Northanger Abbey

Being the first novel by Jane Austen which has been completed for publication, in fact "Northanger Abbey" was only published in 1818, one year after the author´s death. Catherine Morland, a 17-year-old girl and protagonist of the novel, lives her life as she was a heroine in a Gothic novel. She is invited by her wealthier neighbours to accompany them to visit Bath where she partakes in the winter season of balls, theatre and other social events. There she is introduced to Henry Tilney, a clever young gentleman, with whom she spends a delightful time. But things do not turn out as Catherine expects and hopes. Therefore she has to go through a time of harsh disillusions: although novels may be delightful, the stories told do not relate to everyday life. Realizing that, she gradually becomes a real heroine who learns from her mistakes while being exposed to the outside world of Bath. "Northanger Abbey" is a parody of Gothic fiction. The conventions of eighteenth-century novels are turned on their head by Austen. This novel is more explicitly comic than the other works of the author. Like her other major novels, "Northanger Abbey" has been the subject of several dramatic adaptations for stage, television and cinema.