Northanger Abbey for Spooky Month

Read This Austen Classic with Me

If you’re new to this Substack, one of the things I’m offering subscribers in 2023 is A Year with Jane. We’re reading through Austen’s six novels this year and Northanger Abbey is our read for October.

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What to Know About Northanger Abbey

Let’s get something out of the way: Northanger Abbey is my least favorite Austen novel. But it’s still worth reading, of course! While it was published posthumously, it was Austen’s first completed novel. It’s funny and it’s clever, but it doesn’t have the same depth as her other novels. This is because this book is a completely different kind of project. It’s a brilliant parody of the popular gothic novels of the time. If you miss this important context, the novel won’t be nearly as funny!

Of the many gothic novels that Austen references in Northanger Abbey, Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho is the most prominent. I actually read this (long) melodramatic story in a college class on Austen and it really did help me in understanding what Austen was doing in Northanger Abbey. That being said, I don’t know that I’d recommend it. It’s a bit of a slog. What you need to know is that it involves a crumbling castle in Italy that’s full of secrets and a young woman who is victimized by an evil Italian.

Novels are a key theme of Austen’s parody: their reputation and their benefits. One character in particular dismisses novels as insignificant. And Austen, who we must assume was a bit sensitive to that sentiment, makes him the villain. But even her novel-loving characters run the gamut between virtuous and vicious. Novels are not enough to make us good. We must be perceptive readers. In my book Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life, I explain that the protagonist of Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland, is learning to read the world. She is learning discernment—and her journey is full of hilarious missteps and foibles.

Join this Substack community in reading this brilliant novel!

Reading schedule:

Week of October 4th:

Gather your books and read Chapters 1-8 of Northanger Abbey. There are many editions out there, so just grab what’s on your shelf or at the local library. And if you enjoy audiobooks, this is an excellent novel to enjoy with a great narrator. My favorite for this novel is Juliet Stevenson’s audiobook version. Grab Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life from Ave Maria Press (use STEWART20 for 20% off) or from Amazon.

If you didn’t start reading with us in January, you may want to catch up by reading the Introduction and Chapters 1-5 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life to set the stage.

October 8th-14th:

We’ll discuss Chapters 1-8.

Read Chapters 9-15 of Northanger Abbey

October 15th-21st:

We’ll discuss Chapters 9-15.

Read Chapters 16-23 of Northanger Abbey

October 22nd-28th:

We’ll discuss Chapters 16-23.

Read Chapters 24-31 of Northanger Abbey

October 29th-November 5th:

We’ll discuss Chapters 24-31.

Read Chapter 6 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life

Caveat:

On the reading schedule I have suggested reading the chapter about Northanger Abbey after finishing the novel. This is because as a reader I hate spoilers. But if you’ve already read the novel or are familiar with the story and want a resource to help you dive deeper as you re-read it, feel free to read Chapter 6 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life first.

I’ll be sending out weekly reflections and discussion questions to consider as you read. If you want to read faster or slower, go for it. This is fun, not homework.

If you know someone who would enjoy reading Austen with us for our Year of Jane, please share this post with him/her!

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And if you know someone who would love this virtual book club, please share with them:

Looking forward to discussing Sense & Sensibility with you!

Haley

(Editor of Word on Fire Spark, Author, Former Podcaster)

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