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What Members Thought
First, Stephenson is a superlative narrator and I am amazed at her talent.
Second, I loved this deeply. I love Austen, and this is great Austen - sharp and perceptive. Henry Tilney has, I think, become my favorite Austenian hero. Catherine is sweet and kind, the Thorpes despicable, and Elinor so lovely.
There's some great literary commentary in this too - on Gothic novels, and on the real life familial tyrannies reflected in novels. ...more
Second, I loved this deeply. I love Austen, and this is great Austen - sharp and perceptive. Henry Tilney has, I think, become my favorite Austenian hero. Catherine is sweet and kind, the Thorpes despicable, and Elinor so lovely.
There's some great literary commentary in this too - on Gothic novels, and on the real life familial tyrannies reflected in novels. ...more
I didn't hate this book, which is surprising as I loathe Jane Austen...it was ok, at least compared to her other works I've read.
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Jane Austen was clearly having a blast with this. The narration is very tongue in cheek, making fun of the ordinary nature of the heroine, the transient relationships in Bath's society and Gothic novels of the time. There's not much to recommend Catherine at the beginning of the story, but it was nice to see her grow and gain agency, asserting herself against actions that did not seem acceptable to her. If I were to choose an Austen's hero, I think I'd take Mr. Tilney with his sense of humor, an
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When I first read Northanger Abbey at the age of sixteen, I liked it well enough, but I think I read it too swiftly, and I missed a lot of the clever humour it contains. Ten years on and having reread it for the first time, I have to say I enjoyed it much, much more the second time around. While it's certainly Austen's idea of a clever dig at the novel-reading culture of her own era, it's also still very relevant as a cautionary tale for today. Too many people can lose sight of the division betw
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Love Jane Austen! :) This was a fun departure from her other novels, while still being completely Jane. Definitely a fun read.
Jane Austen's four star novel would be most author's five. I enjoyed it.
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Obviously, not her best book but it's gratifying to see that even geniuses can start out a little rough. Her wit and intelligence shine through, though, and I am convinced that Catherine is one of our first heroines with ADHD. Cheers!
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Feb 18, 2015
Jeanne Bufkin
marked it as to-read
Dec 21, 2015
joanna brucker
marked it as to-read
Aug 04, 2025
Kait
marked it as to-read
Aug 12, 2025
Allison James-Garcia
marked it as to-read
