Northanger Abbey

This article is about the 1818 novel. For adaptations of the novel, see Jane Austen in popular culture § Northanger Abbey (1818).
"General Tilney" redirects here. For Brigadier Tilney, see Robert Tilney.

Northanger Abbey
Title page of the original 1818 edition
AuthorJane Austen
LanguageEnglish
GenreGothic, satire, coming-of-age
PublisherJohn Murray
Publication date
1818 (published on 20 December 1817, although the title page is dated 1818)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Preceded byEmma 
Followed byPersuasion 
TextNorthanger Abbey at Wikisource

Northanger Abbey (/ˈnɔːrθæŋər/ NOR-thang-ər) is a coming-of-age novel and a satire of Gothic novels[1] written by the English author Jane Austen. Although the title page is dated 1818 and was published posthumously in 1817 with Persuasion, Northanger Abbey was completed in 1803, making it the first of Austen's novels to be completed in full.[2] From a fondness of Gothic novels and an active imagination distorting her worldview, the story follows Catherine Morland, the naïve young protagonist, as she develops to better understand herself and the world around her.[3][4]

Based on the different styles and different references to Gothic novels, it is apparent that Austen wrote Northanger Abbey over the span of many years.[5] It took her a long time to get her novel published too. It was not until after her death that her brother was able to get the book published.[6] Once published, Austen received a mix of reviews.[7] The novel covers a wide array of topics such as high society, Gothic fiction, bildungsroman, the value of reading, and the importance of time. This novel is considered to be more juvenile than her others.[8]

Throughout Northanger Abbey, Austen makes references to many different Gothic novels, most notably The Mysteries of Udolpho. There are also many references to Northanger Abbey in contemporary novels. Various different adaptations have been made throughout the years.

  1. ^ Ray, Joan Klingel (2003). "Austen's Northanger Abbey". The Explicator. 61 (2): 79–81. doi:10.1080/00144940309597763. S2CID 219638807.
  2. ^ "Jane Austen's Works". Jasna. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Northanger Abbey". Jasna. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Northanger Abbey Summary". Shmoop. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  5. ^ Emden, Cecil (1968). "The Composition of Northanger Abbey". The Review of English Studies. 19 (75): 281.
  6. ^ Austen, Jane; Fowler, Karen Joy (2006). "Introduction". Jane Austen The Complete Works. New York: Penguin Group. p. vii. ISBN 9780143039501.
  7. ^ Waldron, 89.
  8. ^ Tomanlin, Claire. Jane Austen: A Life. New York: Vintage, 1997, pp. 165–166.