Austen 250 Reader Series: An Introduction to Northanger Abbey
- Delicia Johnson
- 27 minutes ago
- 3 min read
"No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be a heroine."
—Northanger Abbey, Volume I Chapter I
Catherine Morland didn't become the gothic novel heroine that she yearned to be, but she's an Austen heroine. I must say as someone who devours as many gothic novels as Catherine Morland and Isabella Thorpe that I would much rather be an Austen heroine than a gothic one. No murderous villains, family curses, or ghosts for me!
We conclude our Austen 250 Reader Series with Jane Austen's first completed novel Northanger Abbey, which was published posthumously in December 1817 alongside her final completed novel, Persuasion.
This novel follows seventeen year old, heroine-in-training Catherine Morland, who is obsessed with gothic novels and ready for an adventure beyond anything a typical daughter of a country clergyman can expect. When the Allens invite her to accompany them to Bath, her yearning for adventure and the desire to put her training in good use is finally realized. But Catherine will soon learn that some things are best left in fiction and that 18th-century Bath society can have just as much danger lurking around the corner (or the Assembly Rooms), especially for women- no supernatural elements needed.
A gentle parody of the gothic novels that reached their peak of popularity in the 1790s and a satire of the marriage market and social ambition, Northanger Abbey is also a stanch defense of reading and the novel. At the time novels were considered unserious and insipid and were strongly associated with women. And of course nearly any leisure activity associated with the female sex was by default deemed to be frivolous. Novels were also viewed as dangerous for women, potentially encouraging unvirtuous behavior and giving false ideas of romance. The conduct books that taught women how they should behave and what they should be like were much preferred to that of "trashy" novels. But Jane Austen defends the novel as a valuable art form in its own right and demonstrates how reading can improve discernment and independence of mind when done properly. Indeed, for Austen novels were the best way to understand human nature- a journey her Catherine Morland would embark on rather than one of hidden passages and dastardly deeds.
Northanger Abbey and its heroine are not everyone's cup of tea. It's by no means a subpar novel, but nonetheless it's clear that Austen is still honing her genius. However, Northanger Abbey is my second favorite Austen novel (after Persuasion) and in the top ten of my favorite novels of all time. Catherine Morland is my third favorite heroine after Anne Elliot and Elinor Dashwood. I adore her sweetness and endearing naivety. I also love how she sees the goodness in everyone (well, except General Tilney) despite their glaring follies. And who among us have not allowed our imaginations to run away?
But let us embrace our inner Catherine Morland and escape in Austen's world of balls, muslin gowns, and the Pump Room. Our reading schedule is as follows:
Day 1 Chapters 1-8
Day 2 Chapters 9-15
Day 3 Chapters 16-22
Day 4 Chapters 23-31
As we read this coming-of-age novel together please feel free to use the comments section to share your thoughts. Afterall, to quote the swoon worthy hero of this novel, Henry Tilney, “the person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid".
So my dear tolerably intelligent gentlemen and ladies, happy reading!
For more information about the publication of Northanger Abbey read this brief article from Jane Austen's House: https://janeaustens.house/jane-austen/novels/northanger-abbey/
If you enjoy our content, please consider donating. Your donations support the Jane Austen Summer Program, Jane Austen & Co., Jane Austen for Teachers, and Jane Austen's Desk. Contributing to this fund will help us keep our costs and the ticket prices for the Jane Austen Summer Program (JASP) as low as possible. It will also help ensure that JASP continues to exist in future years.