So we didn’t quite finish the gothic satire within the spooky season month but we got there!

I believe this was one of Austen’s first novels even though it was published later/posthumously (I feel too lazy to check right now but you get the idea), therefore it’s one of the shorter novels. It’s potentially the least romantic one even though I thoroughly enjoy Henry Tilney.

He’s the only one who is a confirmed book lover. Sure, it’s Austen using Henry as a mouthpiece to defend the medium of fiction novels that were derided at the time, but I like him. He’s happy and charming and is totally chill about Catherine thinking his dad is potentially a murderer.

My friend liked Catherine mainly because she’d totally be in Catherine’s shoes.”ooo, a mysterious manor! Ooo, I can investigate a murder!” Like she’d be loving that stuff. Side note, the illustration of Northanger Abbey looks similar to Pemberly in her book jacket. So crossover? Unlikely, probably British architecture all looks the same or the publisher reuses images.

Still it lead to a tangent of imagine there’s a Jane Austen universe where all the characters knew each other. Like Wickham, Lydia Bennett and the Thorpes would so be friends, and just be the worst together. My friend looked at me in horror at that one. Knightly and Darcy would also probably get along too.

Anyway, back to the novel. My friend was less enthused about Henry’s brother, Captain Tilney and his father, Genrel Tilney which is to be expected. But she was more impressed by how relevant the novel is by exploring toxic friendships aka the Thorpes.

Isabelle is one of those shallow love bombers who is your instant bff but will ditch you the minute your out of sight, out of mind. And John Thorpe is basically the guy who will not shut up about his damn horses (or in modern times, his car). The way he assumes Catherine likes him when she’s being polite at best, the horse thing, shoving her into the carriage when she repeatedly says she has plans, he’s a modern day frat boy and the worst.

Her brother is also slightly the worst too cuz he’s gullibly blinded by beauty and wants Catherine to be friends with the Thorpes and break her plans with the Tilneys and literally aids her in the carriage kidnapping scene. As my friend said, “Ohmigod I’m witnessing a crime. In Jane Austen. There’s been kidnapping!”

My friend was more sympathetic to him because he got jilted pretty bad by Isabelle. Like flirting the minute James leaves (to get approval for your engagement!), yeesh!

But the point is, Jane Austen is still relevant today as she shows you should stick by who your gut tells you to trust and befriend (the lovely Tilneys) and avoid the Thorpes of the world. Also enjoy books or you have no imagination.