Ladies up for redemption: Mary Crawford – She has learned the true worth of a man with integrity. It even says she was: …long in finding among the dashing representatives, or idle heir-apparents, who were at the command of her beauty and her twenty thousand pounds, any one who could satisfy the better taste she […]
Tag Archives | Northanger Abbey
Austen Novels: Veronica’s Lists I
Veronica’s List in order of preference: Sense and Sensibility – Two sisters, two different paths to romance. Persuasion – A love that stands the test of time. Pride and Prejudice – Overcoming differences. Emma – Maturing and finding one’s true feelings. Mansfield Park – Being genuine no matter what. Northanger Abbey – Gaining perspective on […]

Did Catherine Morland Pay Attention?
In reading The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe and thinking about how it may have influenced Catherine Morland’s imagination in Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen I find myself wondering how much of the novel Catherine actually paid attention to. Granted, The Mysteries of Udolpho is a gargantuan read compared to most books I typically read in my modern 21st century […]
Ann Radcliffe & John Muir: Authors & Naturalists
The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. I have read all Mrs. Radcliffe’s works, and most of them with great pleasure. The Mysteries of Udolpho, when I had once begun it, I could not lay down again; — I remember finishing it in […]

Learning to be an Austen Man
Dear Henry Tilney, Please consult Mr. Darcy on how to be a true Austen man. Sincerely, all the women who read Northanger Abbey! ~~~ Until this summer, I had not read Austen’s “Northanger Abbey.” I know, what true Janeite doesn’t binge read all of the novels, every year? One of the […]
On Dancing and Marriage
For many of us dancing has become almost a free-for-all activity with dance floors just a few steps removed from being mosh pits. The idea of having a designated dance partner is relegated to the slow dances where a girl’s arms are around a guy’s neck and his arms are around her waist. If it […]

Gothic Summer Reading
Some would say that the best time to read a scary story is at night when the imagination is more susceptible to the terrifying ideas such tales can conjure. However, we decided that we wanted a fun atmospheric juxtaposition and do our Gothic reading during the sunny summer with Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and The Mysteries of […]

The Art of Manipulation
Blatant evil can easily be spotted within the pages of zombie and vampire books. But sometimes evil is vague and blurred.

Hypocrisy, Idiocy, and Defense of the Novel
I not only read novels, but I love them.

Catherine Morland Lives
Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. – Jane Austen