Northanger Abbey is a satire of the gothic novels which were popular at the time that Jane Austen was writing this book.
The main protagonist Catherine Morland who is 17 years old is one of ten children of a country clergyman. She is invited by The Allen’s, who are friends of the family to go to Bath with them and partake in the winter seasons of balls.
During her time in Bath, Catherine befriends Isabella Thorpe and her brother John who has taken a fancy to Catherine and is also a friend of Catherine’s older brother James. She also befriends Emily Tilney and her brother Henry, much to the annoyance of Isabella and her brother who are not keen to the Tilneys and try to sabotage outings that have been planned between Catherine, Emily, and Henry.
Despite all this, Catherine friendship with the Tilney’s and she is invited to go and stay at Northanger Abbey, where the Tilney’s live. Catherine is excited about this and due to her love of Gothic literature is expecting the abbey to be exotic and frightening – something which Harry teases her about.
The main storyline in Northanger Abbey is really about Catherine’s love for Mr. Tilney and how that pans out. The book is a must-read for Austen fans and those who love the classics, though I do think everyone should read the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment