"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
Northanger Abbey
Myrna asked in a recent comment, "You don't really dislike Northanger Abbey, do you?" Thanks, Myrna. You're not the only one wondering about this, so I should probably clarify. It seems I've earned a reputation as a Northanger Abbey hater because of a line in austenland: "Sure, Jane had first read Pride and Prejudice when she was sixteen, read it a dozen times since, and read the other Austen novels at least twice, except Northanger Abbey (of course)." Though I didn't anticipate this reaction, I can understand why people might think I'm bashing the book, so let me explain.
The truth is, I very much like Northanger Abbey. I took a class in college where we studied gothic romances, sentimentalism, and the emergence of realism as the dominate literary style. It was fascinating, my favorite literary theory class of all time. Northanger Abbey is a parody of gothic romance, a very popular style of novel in Austen's day. As a general rule, I'm a big fan of parody. I also love Austen and highly enjoy gothic romance, so all that adds up to a book that is quite my cup of tea. It doesn't hold my heart as securely as Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice for sheer reading pleasure, but I'm quite fond of it.
So why that line in austenland? Because if you were to take a broad poll of non-scholarly readers of Austen, those who read her for fun, the one book that most of them won't have read or else won't have enjoyed as much as the others is Northanger Abbey. (Quite often I find they will have started it but never bothered to finish.) I am not Jane Hayes, my main character. As much as some of her personality intersects with mine, we're very different. Just as I am quite different from Ani, Enna, Razo, Miri, Sileph, Ungolad (let's hope, anyway)...And I'm also not the authoritative voice of the austenland narrator, who bandies about opinions I don't always agree with. I didn't write this book in order to subject the reader to my personal opinions. I wrote it...well, so I could laugh. The line was supposed to be funny.
Now my mind is racing ahead, wondering what I can write in my next book to outrage large special interest groups...
"Everyone knows," said Susan as she unloaded the groceries, "that Shakespeare is a fraud and a poser. I sprinkled some vinegar on my copy of The Tempest and used it to clean my windows."
"Good call," said Charlotte. "Are we going out to eat at The Olive Garden tonight? You know how I love supporting those chain restaurants. Let's drive all the ma & pa diners out of business."
"High five me on that, sister!"
(P.S. That last bit was a joke.)
People will get upset about anything.
That line was funny--it's one of the one-liners I remember from the book.
Posted by: hwalk | July 16, 2007 at 12:29 PM
Ha! Shannon, you are a hoot. I particuarly like your last line, I actually was laughing out loud. Good call on differentiating an author's self from that of his/her characters. Couldn't have been said any better in my opinion.
Posted by: Heather | July 16, 2007 at 12:55 PM
I have never read Northanger Abbey and I did notice that line and thought "Is something wrong with it?" I didn't really bother me though. Maybe if I was an Austen fanatic I would have been more afronted but meh.
Mmmm. Olive Garden.
And I generally find that "Much Ado About Nothing" is good for getting those hard-to-reach places.
Posted by: Enna Isilee | July 16, 2007 at 01:01 PM
You know, Northanger Abbey is my second favorite Austen book (behind Pride and Prejudice, of course!). But I'm not sure I would have appreciated it if I, too, hadn't had a class on Romanticism in which we discussed Gothic literature. The professor suggested we read N.A. in light of what we had just studied, and to this day I still laugh when I read it.
By the way, Austenland made me finally break down and watch the BBC version of P&P. After so many years of hearing about it but fearing it would ruin my favorite book (as movies made from books invariably do) I borrowed all six video tapes from the library and watched them over two nights. Verdict: pretty good, but I still prefer the book. Glad I watched it, though.
Posted by: Caryn | July 16, 2007 at 01:01 PM
Well said, Shannon! I actually haven't read Northanger Abbey, but it's right up there on my list. Good of you to point out the difference between "author" and "character." :)
Posted by: Gretta | July 16, 2007 at 01:41 PM
That's so weird- that wuote- "The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid-" I JUST read and put in my signature yesterday. I tried reading Northanger Abbey but I'm only a few chapters into it.
Posted by: Faith #2 | July 16, 2007 at 01:47 PM
That is one of my favorite lines in the book because I read N.A. this spring and have to admit that I didn't really enjoy it, except for the line about a good novel. I can't wait to see what group of people you will offend next. ;)
Posted by: Daybreak Jen | July 16, 2007 at 02:58 PM
Thank you for answering my question. I wasn't outraged, just curious. I recommended Northanger Abbey to my older sister a couple of years ago because she loves Pride and Prejudice, and she didn't like it. I was surprised by her reaction, but I found (like you said) her reaction was more common than mine. So I did recognize the joke. I just wanted to know what your opinion was. I'm sorry if you thought I was upset. I enjoyed your book very much. And I appreciate your taking time to satisfy my curiosity.
Posted by: Myrna Foster | July 16, 2007 at 03:10 PM
I actually did sprinkle some vinegar on my copy of The Tempest and use it to clean my windows. Only joking. I'm curious to read Northanger Abbey now; I've only read P&P and Sense and Sensibility... :)
Posted by: Calliope1of9 | July 16, 2007 at 04:17 PM
Yep, it's typical that people might ask too many questions about a book. Especially when it's a good one (AUSTENLAND!!). And then, when they start asking, the spark of the story sort of... lessens. Anyway, I enjoyed the part with Susan and Charlotte ;)
Posted by: Bohae | July 16, 2007 at 05:04 PM
Dern. I thought our Literature of the Fantastic class, where you built your marshmallow and clove robot, was your favorite! Hehe.
Posted by: T.L. Trent | July 16, 2007 at 06:06 PM
Actually, Northanger Abbey is my favorite Austen book after P&P. It's a shame that so many people don't give it a chance. When I read that line in Austenland, I thought it meant that Jane had read it more than twice b/c she liked it so much!
Posted by: Biel | July 16, 2007 at 06:47 PM
Never read Northanger Abbey. But just finished Twilight, which definitely qualifies as gothic romance. I loved it, but it kind of made me depressed. (TRYING TO AVOID A SPOILER BUT IT STILL IS A DOOZY!) The implausibility of (ahem) relationships. Very depressing...
Posted by: Burning | July 16, 2007 at 06:48 PM
FINALLY got to reading Austenland. Many kudos! LOVED it... probably for egotistical reasons... I related to Jane a little too much... and I secretly wanted to know where I could find this Pembrook Park of your imagination... :P
I think the Northanger Abbey comment was perfect! Back in my English major days, I took an Austen class devoted to all her novels... and we had to read Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (which is a fabulous book, I must say) just so we could get why Austen wrote Abbey. It's good ole-fashioned pokin' fun at the gothic convention. And in turn, Austenland pokes fun at that. It works. It's like a poking fun carousel that continues to go 'round and 'round--- Austen wants us to laugh. It's all good. :)
Chelsea :)
Posted by: Miss Chelsea | July 16, 2007 at 08:27 PM
JUST got to read Austenland this weekend -- and I did read that line and laugh. Remembering reading Northanger as an English major in my undergrad days, I know that many people don't 'get' that Jane Austen was rather ironic in speech, and she was also not her characters! She wrote... satirically. Which helped me to understand the character of Jane in Austenland that much sooner. I was like, "Oh! One of those." And I chuckled, knowing she'd 'get it' eventually.
Thanks for such an amazing book. Somehow I didn't clue in to the fact that it wasn't YA until the epilogue (how did I miss that spoiler from all my friends?), and was pretty surprised, but it was excellent.
Posted by: TadMack | July 16, 2007 at 08:51 PM
"High five me on that sister!" You are hilarious! Oh dear. You make me laugh, Shannon. I only wish I could be as funny as you.
Posted by: Kate | July 16, 2007 at 09:40 PM
I am a 'non-scholarly' Northanger Abbey fan. Is that so unusual? I think although it is not as sparkling as Pride and Prejudice, it is still a very funny novel and I think it is probably one of Jane Austen's best works. It has a good mix of romance and parody which I enjoy and is not bogged down by minute details. I love the Gothic influences. SO GO NORTHANGER ABBEY!
Posted by: australiangirl | July 16, 2007 at 09:44 PM
Weird! I LOVE Northanger Abbey -- I keep waiting for someone to make a big juicy, lurid movie of it! And, funny about Shakespeare & the Olive Garden.
Posted by: Laini Taylor | July 16, 2007 at 09:49 PM
That's awesome, Biel! What a fun example of personalizing a text.
No worries, Myrna. I didn't think you were outraged. It was a perfectly valid question. (Drat the limitations of written communication--if we were talking face to face there'd be no confusion!)
Posted by: shannon hale | July 16, 2007 at 10:01 PM
I HAVE DISCOVERED A BLOOPER IN AUSTENLAND!!!! You know how in the prologue, it says that Elizabeth is played "by that comely, busty English actress as the Elizabeth Bennet we had imagined all along". Jennifer Ehle is not English, she is American! She was born in North Carolina. It is a common mistake to think that she is English though. Her accent is so perfect and natural. I also can't believe she is a natural blonde! I love her in brown hair!
Posted by: australiangirl | July 16, 2007 at 10:10 PM
I can't believe some people. I know that Shannon is a good writer who doesn't make her characters be the same as herself. I only find it a pity that some people who read for fun can read every Austen novel except for Northanger Abbey. I found it to be an easy to understand novel, I was surprised my high school only had it be an honor's reading.
Posted by: Callie the Strongbad Fan | July 16, 2007 at 11:43 PM
Thanks for making me feel better, Shannon. I was feeling the same way about "written communication" when I read your blog this afternoon.
I'm glad you and so many others like Northanger Abbey. There's something validating about having others share your opinions, but I wouldn't have lost sleep over it if you hadn't liked the book. I own more of your books than I do of Jane Austen's, so I hope you can ignore the disgruntled few and keep the humor and the magic coming. You have a compelling voice--even when you blog.
Posted by: Myrna | July 17, 2007 at 12:58 AM
australiangirl, does nationality really matter? She's comely, busty and she's playing an English woman so hey! She's now English. ;)
Jennifer Ehle a blond? Never.
Posted by: Enna Isilee | July 17, 2007 at 08:14 AM
yeah, totally, shannon. i mean people have to be pretty thick to think that fictional books are just outlets to show the world the author's opionion. i mean, come on!
Posted by: marie | July 17, 2007 at 08:29 AM
Do you know where I could get that "intolerably stupid" quote on a T-shirt? Or maybe a tattoo?
I have Northanger Abbey sitting around here somewhere, unread. Would I still enjoy it even if I haven't the slightest notion what "gothic" means?
Posted by: Laura | July 17, 2007 at 09:15 AM
Correction on Jennifer Ehle: she is half-English, half-American. She was born in North Carolina to and English actress and American writer. Her English accent is natural because she has lived back and forth between UK and USA. If it weren't for this English side of her, she wouldn't be in BBC programs because BBC doesn't cast Americans.
Posted by: Callie the Strongbad Fan | July 17, 2007 at 09:45 AM
Ah, thank you for that Callie. I didn't think BBC would hire americans. After all Harry Potter won't *grumble*
Gothic is generally the contrast of light and dark. Big archy buildinging, windows etc.
Posted by: Enna Isilee | July 17, 2007 at 10:57 AM
Wow. She's really BLONDE?
Posted by: Q | July 17, 2007 at 01:06 PM
DANTE--Are you into the Divine Comedy or is "Dante" just sort of random?
Posted by: burning... | July 17, 2007 at 06:35 PM
Jennifer Ehle does say that she considers herself as an American but Enna Isilee, you are right. We honestly don't care what nationality she is because...well there really is no accountable explanation for it.
Posted by: australiangirl | July 17, 2007 at 10:07 PM
Hm... I loved P&P and hated S&S. HATED it. after that, I thought perhaps liking the first one was a fluke, and I've never tried any of the other ones.
*shrug*
Posted by: Lindsay | July 18, 2007 at 10:03 AM
Ooh...I did read Northanger Abbey, I enjoyed it but it's not my favorite.
Posted by: Sookie | July 18, 2007 at 06:31 PM
Shannon- Who drew the maps in the beginning of The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets? Something I've always wondered... :)
Posted by: Calliope1of9 | July 18, 2007 at 07:32 PM
*is shocked* I LOVE S&S. The book has been my favorite Austen novel for... two weeks, since I first read it, and the S&S movie has been my favorite movie ever since I was four. P&P is my favorite mini series.
Posted by: a shocked Faith | July 18, 2007 at 09:49 PM
Dante is Dante. It's not
Florentine@hellfire.net for nothing. Don't understand what all the fuss is about. No need to nitpick. The girl will probably get the guy in the end anyway. Duh. If it was a Bronte sibling, the lovers and everyone else would die. I note nobody here has yet to sing THEIR praises. Heathcliff, anyone?
Posted by: Dante | July 18, 2007 at 10:42 PM
On further thought, it is actually Florentine@afterlife.org, although people fuss the most over the realms of eternal suffering.
Posted by: Dante | July 18, 2007 at 10:44 PM
I am confused. What are you talking about, Dante?
Posted by: Q | July 19, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Thank you. I was wondering about this very thing after reading that line in Austenland. I figured most people probably don't read Northanger Abbey more than once because it's so different from Jane's other works, but I just think it's so clever and wittily sarcastic about just the things I am often sarcastic about myself. I also like Henry Tilney.
And Austenland gets a gold star in my book. So thanks for that too.
Posted by: Alauna | July 19, 2007 at 05:03 PM
I liked Henry Tilney too.
Posted by: Myrna | July 19, 2007 at 11:13 PM
And his sister
Posted by: Myrna | July 19, 2007 at 11:14 PM
Just curious, Dante. Because I just read The Divine Comedy. And Wuthering Heights. Which was good in a depressing way.
Posted by: Burning | July 20, 2007 at 07:45 AM
Hey Laura, give me a little bit. I"m working on getting that quote on a shirt. Tattoo... I'm not so sure about yet.
Posted by: Enna Isilee | July 20, 2007 at 07:47 AM
Did you read it in translation, if so who was the translator and did you read all the canticles at once?
Posted by: Dante | July 20, 2007 at 03:03 PM
First of all I want to say Austenland was awesome! Good Job Shannon!
I read Northanger Abbey several years ago also. I found it hard to get into at first...but by the end I thought it was wonderful! When I read Austenland, I too took that line as Jane had read it more than a couple of times.
Shannon, good luck with your projects. I can't wait to read more.
Posted by: bearfoot | August 14, 2007 at 10:38 AM
I really love Northanger Abbey, it's my favorite out of jane austen's novels. But i can't seem to get into the others.
Posted by: aubrey | December 29, 2008 at 01:30 PM