Northanger Abbey

The Novel:
          *1818 edition vol. I (inc: biographical note); vol. II (vol. 2: complete)
          *1913 edition, NA&P (Hugh Thomson illustrated) (Internet Archive)
          *The Novels & Letters of JA (1906; Brock illustrated) vol. IX
*R.W. Chapman’s 1923 edition, NA&P vol. V

    *Brock’s illustrations (solitary-elegance.com)
*more Brock illustrations
*Miscellaneous illustrations

 

Principal Characters in Northanger Abbey:

from Wikipedia

from Pemberley, their Janes-names list

index of all characters, from Chapman’s 1923 edition (pp. 291-2)

Northanger Abbey links:

The 2010 JASNA AGM in Portland, Oregon is themed “Jane Austen and the Abbey:  Mystery,  Mayhem and Muslin in Portland”.  Click here for a recommended reading list.

Where’s Where in Jane Austen’s Novels: a map of all the places in Northanger Abbey courtesy of JASNA and JASA (and the intro page with explanation & links to all maps).

A calendar for Northanger Abbey, by Ellen Moody

A Northanger Abbey blog ‘dedicated to discourse on Jane Austen’s Gothic parody’.

“The Northanger Canon” at the University of Virginia website.

On a Reading of Northanger Abbey, by Ellen Moody

The Publishing History of Northanger Abbey at our Jane Austen In Vermont Blog;   See also Ms. Place’s post at Jane Austen’s World on the The Long Publishing Journey of Northanger Abbey

Solitary Elegance –  a website devoted to Northanger Abbey, but includes the other novels as well;  monthly fashion wallpaper from Ackermann’s Repository; and C.E. Brock illustrations

From Persuasions and Persuasions Online:  (Note that Persuasions no. 7 [1985] and no. 20 [1998] are focused on Northanger Abbey and have many excellent articles) 

 

A Select Bibliography:

  1. Aiken, Joan. “How Might Jane Austen have Revised Northanger Abbey?” Persuasions, No. 7, 1985, pp.42-54.
  2. Ehrenpreis, Anne Henry.  “Introduction to Northanger Abbey” [ Penguin, 1972 ].  An excellent intro to the novel, with notes on all the books cited by Austen, and a nice discussion of the “horrid” novels.
  3. Fergus, Jan.  “The Professional Woman Writer,” in CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO JANE AUSTEN, edited by Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster [Cambridge 1997]
  4. Gilson, David.  A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JANE AUSTEN. [Oak Knoll, 1997 (reprint with new introduction)]
  5. Grogan, Claire.  “Introduction to Northanger Abbey,” [ Broadview Literary Texts, 1996 ]
  6. Johnson, R. Brimley.  “Introduction to NorTHanger Abbey” [ London: Dent, 1950.]
  7. Le Faye, Deirdre.  JANE AUSTEN: THE WORLD OF HER NOVELS [ Abrams, 2002 ]
  8. Litz, A. Walton.  “Chonology of Composition,”  JANE AUSTEN COMPANION, pp.47-52.
  9.  Modert, Jo. “Chronology of the Novels” JANE AUSTEN COMPANION, PP. 53-59.
  10. Sadleir, Michael.  The Northanger Novels:  a footnote to Jane Austen.  Norwood Editions, 1985 [reprint of the 1927 English Association Pamphlet No. 68.]
  11. Southam, Brian, ed.  NORTHANGER ABBEY & PERSUASION (CASEBOOK SERIES).  1976.  A compilation of reviews from early contemporary critics to the present.
  12. Tanner, Tony.  “Anger in the Abbey” in his JANE AUSTEN [ Harvard, 1986 ]  I love this collection of essays on each of the novels…every one is insightful and interesting.

 

Northanger Abbey Quiz:
(answers provided on June 22nd; see ‘Events’ for details)

1. What is Mr. Morland’s first name? _____________________________________________
2. How many siblings does Catherine have? ______________________________________
3. What was Catherine’s favorite game as a child? ______________________________
4. The fable Catherine finally learned to recite was written by __________________
5. How much money does Mr. Morland give Catherine for her expenses in Bath? ________________________________________________
6. Where in Bath do the Allens take lodgings? ____________ The Tilneys? _________
7. What was the original length of Catherine’s stay in Bath to be? _______________
8. Where in Bath does Catherine meet Henry Tilney? ____________________________
9. Who introduces them? __________________________________________________________
10. How is Catherine dressed on that occasion? ____________________________________
11. Which breeds of dogs does Henry keep? ________________________________________
12. Who is to inherit the Allens’ estate? ____________________________________________
13. On what day of the week does Catherine meet Isabella Thorpe? ________________And where? ________________________________________________________________________
14. How old is Isabella? ________________ & how many sisters does she have? _______
15. What is Mr. Thorpe’s profession? _______________________________________________
16. Who trims Catherine’s hat with green ribbons? ________________________________
17. Who will wear purple even though she looks hideous in it? ____________________
18. Who wore a puce-coloured sarsanet? ___________________________________________
19. Who is responsible for General Tilney’s belief that Catherine is an heiress? ____________________________________________________________________________________
20. How long was James to have waited for his living and thus to marry Isabella and how large was the living? _____________________________________________________
21. What is the dinner hour at Northanger Abbey? _______________________________
22. Name Captain Tilney’s regiment. ______________________________________________
23. When does General Tilney give his consent for Henry to marry Catherine? __________________ and 24. When does the marriage take place? ____________________ 
 
 
 

Who is being described?

1. “…she was often inattentive and occasionally stupid.” _________________________

2. “…she thought her friend never looked more lovely than in uttering the grand idea.” _____________________________________________________________________________

3. “…she had neither beauty, genius, accomplishment, nor manner.” _____________

4. “…when she promised a thing, she was so scrupulous in performing it!” _______

5. ” Where she felt attachment, she had been able to create it.” __________________

6. “…as his intimacy with an acquaintance grew, so regularly grew their fortune.” ____________________________________________

7. “…no one more entitled, by unpretending merit, or better prepared by habitual suffering, to receive and enjoy felicity.” __________________________________

Who is the speaker?

1. “…my wishes are so moderate, that the smallest income in nature would be enough for me.” __________________________________________________________________

2. “I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.” ______________________________

3. “Let me only have the girl I like, say I, with a comfortable house over my head, and what care I for all the rest.” ____________________________________________

4. “I have just learned to love a hyacinth.” _______________________________________

5. “No man is offended by another man’s admiration of the woman he loves…” ___________________________________________________________

6. “This has been a strange acquaintance…soon made and soon ended.” __________

7. “There are some charming little villas around Richmond.” ____________________

The Horrid Novels: list the titles of the eight “horrid” novels which Isabella plans to read with Catherine (and the author if you can!)

1. _______________________________________

2. _______________________________________

3. _______________________________________

4. _______________________________________

5. _______________________________________

6. _______________________________________

7. _______________________________________

8. _______________________________________

And finally, in 100 words or less, write a concluding sentence for the gothic tale which Henry invents for Catherine on the drive to Northanger Abbey:

Your Name: ____________________________ (bring this to the June 22 gathering…)

 Have fun!!

 (Quiz adapted from the Savannah AGM in 1985; and Elaine Bander’s quiz from the 1998 Quebec AGM.)

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

4 thoughts on “Northanger Abbey”

  1. Pingback: June 22, JASNA-Vermont meeting on Northanger Abbey « Jane Austen in Vermont

  2. I have just published my eighth book inspired by Jane Austen, keeping scrupulously to her language and morality yet including, I hope, her great sense of fun and elegance of language.
    When John Thorpe’s extravagance reduces the family to beggary, Maria the youngest sister tries to make a new life for herself in darkest Hertfordshire. Despite captivating two fine local gentleman, how can she prevail when Captain Tilney exerts such a dark influence on all her family?

    Maria – Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey Continued by Helen Baker

    http://www.lulu.com/content/10673758
    You may buy a copy or download here or soon, I hope, on Amazon.

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    • Helen, thanks for letting me know you have published another Austenesque novel – taking on the Thorpes is very brave! Is Capt. Tilney perchance redeemed finally?? [or is that asking way too much of one’s imaginataion?]

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  3. Pingback: Pump Rooms and Gothic Terrors: How “Northanger Abbey” Came to Be – Jane Austen in Vermont

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