So, the other day, I went to the library in search of Persuasion. For whatever reason, they didn't have it. Perhaps it's not popular enough to have lots of copies (like Pride and Prejudice, for example). Or maybe it's so wildly popular that the library can't keep any copies in stock.
Either way, they didn't have it.
What they did have was Northanger Abbey.
In my experience, this is not one of Jane Austen's more well-known works. There are multiple film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Emma (I equally love the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow as well as the mini-series!), and the ever-classic Sense and Sensibility.
With Northanger Abbey, however, I never even knew a movie existed... but there is one! And it is incredibly close to the book. The heroine and hero are both lovable and feel like the characters I imagined when reading.
Of course, the book is well worth the read. I found that it went very quickly—probably because I was enjoying it so much.
As Jane Austen's first published novel, Northanger Abbey really established her style. All the wit, charm, and unexpected characters in her other classics can trace their roots to this story. For that reason alone, I think it's a perfect read for any Jane Austen fan.
One of my favorite parts of the book was how Jane Austen described the heroine, Catherine, as a good and plain girl. The author confides to the reader that had Catherine not so clearly expressed her affection for the hero, he would have never seriously considered her.
The ending quip, when Jane Austen makes a comic attempt to provide her reader with a moral of the story, was possibly my favorite moment of the book. The movie did get this in at the end also, but it was missing the full context as it had in the book.
Overall, this is definitely a book and movie I would recommend.
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