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    Northanger Abbey
    Northanger Abbey
    Northanger Abbey
    Audiobook8 hours

    Northanger Abbey

    Written by Jane Austen

    Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    When Catherine Morland, a country clergyman’s daughter, is invited to spend a season in Bath with the fashionable high society, little does she imagine the delights and perils that await her. Captivated and disconcerted by what she finds, and introduced to the joys of ‘Gothic novels’ by her new friend, Isabella, Catherine longs for mystery and romance. When she is invited to stay with the beguiling Henry Tilney and his family at Northanger Abbey, she expects mystery and intrigue at every turn. However, the truth turns out to be even stranger than fiction…
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateAug 1, 2005
    ISBN9789629544539
    Author

    Jane Austen

    Jane Austen was born in 1775 in rural Hampshire, the daughter of an affluent village rector who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits. In novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma she developed her subtle analysis of contemporary life through depictions of the middle-classes in small towns. Her sharp wit and incisive portraits of ordinary people have given her novels enduring popularity. She died in 1817.

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    Reviews for Northanger Abbey

    4/5

    5,460 ratings218 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the most fabulous audiobook narrator. Juliet Stevenson always adds something special to a book when she reads it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Great audiobook. The performance brings out the satire beautifully and makes the whole experience entertaining. One of Jane Austen's funniest novels.
    • 5/5
      Juliet Stevenson never disappoints!! Great audio version of another - not very deep, but highly amusing - Austen’s novel.
    • 4/5
      I am not an Austen fan having read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility previously. That being said, I found this Austen read a bit better than the aforementioned ones. Firstly, it was shorter and secondly I found it more humorous. The novel is a satire on Gothic novels (which I love). Catherine, the heroine of the book is a voracious reader with a good imagination. As in all the Austen novels I've read, class and money play a big part in the story. 217 pages 3 1/2 stars (almost a 4!)
    • 5/5
      A delightful parody of popular 18th century Gothic novels. I never cared much for Austen before, but this book is fantastic.
    • 5/5
      Northanger Abbey had been my least favorite of Jane Austen,s novels. But now that I have listened to the audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson, I am an enthusiast. The writing is so much funnier and the characterizations so much richer than I had remembered or perceived for myself. If you like Jane Austen at all, I highly recommend this audiobook.
    • 4/5
      Catherine Morland is taken to stay in Bath by Mr and Mrs Allen. She falls in love with one man, is courted by another, and is invited to stay at an old Abbey where her imagination runs riot.

      Not a huge amount of plot, but plenty of humour as characters are cleverly revealed by their speech and actions. Supposedly a spoof on the romantic fiction of the time, but with a satisfying and happy ending after several misunderstandings are cleared up. Lighter than most Jane Austen, and rather shorter but very enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      Not my favorite of Austen’s novels, that would be Persuasion. However, it was a highly enjoyable read. What made it fun was Austen’s occasional jibes to the Gothic novel. Northanger Abbey isn’t a Gothic novel in all respects, but it does present a parody of it from time to time. I quite liked the character of Catherine Morland with her wild imagination and excessive fondness for Gothic novels! A must read for Austen fans.
    • 2/5
      Jane Austen had a way with writing that made every single sentence in her books feel like an info-dump. It's so hard to concentrate or care when you're reading her books.
    • 5/5
      Juliet Stevenson is my favourite Austen narrator. Witty and clever
    • 5/5
      Austen’s wit still sparkles 200 years later, and her observations still ring true. Great narration that captures the spirit of the work.
    • 4/5
      If you are already a fan of Jane Austen, then I think it is safe to assert that you will enjoy Northanger Abbey.

      This tale features the same type of characters and societal challenges that made Pride and Prejudice such a pleasure for me. Although Elizabeth Bennett is still my favorite Austen heroine, I did like Catherine Morland very much, especially her transition from naive mouse to wiser pussycat (still nice, but not a pushover).

      My only caution would be to mention that this is an early Austen novel, which means the writing is less efficient than her later works. But on the upside, it was fun to see how this author's writing style evolved.
    • 5/5
      The book is wonderful but the app makes it almost impossible to listen to. It keeps jumping ahead, cutting out and making it impossible to find your spot.
    • 4/5
      This audio book was narrated by Juliet Stevenson and was much more engaging than the more recent 2017 audiobook.
    • 4/5
      A good read overall, especially with character development. Dialogue is witty at many times, and generally drives the action along. I found that the protagonist Catherine, being just 17, is wonderfully naive in her nature. However, the more she progressed in her conmection with Isabella, I questioned her lacking perception. Why did it take so long for her to realise she was merely being strung along by a self-absorbed person
      ? Thankfully this was made up with a (painful) realisation and her own decision to enter another stage of life. However, the ending fell rather flat for me, or maybe I just prefer novels that don't resolve with a happy marriage? I would recommend this for people who want to try Austen's shorter works.
    • 4/5
      I am not an Austen fan having read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility previously. That being said, I found this Austen read a bit better than the aforementioned ones. Firstly, it was shorter and secondly I found it more humorous. The novel is a satire on Gothic novels (which I love). Catherine, the heroine of the book is a voracious reader with a good imagination. As in all the Austen novels I've read, class and money play a big part in the story. 217 pages 3 1/2 stars (almost a 4!)
    • 3/5
      This is one of the rare instances where the movie is better than the book. I adore this story, but Jane Austen withheld so much potential in the actual novel. It should have been longer, with a few of the characters given more life, specifically Henry. Henry in the movie is loveable and adorable while being forgettable and boring in the book. I wondered for a time why so many people dislike this Austen story and I unfortunately understand now. The story, generally, is my favorite Austen. But the way it was written, sadly is lackluster. I recommend the movie!
      However as a side note, the narrator did a wonderful job.
    • 3/5
      I didn't like it as much as Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but it still shows Austen's wit and keen eye for character. I love her little jabs at society.
    • 2/5
      I have recently wanted to read Jane Austen again for some time. I had previously read two of her other novels (Pride and Prejudice and Emma) but that was a very long time ago. I've now decided I am not a Jane Austen fan. This is a rather average romance story which is said to be a parody of the classic Gothic novels. The plot (what there was of it) was decent enough but I just felt like I was wading through pages of drivel. I found the dialogue irritating, the banter between the men and women just made me want to scream. Although the style of writing and the language used by the author is indeed beautiful I found the characters immensely irritating. Austen is not for me.
    • 2/5
      didn't really like this austen - didn't like the heroine at all - thought she was very silly getting scared at everything.
    • 2/5
      Jane Austen's first written and last published novel lacks the typical finesse of an experienced writer Jane Austen was in her later books.
    • 3/5
      I really couldn't stand Pride and Prejudice, when I read it, a fact I've made no great pains to disguise. But I was determined to get all the way through a Jane Austen book without chucking it across the room at any point, and Northanger Abbey made this easy on me. The tone of the novel is quite fun, and it was quite easy for me to see the cleverness and wit of the author I'd heard so much about and hadn't liked or noticed very much in Pride and Prejudice. Any complaints I might have about the character -- her ignorance, her silliness -- are sort of necessary for the plot to proceed as it does. I think if the novel had been much longer, I'd have got a bit sick of the tone, but it was just the right length, I think.
    • 4/5
      I?m also not a big fan of dark, creepy things, and I thought for sure this book would either fall into that category or be solemn and somber. I really should give Austen more credit; her tongue-in-cheek humor and playful nature shone through in this novel.Based on other reviews, Catherine Morland seems to be like Emma Woodhouse; you either love her or hate her. My characterization of Catherine? She?s a mouse. Meek and timid. Afraid of her own shadow. Catherine reminds me a lot of Anne Elliot. I liked her but in that let-me-tuck-you-under-my-wing-so-no-one-hurts-you kind of way.
    • 3/5
      I read this because my college/medical school roommate, who kept only a handful of books in our room, declared it to be one of her favorite books. It was my first introduction to Austen, and soon after I read through the rest. Northanger Abbey is a satirical take on Gothic novels. The main character is well-versed in these; when she visits her beloved Henry's ancestral home, she expects dark secrets and hidden passages to abound.
    • 4/5
      Catherine Morland was an ordinary young girl who was good-natured, inquisitive, and gullible. She blossomed when she traveled to Bath from her country parsonage and "came out" to society. There she was easily deceived by the calculating Isabella, but her basic goodness was never in doubt. I like to think her naivete was due to her youth and protected upbringing. Also, she was extremely fond of reading novels which further sparked her already lively imagination.The plot was simple and straighforward made a bit more interesting by the gothic intrigue of the abbey itself and the General's dark demeanor. I was disappointed in the hurried and weak ending. Perhaps I just wanted it to go on a bit longer so I could spend more time with Austen's delightful characters.
    • 5/5
      Don't go reading this book all serious-like, you have to lighten up with this one and enjoy the romp. Jane Austen lets her wit right out in the open and pokes fun wherever she can. Northanger Abbey is very different than Austen's other books. Pride and Prejudice and Emma are both very upbeat, social books, while Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion are more introspective, and Northanger Abbey is in a league of its own.
    • 3/5
      I haven't read that many gothic novels from the 1700:s, so most of the satire is lost on me.
    • 3/5
      It helps to know that this was probably Austen's first book, so if I didn't like it that doesn't mean I'm not an Austen fan. It also helps to know that the plight of upper class women at that time was that they were entirely dependent on men for financial security. Still, I really can't get past the vapid characters and their pointless existence. Okay, our heroine was 17 years old and learned a lot along the way, possibly becoming less vapid over the course of the story. But geez!
    • 4/5
      Protagonist Catherine Morland is invited by her wealthy neighbors to accompany them to the city of Bath, where she participates in the social season. Catherine develops friendships and a romantic interest. Her brother arrives from Oxford and become engaged to one of her friends. Catherine is young and naïve. She takes people at face value. She learns through painful experience that some people cannot be trusted.

      The book is separated into two parts. The first, in Bath, introduces the characters and sets them in motion. The second, at Northanger Abbey, provides the majority of the conflicts and resolution. The writing is emotive, and either I am getting used to circuitous sentences or this book is told in a more straight-forward manner than, say, Sense and Sensibility, which I recently read.

      Austen was obviously a fan of how reading can broaden horizons. She pokes gentle fun at the gothic novel. Published in 1818, during the Regency era, Austen comments on the issues of her day – morality, character, social mores, and limits on a woman’s agency. I had somehow missed reading this classic before now. I found it delightful.
    • 4/5
      I've read this book before, ages ago as a part of a Gothic Literature course I took in college. This most recent read was for family bedtime story tie. There are some very funny moments and biting satire here (mostly of gothic and popular literature), especially early on. Towards the end it starts to feel like her more famous novels, with everyone more or less getting their just desserts, but perhaps a little less deftly.