Thursday, October 7, 2010
This novel is really surprising in a good way. I've never had a good run in with female novelists or rather I was exposed to very few. Having experienced the full force of the Bronte sisters from reading Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, I could not help but cringe when I picked up Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I had a urge to just throw the book out the window, but I remembered that it was $3.50 that I'm never going to get back :( . Anyway I decided to actually read it for class and it really wasn't too bad. So far, the novel satirically portrays the life of Catharine Morland. Jane Austen doesn't take it too seriously like the Bronte sisters. It actually seems like Austen is just having fun playing with her characters and enjoying writing. I find it a little bit easier to read through Northanger Abbey than say Wuthering Heights. The Bronte sisters tried too hard and their novel was a chore to read and not fun at all. Ah anyway back on topic about Northanger Abbey. The Thorpe family is really unique. It seems like each member of the Thorpe family that we've had contact with is very proud of him/herself. We meet Mrs. Thorpe and she is constantly talking about how great her kids are. We then meet Isabella who prides herself on being a magnificent physical specimen of a woman. Then we meet John Thorpe who just can't stop bragging about how fast his horse is or how pimp his ride is. I really like the contrast between Catharine and every character we've met so far. Jane Austen herself says that Catherine is "as plain as any"(1), yet we see that both the humble Tilneys and the prideful Thorpes can't get enough of the plain Catharine. Both families vie for Catharine's attention. I just find this situation really ironic. The most vexing on my mind right now is what is the big idea behind this story? Wieland was filled with misfortune and death, The kelly gang filled with injustice and death. I just cant figure out how Northanger Abbey can be daily life of a plain girl, cute dresses etc, and then DEATH to match the formula somewhat. I'm going to call it now, someone is going to die in the story. Actually I do hope someone dies because no matter how funny this book is there's just not enough conflict so far.
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Good call not throwing out the book bro. $3.50 is serious cash nowadays. You can get a complete meal from the dollar menu at one of many local fast-food establishments. Not to mention the environmental and safety repercussions that throwing a book out of a window would entail.
ReplyDeleteI too was surprised at how good the book is. The first few pages, when Catherine is being described, are pretty boring. I thought that this book was going to carry on like that throughout its entirety and was kinda bummed. But then on page 15, which is probably not the same page as yours, since I have the Rolls Royce edition of the novel. Actual retail price $14.22, that’s Applebee’s cash. Anyways, Austen goes on and on and on about how Mrs. Allen “was one of those class of females, whose society can raise no other emotion than surprise at there being any men in the world who could like them well enough to marry them. She had neither beauty, genius, accomplishment, nor manners…” I literally wrote in the book as a note; Damn Mrs. Allen is busted. It was like a breath of fresh air. From that point on I found the book really amusing and came to the realization that this was going to be a fun book to read. I was reading the book thinking it was going to be somber &didn’t know whether Austen was trying to be funny or if it was just me who was charmed by its unintentional humor, which I now know to be intentional.
Each new character was an eccentric personality and made it more stimulating to read on, as you mentioned. Ol’ Tilney is a smooth talking clergyman; John Thorp is a narcissistic prick, Isabella is a prissy and pretentious, Mrs. Allen is busted and loves to hear herself talk etc. etc. etc.
Btw, the best HEY OH! moment for me was when Catherine was telling James that Mr. Allen thought Isabella was the prettiest girl in Bath and James says “ I dare say he does; and I do not know any man who is a better judge of beauty than Mr. Allen.” ….Mrs. Allen is Crazy Busted! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! So sad.
Regards
Tomas Suarez