Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen 
Blurb:During an eventful season at Bath, young, naive Catherine Morland experiences fashionable society for the first time. She is delighted with her new acquaintances: flirtatious Isabella, who introduces Catherine to the joys of Gothic romances, and sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney, who invite her to their father's house, Northanger Abbey. There, influenced by novels of horror and intrigue, Catherine comes to imagine terrible crimes committed by General Tilney, risking the loss of Henry's affection, and has to learn the difference between fiction and reality, false friends and true.All of Jane Austen's books have been on my TBR list for a while, however, going to the Jane Austen festival in Bath spurred me onto read Northanger Abbey, since it is primarily set in Bath and it was the focus of the festival this year.To begin with I couldn't get into it, to be honest I found it a little boring, but after a couple of chapters I'll admit I was hooked! I love Pride and Prejudice, but I'll admit Northanger Abbey was much easier to read, it was simpler and more youthful in a way. Catherine is a naive young girl, and although her naivety was frustrating at times, her characters really is very endearing and understandable. I saw a lot of my teenage self in her; she contently feels like she isn't well enough informed to make up her own mind and is far too trusting in others, however, she grows throughout the book and I was pleased by the ending, although I found it a little abrupt and would have liked more on that part of the story. Henry was the perfect hero and some of his conversations showed amazing insight into human nature on Miss Austen's part. Although there is romance in this novel, the main focus is really on friendship and telling the difference between real and fake friendship, which I though was important, especially for someone Catherine's age.Northanger Abbey has definitely inspired me to continue reading Jane Austen's books!
My favourite quotes from 'Northanger Abbey': 'Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.' 'There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.' 'Perhaps we are talking about you, therefore I would advise you not to listen, or you may happen to hear something not very agreeable.' 'It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire...' '...man has the advantage of choice, women only the power of refusal...' 'If I am wrong, I am doing what I believe to be right.' 'The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has no pleasure in good novel, must be intolerably stupid.' 'A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing any thing, should conceal it as well as she can.''... I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.' '... there is nothing people are so often decided in, as the state of their own affections ...''No man is offended by another man's admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment. .... .... Is he safe only in solitude? -or, is her heart constant to him only when unsolicited by any one else?'
Blurb:During an eventful season at Bath, young, naive Catherine Morland experiences fashionable society for the first time. She is delighted with her new acquaintances: flirtatious Isabella, who introduces Catherine to the joys of Gothic romances, and sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney, who invite her to their father's house, Northanger Abbey. There, influenced by novels of horror and intrigue, Catherine comes to imagine terrible crimes committed by General Tilney, risking the loss of Henry's affection, and has to learn the difference between fiction and reality, false friends and true.All of Jane Austen's books have been on my TBR list for a while, however, going to the Jane Austen festival in Bath spurred me onto read Northanger Abbey, since it is primarily set in Bath and it was the focus of the festival this year.To begin with I couldn't get into it, to be honest I found it a little boring, but after a couple of chapters I'll admit I was hooked! I love Pride and Prejudice, but I'll admit Northanger Abbey was much easier to read, it was simpler and more youthful in a way. Catherine is a naive young girl, and although her naivety was frustrating at times, her characters really is very endearing and understandable. I saw a lot of my teenage self in her; she contently feels like she isn't well enough informed to make up her own mind and is far too trusting in others, however, she grows throughout the book and I was pleased by the ending, although I found it a little abrupt and would have liked more on that part of the story. Henry was the perfect hero and some of his conversations showed amazing insight into human nature on Miss Austen's part. Although there is romance in this novel, the main focus is really on friendship and telling the difference between real and fake friendship, which I though was important, especially for someone Catherine's age.Northanger Abbey has definitely inspired me to continue reading Jane Austen's books!My favourite quotes from 'Northanger Abbey': 'Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.' 'There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.' 'Perhaps we are talking about you, therefore I would advise you not to listen, or you may happen to hear something not very agreeable.' 'It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire...' '...man has the advantage of choice, women only the power of refusal...' 'If I am wrong, I am doing what I believe to be right.' 'The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has no pleasure in good novel, must be intolerably stupid.' 'A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing any thing, should conceal it as well as she can.''... I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.' '... there is nothing people are so often decided in, as the state of their own affections ...''No man is offended by another man's admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment. .... .... Is he safe only in solitude? -or, is her heart constant to him only when unsolicited by any one else?'
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