“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
– Northanger Abbey
A little ashamed to say this is my first foray into the world of Ms Austen. However, it won’t be my last and the rest of her novels are now on the TBR!
I’m going to be honest, the opening chapters didn’t exactly have me hailing Catherine Morland as a strong feminist heroine. “Her heart was affectionate, her disposition cheerful and open, without conceit or affectation of any kind…her person pleasing, and, when in looks, pretty – and her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is,” doesn’t really do much to sell her as a protagonist I want to get behind. However, I liked her fascination with reading and how her passion for gothic novels impairs the way she sees the world and reads people.
Naïve as I was going in to this, I had no idea of the satirical commentary on society of Austen’s novels. Particularly this one. I had no idea going in that this novel was a parody on the gothic genre. And to think I entirely misunderstood Austen’s works as romantic stories about silly little high society girls. A true crime, I know, but better to realise my mistake sooner rather than later!
I am a romantic at heart and loved Catherine’s romanticised view of the world especially given its ironical satire towards traditional gothic novels. I was soon swept up in Catherine’s fixation on Henry Tilney and her friendship with his sister, Eleanor. Though confusing to Catherine, I appreciated Henry’s REASLISTIC outlook and the direct contrast between his view of the world and Catherine’s. I like that he was someone who actually heard her when she spoke and that he could see her value despite her naivete and the way she is so easily influenced by others.
Catherine begins to show a more realistic take on the world in response to John Thorpe’s pursuit of her. From the off, he is pompous and boorish yet she does not let her romantic persuasion feed her naivete and values herself too much to settle for such a man. Yes girl!
This is almost the start of her “growing up” in what feels more like a coming of age novel than an out and out romance. Yes, I loved Catherine struggling to “get” Henry’s salty personality and that she wasn’t silly around him the way that Isabella was around James, but for me, the romance aspect was more a stepping stone to Catherine finding and growing within herself rather than the focus of the novel. I guess more of a subplot.
I’ll be honest, I was expecting damsel in distress needs handsome socialite to save her. I was absolutely not expecting 17 year old Catherine to be able to hold her own amid a totally alien society. I was surprised and pleased and cannot wait to find out what other delights Ms Austen has for me.
CW: misogyny, death of loved one, grief, emotional abuse, racial slurs, antisemitism
Only If I Can Bring A Book 