Northanger Abbey Austenov Jane (1998)

In Northanger Abbey, young Catherine Morland leaves her sheltered rural home and enters the busy, sophisticated world of Bath in the late 1790s. Jane Austen observes with insight and humour Catherines interactions with the people she meets there while tracing her growing understanding of the world around her. In her first full-length novel, Austen also turns her sharp, ironic gaze on contemporary fiction, particularly the Gothic tradition made famous by Ann Radcliffe. Catherines reading becomes intertwined with her social and romantic adventures, adding to the uncertainties and embarrassments she must endure before finding happiness. This edition includes an introduction and notes by David Blair of the University of Kent.