English Classics: Northanger Abbey

I just finished reading Northanger Abbey, a novel by English author Jane Austen, completed in 1799 and published posthumously in 1817. The novel begins with a "biographical notice" of Jane Austen's life written by Henry Austen, one of Austen's older brothers. The notice gives some details of Austen's life and describes her character, painting a picture of an elegant, mature, and happy woman. This is the sixth Austen novel I have read, after Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma, 

A coming-of-age novel and a satire of Gothic novels, Northanger Abbey tells the story of Catherine Morland, the naïve young protagonist, as she develops a better understanding of herself and the world around her. It covers a wide array of topics such as high society, Gothic fiction, the bildungsroman, the value of reading, and the importance of time. This novel is considered to be more juvenile than Austen's other works.

Consistent with her iconic writing style, Austen uses free indirect discourse proficiently in the book; it is the literary technique of writing a character's first-person thoughts in the voice of the third-person narrator. The distinguishing term "free" in the phrase indicates the technique whereby the author—instead of being fixed on the narrator or on just one character—may "roam from viewpoint to viewpoint" among several different characters. Along with Goethe, Austen was among the first novelists to use this style consistently.

Throughout Northanger Abbey, Austen makes references to many different Gothic novels, most notably The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, an English novelist and poet who pioneered the Gothic novel. In addition, Northanger Abbey is credited with reviving interest in "Northanger 'horrid' novels"—seven Gothic titles that had largely fallen into obscurity. 

The protagonist of Northanger Abbey, Catherine is seventeen years old, and has spent her entire life in her family's modest home in the rural village of Fullerton. While Catherine has read many novels (particularly Gothic novels), she is very inexperienced in reading people. Her naiveté about the world and about the motivations and character of the people she meets is an endless source of confusion and frustration for her. Nonetheless, Catherine is very intelligent, learns from her mistakes, and can be witty. Her strongest attributes are her integrity and caring nature.

Henry Tilney, the co-protagonist, is a 26-year-old parson in a small village called Woodston. He is intelligent, good-tempered, and attuned to the motivations and behavior of those around him. He is very well-read, and enjoys novels as much as history books. He is good-natured, but has a wry, cynical view of human behavior. He is often amused at the folly of others, but he takes care to gently instruct them properly, if possible, particularly in the case of the naïve Catherine.

As part of my extended study, I watched two film adaptations of the novel. The first one was a 1987 BBC production, starring Katharine Schlesinger and Peter Firth. I was particularly impressed by Schlesinger, who shared the same given name as the role she played, and for her brilliantly portraying the intelligent yet naive young girl.

The other adaptation was a 2007 production by ITV, which was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). The drama was viewed by 5.6 million people in the UK, making it the second-most watched of the 2007 adaptations. Northanger Abbey garnered mostly positive reviews from television critics, with many praising the cast's performances.

Having embarked on this journey only five months ago, I have read Austen's six major works. It is surreal, but I am now one of the countless Austen fans across the world. To this end, two places came into my mind as must-visit destinations for my future travel to the UK. The first is Bath, a city in Somerset, England, known for its Roman-built baths and named after them. A setting of Austen's major works, Bath is home to The Jane Austen Centre, a permanent exhibition which tells the story of Jane Austen's Bath experience, and the effect that visiting and living in the city had on her and her writing.

The other is Jane Austen's House, a museum located in Chawton, Hampshire. Previously the home of local farmers, the house was the site where Jane Austen spent the last eight years of her life, during which time she wrote, revised and prepared for the publication of all her six novels. The museum was established in 1947, and has been a Grade I listed building since 1963. I look forward to visiting the UK again, sooner or later.