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Friday, October 26, 2007
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I just finished reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. It has been on my shelf for quite some time with my every intention of reading it ‘soon’ but has remained unread until recently, when I started it with DailyLit. I finished it in paperback form once I was reunited with my collection of books and found it much easier to flop onto the couch with the book than to sit in front of the computer and try to read the same thing. Nothing can replace a book being physically in one’s hands, though I will continue to profess my love for DailyLit and its never-ceasing convenience.
Of all of the Austen books I’ve read, I found this one among the harder ones to complete. I adore Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. I was able to easily enough complete Sense and Sensibility. This one, along with Emma, I found very trying. The main character, Catherine seems bland at best, and while there are a limited number of characters we are supposed to find endearing, I found many of them trying. It was a constant question of, ‘Is this person going to stay in our good graces or will he or she too find disgrace on the next page?’ I managed to finish this one, but it was hardly pulling at my attention, begging for me to read it in the wee hours of the morning and keep at it for various intervals throughout the day until I get into bed. The characters were alright, but the book seemed to have no flow or direction, almost as if the novel were as inexperienced as the heroine.
I will say that there were some very good lines and probably some very good messages in it. However, I didn’t find this book to be treasurable enough to read over and over as I have found the other named Austen novels to be. I’ll probably class it with Emma, a book to read once (which I have yet to manage with the latter), but to leave on the shelf thereafter.
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