Great review - I love all of Austen’s works, and I enjoyed your theory on the sublime vs. fragile beauty. I’m trying to think how Jane Eyre might fit into this idea. Is Bertha the embodiment of the terrifying forces of wild nature? One tiny correction: James is Catherine’s brother who gets jilted by Isabella; the boorish character you’re thinking of is John Thorpe.
Great review Joshua. I’ve been a JA fan since I read Pride & Prejudice when I was 14 (100 years ago ;-) ). I’ve read all of her books and listened to the audiobooks many times since. I love how get more and see new things each time. All of her writing is so skillfully crafted, it’s hard to choose a favourite. I think it’s whichever one I read last (Persuasion). Northanger definitely deserves a reread this summer. Thanks for your insights.
Oddly enough, never read any Jane Austen, but, your enthusiasm is selling me on her. I have always been a fan of the Gothic Genre, will need to give Northanger Abbey a go
She's definitely worth getting past the 1700s prose style, and she's got way more substance than popular culture and film adaptations give her credit for.
Jane Austen is my favourite author. I binged her novels one after the other this year. I didn't know anything about Northanger Abbey, so it was a huuuge surprise. Cathrine Morland and Tilney are so fun and charming characters...... however Persuasion and Pride and prejudice are the best :) :)
Hello! great review and analysis as always! It wasn't my first Austen novel but definetly it is my favorite! I didn't expect that it would be that funny, I mean Catherine being such a Gothic literature fan and so naïve at the same time, she wanted to be a character in the novels she read so bad that she always saw ghosts and shadow around every corner of the abbey and to me at least that was very hilarious. And I agree with you, Isabella is my favorite character too, the way her dialogue is written in particular made me laugh a lot! do you know of any other gothic parody that you can recommend?
Glad you enjoyed! As for other parodies of Gothic novels none spring to mind, at least not comedic parodies like this. If you want something that's a little darker, but also subverts and plays around with classic Gothic tropes, I recommend Angela Carter's collection of short stories, 'the Bloody Chamber.' It is a collection of Gothic subversions of fairy tales; very dark in places, hilarious in others, and very good!
I am not a huge huge fan of Jane Austen, unless it’s Sense and Sensibility, but I recently read Northanger Abbey and loved it. My favorite aspect of the novel was how she mocked gothic tropes
Glad you enjoyed it! Although I'm not sure I would say she mocked them, I got the impression it was more playful parody of the works than something more scornful.
@@JoshuaJClarkeKelsall I would say I agree, just a misuse of words on my part. Northanger Abbey has made me want to read Ann Radcliffe because I have yet to read her. Would you say to start with Udolpho or The Italian?
@@connorshirs Udolpho is the more famous one, but it is quite long and a bit of a slog in places. Still good though! But I would say the Italian is better since it's more concise. Also the villains in that story are great!
What do you think of Northanger Abbey?
Great review - I love all of Austen’s works, and I enjoyed your theory on the sublime vs. fragile beauty. I’m trying to think how Jane Eyre might fit into this idea. Is Bertha the embodiment of the terrifying forces of wild nature? One tiny correction: James is Catherine’s brother who gets jilted by Isabella; the boorish character you’re thinking of is John Thorpe.
What a delightful analysis. I thoroughly enjoyed that.
Glad you enjoyed! :)
Great review Joshua. I’ve been a JA fan since I read Pride & Prejudice when I was 14 (100 years ago ;-) ). I’ve read all of her books and listened to the audiobooks many times since. I love how get more and see new things each time. All of her writing is so skillfully crafted, it’s hard to choose a favourite. I think it’s whichever one I read last (Persuasion). Northanger definitely deserves a reread this summer. Thanks for your insights.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I'm looking forward to delving deeper into Austen's other works myself!
Oddly enough, never read any Jane Austen, but, your enthusiasm is selling me on her. I have always been a fan of the Gothic Genre, will need to give Northanger Abbey a go
She's definitely worth getting past the 1700s prose style, and she's got way more substance than popular culture and film adaptations give her credit for.
Jane Austen is my favourite author. I binged her novels one after the other this year. I didn't know anything about Northanger Abbey, so it was a huuuge surprise. Cathrine Morland and Tilney are so fun and charming characters...... however Persuasion and Pride and prejudice are the best :) :)
I still haven't read her other works yet, but I will get there eventually!
Hello! great review and analysis as always! It wasn't my first Austen novel but definetly it is my favorite! I didn't expect that it would be that funny, I mean Catherine being such a Gothic literature fan and so naïve at the same time, she wanted to be a character in the novels she read so bad that she always saw ghosts and shadow around every corner of the abbey and to me at least that was very hilarious. And I agree with you, Isabella is my favorite character too, the way her dialogue is written in particular made me laugh a lot! do you know of any other gothic parody that you can recommend?
Glad you enjoyed! As for other parodies of Gothic novels none spring to mind, at least not comedic parodies like this.
If you want something that's a little darker, but also subverts and plays around with classic Gothic tropes, I recommend Angela Carter's collection of short stories, 'the Bloody Chamber.' It is a collection of Gothic subversions of fairy tales; very dark in places, hilarious in others, and very good!
@@JoshuaJClarkeKelsall oh thank you! I will look for it!
I am not a huge huge fan of Jane Austen, unless it’s Sense and Sensibility, but I recently read Northanger Abbey and loved it. My favorite aspect of the novel was how she mocked gothic tropes
Glad you enjoyed it! Although I'm not sure I would say she mocked them, I got the impression it was more playful parody of the works than something more scornful.
@@JoshuaJClarkeKelsall I would say I agree, just a misuse of words on my part. Northanger Abbey has made me want to read Ann Radcliffe because I have yet to read her. Would you say to start with Udolpho or The Italian?
@@connorshirs Udolpho is the more famous one, but it is quite long and a bit of a slog in places. Still good though! But I would say the Italian is better since it's more concise. Also the villains in that story are great!
Great review. I've just finished reading Northanger Abbey, a good novel, but it's not my favourite book by Jane Austen.
Thank you! Which would you say is your favourite?
@@JoshuaJClarkeKelsall Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice for now. How about yours?
@@angelascarabelo1059 It would be Northanger but only because that's the only novel I've ever read! But I am eager to read Persuasion though :)
@@JoshuaJClarkeKelsall That's nice. I hope you enjoy it. 😉