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About The Annotated Northanger Abbey
Product Description From the editor of the popular Annotated Pride and Prejudice comes an annotated edition of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey that makes her lighthearted satire of the gothic novel an even more satisfying read. Here is the complete text of the novel with more than 1,200 annotations on facing pages, including: -Explanations of historical context -Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings -Definitions and clarifications -Literary comments and analysis -Maps of places in the novel -An introduction, bibliography, and detailed chronology of events -225 informative illustrations Filled with fascinating details about the characters’ clothing, furniture, and carriages, and illuminating background information on everything from the vogue for all things medieval to the opportunities for socializing in the popular resort town of Bath, David M. Shapard’s Annotated Northanger Abbey brings Austen’s world into richer focus. About the Author David M. Shapard is the author of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, The Annotated Persuasion, The Annotated Sense and Sensibility, The Annotated Emma, The Annotated Northanger Abbey, and The Annotated Mansfield Park. He graduated with a Ph.D. in European History from the University of California at Berkeley; his specialty was the eighteenth century. Since then he has taught at several colleges. He lives in upstate New York. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. VOLUME ONE Chapter One No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine (1). Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition (2), were all equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected, or poor, and a very respectable man (3), though his name was Richard (4)—and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence, besides two good livings (6)—and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters (7). Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper (8), and, what is more remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born; and instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world, as any body might expect, she still lived on—lived to have six children more—to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself (9). A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number; but the Morlands had little other right to the word, for they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her life, as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure (10), a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features;—so much for her person (11);—and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind (12). She was fond of all boys’ plays, and greatly preferred cricket (13) not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse (14), feeding a canary-bird (15), or watering a rose-bush. Indeed she had no taste for a garden; and if she gathered flowers at all, it was chiefly for the pleasure of mischief (16)—at least so it was conjectured from her always preferring those which she was forbidden to take.—Such were her propensities—her abilities were quite as extraordinary. She never could learn or understand any thing before she was taught (17); and sometimes not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasionally stupid. Her mother was three months in teaching her only to repeat the “Beggar’s Petition” (18); and after all, her next sister, Sally, could say it better than she did. Not that Catherine was always stupid,—by no means; she learnt the fable of “The Hare and many Friends,” as quickly as any girl in England (19). Her mother wished her to learn music; and Catherine was sure she should (20) like it, for she was very fond of tinkling the keys of the old forlo
