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Northanger Abbey

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Northanger Abbey

By: Jane Austen
Narrated by: Anna Massey
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About this listen

 Catherine Morland reads tales of Gothic romance, yet leads a country life in Wiltshire. When she travels to Bath, she meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney. She is invited by his sister and father to stay at Northanger Abbey, where she meets all the trappings of Gothic horror that she has read about. Fortunately, she has her own good sense and irresistible but unsentimental hero, Henry Tilney.©1989, 2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Classics Funny Witty Inspiring Classic Historical Romance

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I first read this when I was a teenager and it was a wonderful rediscovery for my mature years as I found there was so much more to the book. Catherine Moreland the heroine is unlike the heroines of the popular novels of Radcliffe which were then so popular in England, not particularly intelligent, and only 'almost pretty' whose mother did not have the good grace to die and leave her orphaned but went on to have many children. At 17 our young heroine is invited to Bath and of course to meet new people and feel love for the first time. Jane Austen's wit is so dazzling and seems to slide off her pen with such ease you would think it was an easy thing to do. Her expertise at creating bores who divert the reader but who vex and frustrate the other characters is stunning. The boring young man who is pursuing Catherine to the detriment of her admiration for Henry is highly amusing. If you are not diverted by the story you may be interested in studying the book as a portrait of early nineteenth century social life among the genteel. There is debate on the differences between the sexes, the meaning of history, good taste and the heavy presence of materialism in this society where people are commodities on the marriage market and status and rank are highly prized. Angela Massey is a fine narrator and really brings the novel to life.

Sparkling and witty!

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I’m currently rereading all of Jane Austen’s books and yet again I’m amazed at how quickly a story goes from heartbreak to happy ending with incredible speed. In this one, however, I particularly enjoy the “authors comments” which offer gentle and mocking humour. Narration better than some but some times the speaker is unclear with little change of speech between characters

Typical Austen

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Another well known classic by Jane Austen. Probably not my top favourite. Nonetheless, worth knowing!

Northanger Abbey

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At once, the relief at returning to Jane Austen! This may be an early, or unusual work of hers, but her genius shines through from the first paragraph: the consummate stylist in whom one word says more than a paragraph penned by a lesser writer.

What could be harder than to choose as your heroine a young woman of seventeen years, who is good-natured, yet bland and vapid, with no discernible talents. Yet for Austen, it works… . No, this is not her best work, and there are a few “gaps”: the General’s character for example, the apparent failure of Henry to really pay court, or even the very fact of the romantic culmination of the novel (how WILL Catherine manage?). Otherwise, the novel is extraordinarily plotted and the characters memorable (particularly her first female soul-mate in Bath, beautifully memorable in her shallowness and eventual mendacity).

Not-to-forget the skit on the Gothic Novel, all the rage at the time. What is interesting here is not so much Catherine quaking in her room as the sober judgement of Jane Austen on the craze (just as a classic writer of Science Fiction, like Ursula Le Guin , or Arthur C. Clarke might judge the plethora of “to order” titles in this popular genre of our day).

Listen to, or even read Northanger Abbey!. You won’t regret it!!

Jane Austen!!!

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I adore Jane Austin's novels and I have read them all over and over again. I must confess however, that Northanger Abbey is my least favourite of all her novels. The story is more of a character study than anything else. Most of the novel focuses on describing a select few characters to excessive detail. There is very little movement in the actual story until almost immediately before the end. Just when it starts to become interesting the story is wrapped up in about 2 chapters almost in a mad rush just to get it finished! This story cannot be compared with other Austin classics like Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion or even Mansfield Park.

Not Jane Austin's best

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