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:

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 events in 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

 

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) 

• ‘Of course you can trust me!’: Jane Austen’s Narrator in Northanger Abbey (Henry N. Rogers III)
• Reading by the Book in Northanger Abbey (Barbara Benedict)
• “Willy-Nilly” and other Tales of Male-Tails: rightful and Wrongful Laws of Landed Property in Northanger Abbey (Deirdre E. Gilbert)
• The Invention of Civility in Northanger Abbey (Joseph Wiesenfarth)
• Irony and Political Education in Northanger Abbey (Melissa Schaub)
• Northanger Abbey at the Movies  (Bruce Stovel)
• Regina Maria Roche’s “Horrid” Novel: Echoes of Clermont in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, by Tenille Nowak  (Persuasions No. 29, December 2007, not yet online)

 

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. Southam, Brian, ed.  NORTHANGER ABBEY & PERSUASION (CASEBOOK SERIES).  1976.  A compilation of reviews from early contemporary critics to the present.
11. 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 vistas 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.)