9780140434132

Northanger Abbey was among the last of Jane Austen's novels to be published, in 1818, but the first to be written, mostly in 1798-9. Centred on the loves and friendships of Catherine Morland, an endearing young girl extremely fond of novel-reading, it remains the most youthful and optimistic of Jane Austen's novels. During an eventful season in Bath, Catherine meets the sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney who invite her to stay at their father's mysterious house, Northanger Abbey. There Catherine runs into dangers, imaginary and real, and learns how to tell the difference between books and real life, false friends and true. For this completely new edition, Marilyn Butler provides an accurate text based on the first edition complete with introduction and notes. By placing Northanger Abbey firmly in its literary and topical context, Marilyn Butler shows that it is a more sophisticated novel than is often thought, and a sharp social commentary on a consumerist world to which modern readers can easily relate.

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at Steventon near Basingstoke, the seventh child of the rector of the parish. She lived with her family at Steventon until they moved to Bath when her father retired in 1801. After his death in 1805, she moved around with her mother; in 1809, they settled in Chawton, near Alton, Hampshire. Here she remained, except for a few visits to London, until in May 1817 she moved to Winchester to be near her doctor. There she died on July 18, 1817.

As a girl Jane Austen wrote stories, including burlesques of popular romances. Her works were only published after much revision, four novels being published in her lifetime. These are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously in 1818 with a biographical notice by her brother, Henry Austen, the first formal announcement of her authorship. Persuasion was written in a race against failing health in 1815-16. She also left two earlier compositions, a short epistolary novel, Lady Susan, and an unfinished novel, The Watsons. At the time of her death, she was working on a new novel, Sanditon, a fragmentary draft of which survives.

Map of Bath

vi

(2)

Milton Abbey before and after Lord Milton's Improvements

viii

(3)

Introduction

xi

(34)

Notes to the Introduction

xlv

(4)

Acknowledgements

xlix

(1)

The Penguin Edition of the Novels of Jane Austen

l

(2)

Note on the Text

lii

(3)

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Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey

0140434135

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials