Northanger Abbey

About this book

Jane Austen’s first work to be completed in full, Northanger Abbey is a coming-of-age story that satirises gothic romances and high society. It was published posthumously in the December of 1817. Catherine Morland, a young woman captivated by Bath’s fashionable society, finds herself navigating the intrigues of friendship, love, and social expectations. On an adventure for self-discovery among new acquaintances such as Isabella and John Thorpe and Henry Tilney, Catherine’s path is riddled with many humorous misunderstandings as she slowly learns that reality often defies the thrilling fantasies found in her beloved gothic novels. Austen’s witty prose and sharp observations illuminate the pitfalls of youthful naivety and the triumph of finding true understanding in the heart of Regency England. About the Author Born on 16 December 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, Jane Austen was one of eight children of George Austen, a clergyman, whoassisted as the rector of the Anglican parishes. Jane began writing as a teenager. In 1783, along with her sister Cassandra, she was sent to Oxford where she was taught by Mrs Ann Cawley. When the sisters caught typhus, both were sent home and Jane attended boarding school in Reading from early 1785. Since the Austen family couldn’t afford the school fees, Jane returned home in 1786. In 1796, Jane began writing First Impressions and completed the first draft in August 1797, (later published as Pride and Prejudice). During this time, her father tried publishing one of his daughter’s novels. In her early years, Jane had unrestricted access to her father’s library and her father too would provide her expensive stationery to encourage her. In 1797, George Austen wrote to Thomas Cadell, a famous publisher in London, asking if First Impressions could be considered. Meanwhile, during mid-1798, Jane began working on Susan (later published as Northanger Abbey). Again, the manuscript was offered to a London publisher who paid 10 pounds for the copyright. The book remained unpublished for a long time and eventually, Jane had to repurchase the copyright from the publisher in 1816. Northanger Abbey was published posthumously in 1818. In 1816, Jane’s health deteriorated due to Addison’s disease, and she went to Winchester for treatment. She died there on 18 July 1817. As a writer, Jane achieved critical acclaim only after her death. Her body of works include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. In 1833, her works were republished in Richard Bentley’s Standard Novels series, and illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering. These became immensely popular and almost 52 years after her death, in 1869, her nephew published A Memoir of Jane Austen, reintroducing the writer to her readers.