Northanger Abbey: Jane Austen
Alrighty then, so it’s four o clock on a Monday and I’m in my pyjamas. That’s right, my friends, it’s Reading Week. Who came up with that name? I’ve never yet met a student who uses it for reading. Sleeping, yes. Watching crappy telly, yes. Taking your laundry home to your parents, yes. I have done the first two today, but if I tried to do the third, my Mum would laugh in my face so that’s out.
I also watched a recent BBC adaptation of Persuasion, but this was BAD because Anne Elliot RUNS. Anne Elliot does not RUN, any more than Mr Darcy rides a motorbike. This is a transportation anachronism. Austen heroines do not run after men.
Anyway, I did not read Persuasion, I read Northanger Abbey.
Poor old Catherine is well down the league table of Austen heroines. She is the West Bromwich Albion of the Austen clan. Catherine does not have the little black book of an Emma, the arched eyebrows of a Lizzie, the might-have-been-appealing-in-the-19th-century-but-now-really-irritating meekness of a Fanny. But I love her.
I don’t love her in a ‘you made my soul flip over’ sort of way but more in a ‘ahhh, you are so innocent, and yet not annoying at all, and that is a very unlikely combination’ sort of way. This is what teenage girls do! They start daydreaming and their imagination smashes into their hormones and before they know where they are, their potential father-in-law is probably a murderer. Also, Henry Tilney rocks. Or at least, he’s a thoroughly decent chap. I’m not sure if such men really rock.
There’s a basquillion reviews of Northanger Abbey by people who are a lot more obsessed by Jane Austen than I am. I just like how this is young Jane being a bit of a smarty pants and sticking up for the booky people. And I like prattly shallow Isabella. Who apparently was played by a young Carey Mulligan in the most recent adaptation so I might watch that too.
So, you heard it from Jane herself:
“The person, be it a gentleman or a lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
Posted on November 8, 2010, in Uncategorized and tagged book reviews, books, catherine norland, henry tilney, Jane Austen, northanger abbey. Bookmark the permalink. 26 Comments.
This is my last Jane Austen to read, and I hope to get to it soon. Especially if she is sticking up for bookish people.
And I must say that I am jealous that you have a whole “Reading” week. I only get two days! *Sigh* haha.
Hahaha, technically I only get one day too as tomorrow I have to go to work, so don’t feel too bad!
I need to re-read Northanger Abbey, especially as I thoroughly enjoyed the adaptation you refer to. The actor who plays Henry Tilney is fantastic.
Also I know which Persuasion adaptation you are referring to and that scene was awful, and the kiss after the running was awful because it takes forever and I felt like saying: Wentworth – just bend your head a little so we can get this over with. The eye-candy of Rupert Penry-Jones helps somewhat . . . but I can just go watch him in MI-5 or something.
Oh god, you are soooo right. I had blanked that kiss out of my mind because it was so dreadful. Dude, you’ve waited for NINE YEARS – suddenly becoming a tease is not at all in character.
I love how Austen’s humor is plain to see in Northanger. It had me actually laughing out loud. I LOVE Persuasion, but positively cannot imagine Anne Eliot running. That’s about as shocking as Mr. Darcy not wearing any socks/shoes outside in the final scene of the Keira Knightly P&P.
Oh, that Keira Knightley P and P – another massive blargh. I am really anti her in general though, so I am not an objective viewer.
I’ve read Northanger Abbey ages ago. I think its time to go back to it anew.
I did not remember it being quite so funny…hopefully you will enjoy it!
That running scene bugged me too. No Austen characters run. It’s unbecoming. And vulgar. It’s possibly something Lydia Bennett would do, but that’s all.
Absolutely. These are ladies! Not athletes! Plus their outfits are not designed for runs.
I’ve never been able to get into reading NORTHANGER ABBEY, though I’ve tried. Maybe I’ll have to try once again. I’m currently, in between my ‘regular’ reading, re-reading PERSUASION and loving it more than ever. I did like the Ciarin Hinds adaptation – have you seen that one?
Do you know, I don’t think I have. I will check it out! Persuasion is my second favourite Austen after S and S…rubbish running adaptations not withstanding.
Just for reference for the uneducated of the British education system, reading weeks were the sole preserve of “arts” students, i.e. those who had bugger all hours in their time table anyway. Those science students among us could only dream of such luxury!
Rant over
dude, it’s time to get over that. plus, lets not even go into how ‘economics’ is not a science
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I just watched the adaptation of Northanger Abbey with Carey Mulligan and predictably she was kind of a highlight. (Big crush on Carey Mulligan.) But I thought it was well-done all ’round, especially since they have to communicate a lot about WHAT these books are that the general populace no longer reads (Castle of Otranto, The Monk, etc.). I thought they did a good job of using gothic tropes that are still recognizable.
Likewise a big crush on Carey – she’s the anti-Keira for me. Wish I could carry off her hair. Another adaptation I’ll have to watch!
Ah, the Anne Run. I think you’ll appreciate this!
And Chris – The “arts” students may have “bugger all hours” in their official timetable… but all that means is that they have ten times as much work to do on their own! My boyfriend was a scientist, I was an ‘arts’ girl, and though he had longer ‘contact’ uni hours I was the one scraping away in the library all day and staying awake into the night reading texts and writing essays…
Counter-rant over
Hahahahahah you were obviously a ‘proper’ arts student putting the effort in – Chris is comparing himself with me and to be fair in this instance he does have a point!
Since I couldn’t even make it through P&P, it’s a good bet I’ll never pick this one up.
PS…I need your address so I can send you The Widower’s Tale. Email me? Please?
Oh dear…..sorry I can’t convince you. Not even if I tell you its got a spooky castle?
I totally know the persuasion you’re talking about… but I love that captain wentworth! I think Persuasion is one of my favourite Austen books, there’s something really romantic about loving someone for that long when there is no hope… naww.
Loved this review of Northanger Abbey, because I haven’t read it yet! I don’t know if I’ll like Catherine… already I’m thinking of the governess from Turn of the Screw, and Emma from Madame Bovary… but I guess I’ll have to just read it and see.
Oh no, Toni, I must have given you COMPLETELY the wrong impression – Catherine’s not like those gals at all! She’s all big-eyed wonderment and innocence that people can be less than pure. Sounds drippy, but she’s not. That Captain Wentworth is a fox, no doubt about that.
Hahaha, great quote, and great review. I love Northanger Abbey too! I have always also meant to read the Mysteries of Udolpho but havent got around to that one yet.
Lots of Jane Austen adaptations trouble me. BUT i’ve just read in the comments that there’s one of NA with Carey Mulligan in? MUST WATCH! I love her, in what is basically a semi-crazy-stalker kind of a way.
Couldn’t agree more about running in Persuasion. I almost threw my remote at the TV when I saw that.
What a fun review! Maybe I’ll make this my next Austen read, because I’m woefully behind on my Austen
It’s certainly a fun one! Nice and frothy. Just what you need some times.