Northanger Abbey || PBS - trailer

I love this short movie trailer.  Let me know if you have seen the film and your opinion.  I can't wait to watch it.

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #4

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #4

Pages read: 179-257
Chapters read: 24-31

This week was the dramatic conclusion of Northhanger Abbey.  It reads a bit like a soap opera minus the erotic passion and kissing.  The drive behind relationships tends to be wealth and titles.  In the end Catherine gets her man although she has to fret and worry for awhile since they are no cell phones for Henry to call.  He must actually drive his carriage to her home if he wants to speak with her.  In the end, I am not really sure why he wanted to marry her.  Maybe because she was so in love with him and that made him love her or maybe it was to anger his father and teach him a lesson.  It seems that eventually everyone in the book lives happily ever after except Isabelle and her wretched brother.

I have learned several things while reading this book.  First of all, Jane Austen book's are not as boring as I thought they were.  The second thing I learned is that I really like readalongs.  They get you to read a challenging book with other people, that you may or may not read alone and it kinda forces you to keep to a schedule and then reflect on what you read.  It is kinda like a online book chat.  So I am going to read more Austen and participate in more readalongs.

I also plan to read Radcliffe's book The Mysteries of Udolpho soon, while Northhanger is still relatively fresh in my mind.  I also want to watch the PBS film adaption of Northhanger Abbey as my reward for reading the book. I would like to thank Jennifer at Reading with Tequila for hosting the readalong.  It was fun to participate.

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #3

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #3

Pages read 121-178
Chapters read 16-23

Part 2 in the book. 
I am really starting to like this book and I really love Henry Tilney, he is hilarious.  He is seriously cracking me up, as Catherine says the oddest things and he is good at jesting her.  For example, Catherine says "I have just learnt to love a hyacinth."  (who says that?) pg. 163  She takes it all in stride probably because she has no idea he is jesting which makes the reader understand the joke that the main character does not.

I read almost all this weeks required pages in one day.  The text was entertaining to me and honestly I can't believe I am liking a book by Austen.  But I am, I am liking it indeed. 

Here is what I like: 
I like that Catherine is now at the Tilney Abbey and away from John and Isabelle Thorpe. (those two characters get on my nerves, like a fly buzzing around my head) I like that Catherine is swept up in her invented mystery of the Abbey and that she totally reminds me of a modern day teenager and the drama that gets invented in their day to day lives.  I like that Austen has included plots and twists from the popular Gothic romances of her day.  I am totally going to read Radcliffe's book The Mysteries of Udolpho.  I like that Henry Tilney reads books since according to Catherine most men don't.  I like that the book is funny and the author is quite witty.  I like Henry, he is definitely my favorite character. 

Next week's drama continues with the remaining pages and persists till the harrowing end.  Stay tuned for the dramatic conclusion on Booksnob.

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #2

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #2

Pages read 64-120
Chapters read 10-15

I am really enjoying reading this book and am embracing all things Jane Austen lately. I am definitely on Team Tilney and can't wait till Catherine pushes Mr. Thorpe, (pompous ass) out of the door.

Here is what happened this week. Catherine befriends Eleanor Tilney, Henry's sister, and meets their father who seems to approve of their relationship so far. All three go on a walk and it is most enjoyable for the reader as they talk about novels, history, landscape painting and women. My favorite quote of this chapter (14) is one is which she talks about teaching: "you would allow that to torment and to instruct might sometimes be used as synonimous words." I thought this particularly funny as I am a history teacher and my students would most definitely agree with this sentiment sometimes. Ha, Ha.

Other important news was imparted when Isabelle became engaged to Catherine's brother, James. He ran home to get parental permission to marry Isabelle as she sat at home anxiety ridden that they would not approve. Most interesting, though is when Isabelle's pompous brother is prodding Catherine's feelings and determines most incorrectly, that she is his girlfriend and Catherine has no idea of it. She is so naive and he is so conceited. What a mismatch. Oh my, I feel like I am starting to think in Old English, Austen style.

So they drama continues next week as I read Chapters 16-23. I hope you can join along with me and the many others participating in this readalong. Check out Reading with Tequila's blog post for more updates and her opinion on the particulars in Catherine's life.

Northhanger Abbey Readalong week #1

Northhanger Abbey Read-along Week #1

Pages read 1-64
Chapters read 1-9

I joined the Northhanger Abbey Read-along sponsored by the blog
Reading with Tequila. I have only read one book by Jane Austen in my lifetime and it was difficult and slow going for me. It took me three weeks to read Sense and Sensibility and while I want to read more Jane Austen I just haven't had the urge to spend weeks on end suffering through any more of her novels by myself. So when this read-along came up, I joined it.

Northhanger Abbey is so far delightful and easier to read than Sense and Sensibility. Catherine the main character is a bit of a bore as she is quite naive but at least she is likable unlike Isabelle and John Thorpe who are completely conceited and irritating. The characters tend to lead lives that are very frivolous and concern themselves with being seen at the pump-house daily or going to dances. The characters lead lives that are so very different from my own.

What I like about Catherine and Isabelle is that they are readers of novels. Novels are new to the time-period when this book was written as a satire to the popular gothic romances of the day. I love Austen's references to real novels published at the time and feel the need to get my hands on a book by Ann Radcliffe. Many people despise the "novel" while secretly reading them with passion. It is interesting how far the novel has changed and traveled since Northhanger Abbey was written.

I am excited to continue this novel and I am looking forward to watching the film version of the book. That is my reward. I really like all the films based on Austen's books, I just wish the books flowed better for me so I could enjoy the process of reading them.

This week the plan is to read chapter 10 through 15. I hope you pick up this book and give it a try.