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Overview
Overview
'No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine.' Northanger Abbey is a comedy about reading and misreading-of books and the world-and about different kinds of peril, both imagined and real. In it, Austen's youngest heroine, Catherine Morland, must navigate financial disadvantage, social constraint, and sometimes quite ruthless manipulation. The absurdities of fashion and conspicuous consumption, voguish ostentation and social competition are seen first in shark-infested Bath, (the premier health resort and marriage market of the day) and then in a more tranquil pocket of rural Gloucestershire that turns out to be a hotbed of materialism and greed. Jane Austen combines making fun of the excesses of the Gothic novel with larger moral issues: the folly of letting literature get in the way of life, and the inexcusability (especially for women) of not thinking for oneself. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
- Format: Hardcover
- Author: Austen, Jane
- ISBN: 9781593083809
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 8.66 x 1.01
- Number Of Pages: 260
- Publication Year: 2007
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If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.
Laura C. - 5 years agoI've always avoided Jane Austen because I thought her books would be sappy and romantic and irritating. Boy, was I wrong. Northanger Abbey is witty, engaging, and commented on the silly and unnecessary customs of the day. It follows the story of Catherine, a pretty girl from a large family in the country who finds herself on her first adventure in the bustling city of Bath. At the time the book was written Bath was the center of the British summer season. Unaware of the lies and pettiness that surround her Catherine falls in love with Henry Tilney and befriends his sister Eleanor. They invite Catherine to visit them at their home, Northanger Abbey. Having a very active imagination and a fondness for gothic novels, Catherine concocts, ghosts, hidden messages and a plot involving the murder of Henry and Eleanor's mother. Northanger Abbey was the first book Jane Austen wrote but was one of the last to be published. It is a great introduction to her writing and won this skeptic over. I'll definitely be reading more of her works.
HPB Staff Review -
An Excellent Classic
Gwendalyn A. - 5 years 10 months agoPerfect in every way, it arrived on time and in great condition.