Oct. 28th, 2020 12:36 pm
Finished Northanger Abbey & Thoughts
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bunnybooI thoroughly enjoyed Northanger Abbey, partly due to the introduction (which I read after the novel) and notes by Alfred Mac Adam in the Barnes & Noble Classics edition. They were so helpful in understanding the text as you went through the novel and in reflecting on it after you'd finished. I'd recommend it, and I hope I can find some other classic books in the same style. (Looks like the same person also did introductions and notes for some of H.G. Wells' books)
It didn't occur to me while reading or, at the very least, I couldn't put it into words, but Isabella and John are essentially gaslighting Catherine constantly. They're isolating her and love bombing her - classic cult and manipulation tactics! Of course, it was all played light-heartedly in text, and I really do love the breezy, conversational yet biographical style of Abbey. From the introduction, I gathered that this is Austen's final foray into satire (most of which was never published and created for personal and familial amusement), and I can really see how she evolved into the "comedy of errors" style she was known for.
I do feel silly for being drawn into the gothic melodrama in the middle third. I guess that means Catherine and I are alike! I do notice some similarities between us, both in my past and in my present. I think that speaks to the enduring nature of Austen's character work, even if Abbey isn't known for its masterful study of human nature.
Overall, I would rate this higher than Pride & Prejudice. I'll be taking a little break between Abbey and my next Austen book (mostly because I rely on public libraries), and I'll start reading Jane Eyre next.
It didn't occur to me while reading or, at the very least, I couldn't put it into words, but Isabella and John are essentially gaslighting Catherine constantly. They're isolating her and love bombing her - classic cult and manipulation tactics! Of course, it was all played light-heartedly in text, and I really do love the breezy, conversational yet biographical style of Abbey. From the introduction, I gathered that this is Austen's final foray into satire (most of which was never published and created for personal and familial amusement), and I can really see how she evolved into the "comedy of errors" style she was known for.
I do feel silly for being drawn into the gothic melodrama in the middle third. I guess that means Catherine and I are alike! I do notice some similarities between us, both in my past and in my present. I think that speaks to the enduring nature of Austen's character work, even if Abbey isn't known for its masterful study of human nature.
Overall, I would rate this higher than Pride & Prejudice. I'll be taking a little break between Abbey and my next Austen book (mostly because I rely on public libraries), and I'll start reading Jane Eyre next.
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