters are terrifically well-drawn as is usual with Austen, the villians are deliciously fun to hate and the heroes the kind of people I wish I could be friends with. It's a lighter read and more loosely plotted than the major Austen books, but soooo much fun.
I've been reading the "minor" Austen novels in roughly reverse-order of importance. I was bored to tears with Emma, was decidedly meh about Mansfield Park, and figured Northanger Abbey would be another step down. I was SO wrong! OMG what a blast! "Northanger" is a broad satire of potboiler gothic romance novels, with a real feeling of very modern snark. The characters are terrifically well-drawn as is usual with Austen, the villians are deliciously fun to hate and the heroes the kind of people I wish I could be friends with. It's a lighter read and more loosely plotted than the major Austen books, but soooo much fun.
3.5 Sterne
Gefiel mir besser als "Verstand und Gefühl" und viel besser als "Überredung", war aber kein Vergleich zu "Emma" oder gar "Stolz und Vorurteil". Catherine war mir ein bisschen zu naiv und dämlich, dafür fand ich die Familiendynamiken wie immer sehr gelungen.
3.5 Sterne
Gefiel mir besser als "Verstand und Gefühl" und viel besser als "Überredung", war aber kein Vergleich zu "Emma" oder gar "Stolz und Vorurteil". Catherine war mir ein bisschen zu naiv und dämlich, dafür fand ich die Familiendynamiken wie immer sehr gelungen.
Jane Austen never was one of my all time favourite authors so far, so I wasn't too thrilled to see her on my list of books to read for this semester. At the same time I was determined to take this challenge and make it worthwhile. And who would have thought... I fell in love... more
Jane Austen never was one of my all time favourite authors so far, so I wasn't too thrilled to see her on my list of books to read for this semester. At the same time I was determined to take this challenge and make it worthwhile. And who would have thought... I fell in love... more
I am a huge Jane Austen fan and I picked up Northanger Abbey hoping to find another brillant work of Austens to stick my nose in, but I was rather disappointed with it. This book was not quite up to par with her other books. It was a little slow and the characters were not as memorable as Elizabeth, Emma, Mary Anne etc.. I don't regret reading it but next time I am looking for a Jane Austen, I'll reread P&P.
I am a huge Jane Austen fan and I picked up Northanger Abbey hoping to find another brillant work of Austens to stick my nose in, but I was rather disappointed with it. This book was not quite up to par with her other books. It was a little slow and the characters were not as memorable as Elizabeth, Emma, Mary Anne etc.. I don't regret reading it but next time I am looking for a Jane Austen, I'll reread P&P.
