Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Written 1798-1799 Published In December 20, 1817

Northanger Abbey is both a perfectly aimed literary parody and a withering satire of the commercial aspects of marriage among the English gentry at the turn of the nineteenth century. But most of all, it is the story of the initiation into life of its naïve but sweetly appealing heroine, Catherine Morland, a willing victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance.

When Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the grand though forbidding ancestral seat of her suitor, Henry Tilney, she finds herself embroiled in a real drama of misapprehension. (251 pages)

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/121/1...

"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."

In honor of Valentine's Day we are reading this choice book of Austen's!

Anyone in for a little witty love?

I'm in. :)

I'm in. I brought the physical copy back from my parents' house after Christmas, it's even in English.

How exciting Gabi!

Glad to have you and Piyangie with us in this read!

Catherine

This is a very entertaining novel. Happy reading everyone!

I would like to join in with this read too. I read it ages ago & didn’t like it at the time, but it’s a book I need to read again to learn more about it.

Trisha wrote: "I would like to join in with this read too. I read it ages ago & didn’t like it at the time, but it’s a book I need to read again to learn more about it."

I hope it'll improve on you this time, Trisha. This is my first time reading of Northanger Abbey. And I hope I would not be disappointed. Lately, I've been quite disappointed by some of my favourite classic authors. I don't want Jane Austen to fall in with them.

I'll be joining in, probably in a week! This is a re-read for me so I'll be comparing my thoughts now with those of a few years ago.

Kathy and Trisha happy to have you with us!

I’m in for this one. I’m trying to do a few this month so I’ve got the audiobook for this one.

Glad your joining in with us Georgina :)

I'm in.

Im in too!

Probably will start at the end of the week after I finish Chitty Chitty!!

Officially on Goodreads this will be my second time but in reality probably my fourth :)

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

I read this a few months ago. Would like see what others think of it.

I am taking the book with me to hopefully start today during lunch time.

Indeneri once conversation starts your more than welcome to join in!

Just to get us started:

We start out in the novel with a timeframe of January–April 1798

The first half of the novel takes place primarily in Bath, England which was a big resort town for the upper classes.

Many of the characters in Northanger Abbey define themselves on the basis of their material wealth. On this basis, they are obsessed with the acquisition and upkeep of material objects? Agree/Disagree?? Who do you think are this way?

I just started reading this at lunch since I haven't read it in about 5 years, I decided I am going to ask when I am not sure...here is the first question:

She (Catherine) never could learn or understand anything before she was taught?

Overthinking it maybe...are you not usually taught something first before you can say "I learned"?

Lesle wrote: "I just started reading this at lunch since I haven't read it in about 5 years, I decided I am going to ask when I am not sure...here is the first question:

She (Catherine) never could learn or und..."

Definitely overthinking it, Lesle! I agree, up to a point. But sometimes we learn things by experiencing them too. Is the quote just implying that Catherine wouldn’t try new things or ideas?

Thank you Trisha! I guess I truly was because Im thinking learning on your own is still self "taught"

During Chapter 1 she doesn't seem to want to put any thoughts into trying to succeed at something. Like she would rather read than write.

Word of the day from Chapter 1 (anyone can share a word of the day)

Vicissitude: the quality or state of being changeable

Trisha reminded me of an important part of the definition is this:
it is about changes, but specifically only changes that make things worse.
For example, moving to a new beautiful home wouldn’t be a vicissitude but becoming homeless would.

Chapter 2
We find that Cathrine has grown into a lovely 17 yr old and is off to Bath. Her father gives her little funds, kind of like me giving you $30 for a trip to Miami Beach for a couple weeks.

Her mother seems to be a sentimental type and cannot contain her tears while sending Catherine off to find a husband.
Her advice?
"neither beauty, genius, accomplishment, nor manner," but a quiet, good-tempered nature that helped her attract a "sensible, intelligent man"

I am not going to lie, at first I had a really hard time getting used to Jane Austen's writing style. Yesterday I found the movie and that really helped. Having some idea what was happening, getting the feel of the narrator's voice vs. character-driven scenes has made me understand and even like Jane Austen.

I am on chapter 11 of Northanger Abbey. It reminds me of something Mel Brooks would have produced. I can pinpoint the different satirical elements. Mrs. Allen and her muslin comments are funny. Mr. Tilney is a fine man because he knows his muslin.

Felicia wrote: "I am not going to lie, at first I had a really hard time getting used to Jane Austen's writing style. Yesterday I found the movie and that really helped. Having some idea what was happening, gettin..."

You are a long way ahead of me in this book, I have only read the first 6 chapters so far. I just checked & found that I read this originally in February 2017. It must have been one of my first classics reads after joining Goodreads. I thought then that it was dreadful & couldn’t relate to it at all. But I have read other Jane Austen books in group reads since & gradually got more used to her style of writing. So this time I am enjoying the book & found the beginning quite funny. I was amused by the comment Mrs Allen made in Chapter 3: “... we have good shops in Salisbury, but it is so far to go - eight miles is a long way”.

Ok Felicia you have the word of the day! haha

What do you mean by "Muslin" ?

Delicate is my thinking but not sure Mr Tilney is delicate. (wide eyed and grimacing).

Trisha I will be starting Chapter 3 here at lunch again!

I am glad we are discussing and talking. Makes me Happy! :)


I have to agree with you both I had a hard time reading her at first too. Reminded me of the first time I read Virginia Woolf.
Had to put more thought into it.
Austen is very witty and has no qualms about redirecting the Narrating towards the reader or even saying "I"!

Lesle wrote: "Ok Felicia you have the word of the day! haha

What do you mean by "Muslin" ?

Delicate is my thinking but not sure Mr Tilney is delicate. (wide eyed and grimacing)."

It's the type of fabric the ladies dresses were made of. (view spoiler)[ when they first meet Mr. Tilney he talks to them about the fabric.
(hide spoiler)]

Got it! Noun not adjective! Oh my I think Im over thinking everything! lol

Ok back to reading!

I'll probably start reading over the weekend. I had planned to start earlier but had a couple of very busy days. I read the introduction in my edition, and that left me practically exhausted! I should have got on with the reading proper. Anyway, looking forward to the read.

I see you are enjoying, Lesle. It makes me impatient. 😊

Lesle wrote: "Ok Felicia you have the word of the day! haha

What do you mean by "Muslin" ?

Delicate is my thinking but not sure Mr Tilney is delicate. (wide eyed and grimacing)."

I was surprised by this as I hadn’t realised that dresses were made from muslin. I think of it as a relatively cheap fabric that used to be used in the home for straining food such as jelly as it was lightweight & closely woven. It was almost white, but not bleached so looked a bit discoloured compared with modern fabrics.

Trisha wrote: "I was surprised by this as I hadn’t realised that dresses were made from muslin..."

Me too! That's why I was thinking Felicia meant something else by it!

Piyangie, I can understand the very busy days!

No worries we will still be here when you start this weekend!

Oh Henry you are so cheeky!

I had a wonderful reading experience this morning. Our power went out and we have these kerosene lamps that we use when that happens. I read Northanger Abbey by lamplight. Highly recommended for atmospheric readers.

I have made it to chapter 15 and have decided that I really do not like Mr. Thorp. Mr. Tilney reminds me of a friend I had growing up. Getting him to be serious about anything took some work and even when he was serious you couldn't be quite sure. Overall, I am loving this book. I think I may be a Jane Austen fan..... finally.

Felicia wrote: "I had a wonderful reading experience this morning. Our power went out and we have these kerosene lamps that we use when that happens. I read Northanger Abbey by lamplight. Highly recommended for at..."

That sounds amazing, Felicia.

Felicia I have 6 of those for when the power goes out. One for each main room.
Sounds like a lovely experience. Fireplace is the best but I don't have one of those, Mom did.

Yeah!! Glad your turning the corner! :)

Read during my lunch again!

Chapter 4
Catherine almost forgot Mr. Tilney while she talked to Miss Thorpe. (Yeah right! haha)

I like this line:
Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.

Word of the day: (beginning to think I must have skipped right over these English words before :(

Expatiate - speak or write at length or in detail

I like how Austen decides to give us a shorter version of a long winded Mrs Thorpe of her past twenty years of life, which could easily take up the next three or four chapters! Thank you Ms Jane

I just finished Chapter 16. It’s beginning to irritate me now. There’s too much silly girly chatter, flirting & gossip. I agree with Felicia that I dislike John Thorpe - he appears to be happy to do or say anything that helps him to get what he wants. He seems selfish & dishonest. Just over halfway through the book, I’m still waiting for something interesting to happen.

So are you saying it's full of fluff? lol

Lesle wrote: "So are you saying it's full of fluff? lol"

Yes! The novelty has worn off & I’m bored. I’m reading another (non-classic) book as well, which is also very disappointing. I want both books to end so I can enjoy reading something else.

Oh no Trisha! That is awful!

Trisha, sometimes I read some non-fiction as a break until I get in the mood for fiction.

I just finished the book! I loved the parts at Northanger Abbey way more than I liked the parts at Bath. There is not so much girly chatter and fluff I feel. I understand what Trisha meant by that.

I never did end up liking John Thorp and Isabelle got to be just as bad. Mrs. Allen was amazing for a one-liner, laugh out loud moment.

I look forward to the next Jane Austen novel.

The parts at the Abbey were entertaining, especially the wardrobe scene(which is the illustration used by Lesle).

Rosemarie wrote: "Trisha, sometimes I read some non-fiction as a break until I get in the mood for fiction."

A good idea, Rosemarie. Thank you, I’ll try that.

Felicia wrote: "I just finished the book! I loved the parts at Northanger Abbey way more than I liked the parts at Bath. There is not so much girly chatter and fluff I feel. I understand what Trisha meant by that...."

That sounds promising, Felicia. I expected to enjoy reading about Bath as it’s a lovely place, but apart from the Pump Room being mentioned I feel the book could have been set in any town.

Trisha wrote: "Felicia wrote: "I just finished the book! I loved the parts at Northanger Abbey way more than I liked the parts at Bath. There is not so much girly chatter and fluff I feel. I understand what Trish..."

I feel like I was reading a ton of stuff that I could have done without just to get to the good parts. I wish there had been more in the Abbey.