First accepted by a publisher in 1803, Northanger Abbey was eventually published posthumously in 1818. In it Austen weaves a romance full of suspense and comedy around the heroine Catherine Morland's first foray into society. The style of the novel is a unique hybrid; along the way Austen parodies the eighteenth-century novel of manners, the Gothic novel, and even the educational treatises of the time.

The second Broadview edition includes a revised introduction, notes, bibliography, and expanded appendices of background contextual materials.

Comments:

"Claire Grogan's excellent introduction foregrounds the range of historical and cultural references in Northanger Abbey, enriching the experiences of reading which are at the heart of the novel's meaning. The text is a model of clarity, and the annotation is consistently helpful and lucid. As in all editions in this series from Broadview Press, the contextual material gathered in the appendices is rewarding. Included here is a wealth of information about Jane Austen's correspondence and her reading; reviews of Northanger Abbey; maps of Bath and the West of England; and a splendid guide to the social meanings of various kinds of horse-drawn travel. A full bibliography completes this outstanding edition, making it the obvious choice for Jane Austen's modern readers." - Nicholas Roe, University of St. Andrews

"Claire Grogan's full and innovative new edition of Northanger Abbey provides background material that invites readers to think about this ambitious and exhilarating novel in fresh and suggestive ways. Grogan rightly calls Northanger Abbey Austen's most literary novel, and the edition she has prepared makes it possible to see how closely it is involved in the literary and political backgrounds of its time. An exemplary edition!" - Claudia L. Johnson, Princeton University

Claire Grogan, a professor in the Department of English at Bishop's University, has also edited for the same series Elizabeth Hamilton's Memoirs of Modern Philosophers.

Please note: If you choose to use multiple Broadview Austen Editions we will extend a special package price offer to your students. Please contact customerservice@broadviewpress.com for details.

Table of Contents: [Back to Top]

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Jane Austen: A Brief Chronology

A Note on the Text

Biographical Notice

Author's Advertisement

Northanger Abbey

Appendix A: Jane Austen's Correspondence with Crosby Publishing House

Appendix B: Jane Austen's Private Family Correspondence

Appendix C: Examples of Jane Austen's Reading
     1. Ann Radcliff, Romance of the Forest
     2. William Gilpin, Observations on the Picturesque
     3. Sentimental Heroines
          a. Elizabeth Hervey, Louisa
          b. Charlotte Smith, Emmeline
          c. Helen Maria Williams, Julia

Appendix D: Catherine Morland's Reading Material
     1. Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho

Appendix E: Reviews of Northanger Abbey
     1. British Critic (March 1818)
     2. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine (May 1818)
     3. Gentleman's Magazine (July 1818)
     4. Quarterly Review (January 1821)

Appendix F: Map of Bath, circa 1800

Appendix G: Day Trips from Bath

Appendix H: Map of South West England, circa 1856

Appendix I: Frontispiece to the 1833 edition of Northanger Abbey

Appendix J: Horse-Drawn Transportation
     1. Chaise and Four
     2. Phaeton
     3. Curricle
     4. Gig

Works Cited / Recommended Reading