nastya ’s Reviews > Northanger Abbey > Status Update

As far as I recall the narrator here is a super romantic fan of the Gothic, who probably like Rousseau (which are bad for J.A.) while our Liz is a hard bean counter with a nose for business

Jan-Maat wrote: "As far as I recall the narrator here is a super romantic fan of the Gothic, who probably like Rousseau (which are bad for J.A.) while our Liz is a hard bean counter with a nose for business"

So she is being ridiculed for this? I thought the story is very judgmental towards her poor friends, their family are basically lying bastards. Austen is judgmental about the money on a guy though, isn’t she? I guess the only opportunity she had to show that one fortune is enough and that a poor guy can be a good human was with rich Emma, but nah, she married well and boringly. Being poor for a gal is supposedly a virtue though.

nastya wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "As far as I recall the narrator here is a super romantic fan of the Gothic, who probably like Rousseau (which are bad for J.A.) while our Liz is a hard bean counter with a nose for..."

As far as I recall she is ridiculed throughout, there is a turning point when we are shown (shewn?) That she was objectively wrong about her suppositions and imagined scenerios, but all the same she gets her hsppuly ever after because in Austen world a decent upright Tory Englishman really is a decent upright person and will do the right thing by a well brought up girl with an appropriate social background.

Being poor, or at least cash poor but of acceptable social class is ok for a young woman in Austen, so long as she understands tbis and is properly modest!

Jan-Maat wrote: "Being poor, or at least cash poor but of acceptable social class is ok for a young woman in Austen, so long as she understands tbis and is properly modest!"

Yes! How dare that bitch Bella flirt with another guy after she discovered that the guy she was engaged to doesn't have money and anyway they will have to wait 4 years to be able to marry, and she is dirt poor from a big family without a father and she like danced 5 dances with him already! In Austen world you need to obsess about the money, but ironically, like you don't really care (but you do very much, but auntie Jane will take care of it, darling)

Also, how much Jane is into status quo is just a bit too much for me. I know there are feminist readings of her books, but what are they studying even? This gal has no radical cell in her body.

nastya wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "Being poor, or at least cash poor but of acceptable social class is ok for a young woman in Austen, so long as she understands tbis and is properly modest!"

Yes! How dare that bit..."

Well I guess you could look at her as a writer, or to what extent and how her characters have agency? For sure tbough she is not a fore runner of inter-sectionality!

Jan-Maat wrote: "nastya wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "Being poor, or at least cash poor but of acceptable social class is ok for a young woman in Austen, so long as she understands tbis and is properly modest!"

Yes! Ho..."

Unfortunately her stories bore me. I see how smart she is, but are her character that well developed outside of the heroine? I don’t know, I mean she is good to sketching the types, so I guess there’s talent in it, so I guess I can easily identify mrs Bennet or Ms Bingly, but are they well written?

nastya wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "nastya wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "Being poor, or at least cash poor but of acceptable social class is ok for a young woman in Austen, so long as she understands tbis and is properly ..."

Ok. What about more gothic narratives? Forgotten castles, sinister monks, murderous aristocrats, that kind of thing?
Or have you tried "the manuscript found in saragossa"?
Not really great character development and too short to occuoy you for long but maybe "castle rackrent" might amuse you?