W.R. Gingell’s Reviews > Northanger Abbey > Status Update

this kid..!

"...she would not be surprised if even in Henry and Eleanor Tilney, some slight imperfection might hereafter appear; and upon this conviction she need not fear to acknowledge some actual specks in the character of their father, who, though cleared from the grossly injurious suspicions which she must ever blush to have entertained, she did believe, upon serious consideration, to be not perfectly amiable."

Henry being especially sweet with Catherine so that she doesn't throw herself into an abyss of self-blame and excoriation 🥹

And Catherine, after recalling herself very sensibly from the brink of that pit; "she had only to forgive herself, and be even more happy"

Henry is now being grumpy about the phrase "faithful promise" in an entirely correct and entirely pedantic way

(and of COURSE he knows how to use the word "infer" correctly)

and then in a few moments he goes on to scoff that a thing can't possibly happen bc, and i quote, "remember that we are ENGLISH, that we are CHRISTIANS"

so i guess he gets to fall flat on his face sometimes too 😂

“THERE MUST BE MURDER”

have never felt so seen as i have reading mr henry "THERE MUST BE MURDER" tilney ranting for ten minutes about Catherine using the word "nice"

this is my favourite re-read so far; i'm guessing because of my age?