The Vampire of Northanger

by Bryce C. Anderson

Catherine Morland---nobody's picture of the heroine of a novel---is a sheltered young lady who is mad for gothic novels, especially ones with vampires. Thirsting for adventure, she leaps at the opportunity to holiday in Bath. But the city is filled with perils, threatening to plunge our hapless heroine into violence or impropriety. Vampires walk the streets at night, preying upon the unwary, and more than one has designs upon Catherine herself.

Cross and stake at the ready, the charming, awkward Miss Morland navigates Bath society even as she takes up the vampire-hunting trade. A wealthy but eccentric family, the Tilneys, take an interest in her, and Catherine finds herself captivated by their quick-witted son, Henry Tilney. As the danger in Bath grows, the Tilneys extend Catherine an invitation to join them at their estate, the ancient Northanger Abbey. There she will face unexpected dangers and discover hidden strengths. But will Catherine's adventure end in matrimony or in bloodshed?

The Vampire of Northanger is a funny, violent romp through a supernatural England, inspired by Jane Austen's classic novel, Northanger Abbey.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Vampires

558 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2016

Reviews

[Kit Dunsmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Jane Austen-vampire mash-up is a clever use of the familiar and the macabre. Of all the Austen novels one might add some horror to, Northanger Abbey is the perfect choice, because it is about "horrid" thrillers and their avid readers. Anderson makes excellent use of the characters and situations provided by Austen and then adds a gothic layer, turning some of well-known characters into vampires and others into vampire hunters. Catherine Morland is her usual self: the atypical heroine we happily root for even though she lacks the traits she thinks all heroines require. Throughout, we worry if she will wind up with her beloved Henry, uncertain if she will live long enough to do so.

Austen fans will love this re-interpretation of Northanger Abbey because the characters stay true to their original conception while tackling entirely new territory. Anderson uses phrases lifted from other Austen novels that fans will recognize, but they don't irritate at all. They are added with a wink and smile, to remind us that everything we are reading is all in fun. I don't know how vampire fans will feel. I enjoyed it because the author never takes himself too seriously. There are some lovely jokes and light-hearted moments to keep this book from getting too dark or grim. I think Ms. Austen would approve.

[morbidflight]

It was really long, but a solidly enjoyable romp through Jane Austen's world. Not that Austen needs vampires or anything. Overall, I found myself wanting to return to this book. (The Monk was once described as "a page turner, but there are a lot of pages to turn." This book was similar. It doesn't usually take me more than a day to read a novel.)

I feel like this book is way better if you've read Northanger Abbey and probably some of Ann Radcliffe's books and also The Monk (aka, if you're familiar with the gothic canon in English lit as well as Austen's reaction to it). I do have nitpicks: I felt like some of the attempted regency references were anachronistic in a distracting way.

I don't want to be the first person to rate this book just because I think my 3 stars is around what another person would rate a 4.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was up and down for me. parts i loved, and parts that i felt dragged through.

[Richard Kendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vampire of Northanger steadily builds momentum until, by the end, I was  practically unable to stop turning the pages. I experienced a similar compulsion with another of Anderson’s novels. However, I almost failed to read this novel at all.

Initially, I was defeated by the essay that established that this was Austen’s first novel, a spoof of the scholarly essays found at the beginning of the more staid Austen volumes (the ones without vampires). Unfortunately, the parody was a bit too good and I struggled to stay interested.

I'm afraid I didn't find the start of the novel much more gripping. It took at least 60-80 pages before I was fully committed. I attribute at least some of this difficulty to the nature of the protagonist. While it was clever to write an Austenesque heroine who is not so bright, her dullness was also rather exhausting.

That being said, I'm glad I stuck around long enough to get hooked. There's plenty here to like, with lots of amusing bits, and suspenseful bits, and ample twists and turns that'll keep you guessing.

[Ahnya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much the story of Northanger Abbey but vampires actually exist. Catherine wants nothing more than to live the adventure that she reads about in her novels. When her neighbors the Allens invite her to accompany them on their trip to Bath she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, the adventure is more than she bargained for as Bath seems to be under attack by vampires.

I didn't think it was possible to love Henry Tilney more, but after this I do. He seems to be even more witty, and prone to fantastical stories to tease Catherine with. Catherine was still wonderfully naive, especially when the obvious was staring her in the face.

It was a bit long, and I think it could have been edited a little better. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Andrew Radev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book, which shouldn't be surprising based on the premise. I've only read one Jane Austen work, and I can definitely see the homage. The supernatural contact is subtle in the beginning, but ends up conflicting a lot with the "polite Britishness" air the book tries to maintain, by the end. Like, say, a pair of vampires trying to kill the protagonists at some point end up having a polite dinner walk at another, and then go back to murder mode at a different occasion. There's some humor in the situation, but to me it just feels a bit odd.

I enjoyed the book mostly as an adventure story in its own right, semi-divorced from its homages. But then, I'm also not a huge Austen reader, as I pointed out, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone would enjoy the Austenisms more. For me -- a bit boring at the start, but pretty fun later on.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this variation, Northanger Abbey meets vampires and other monsters. The same characters are still there as in the original but with something extra. The book (a long book) is certainly an enjoyable romp as the gothic horror unfolds.