Northanger Abbey (Illustrated) E-Book

Jane Austen.

• Herausgeber: Bauer Books
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Northanger Abbey follows seventeen-year-old Gothic novel aficionado Catherine Morland and family friends Mr. and Mrs. Allen as they visit Bath. It is Catherine's first visit there. She meets new friends, such as Isabella Thorpe, and goes to balls. Catherine finds herself pursued by Isabella's brother, the rough-mannered, slovenly John Thorpe, and by her real love interest, Henry Tilney. She also becomes friends with Eleanor Tilney, Henry's younger sister. Henry captivates her with his view on novels and his knowledge of history and the world. General Tilney (Henry and Eleanor's father) invites Catherine to visit their estate, Northanger Abbey, which, from her reading of Ann Radcliffe's Gothic novel The Mysteries of Udolpho, she expects to be dark, ancient and full of Gothic horrors and fantastical mystery.

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Table of contents

CHAPTER 1

No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected, or poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was Richard — and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence besides two good livings — and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters. Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, 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 anybody 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. 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, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features — so much for her person; and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind. She was fond of all boy's plays, and greatly preferred cricket not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, 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 — 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 anything before she was taught; 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"; 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. Her mother wished her to learn music; and Catherine was sure she should like it, for she was very fond of tinkling the keys of the old forlorn spinnet; so, at eight years old she began. She learnt a year, and could not bear it; and Mrs. Morland, who did not insist on her daughters being accomplished in spite of incapacity or distaste, allowed her to leave off. The day which dismissed the music-master was one of the happiest of Catherine's life. Her taste for drawing was not superior; though whenever she could obtain the outside of a letter from her mother or seize upon any other odd piece of paper, she did what she could in that way, by drawing houses and trees, hens and chickens, all very much like one another. Writing and accounts she was taught by her father; French by her mother: her proficiency in either was not remarkable, and she shirked her lessons in both whenever she could. What a strange, unaccountable character! — for with all these symptoms of profligacy at ten years old, she had neither a bad heart nor a bad temper, was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and very kind to the little ones, with few interruptions of tyranny; she was moreover noisy and wild, hated confinement and cleanliness, and loved nothing so well in the world as rolling down the green slope at the back of the house.

From Pope, she learnt to censure those who From Gray, that From Thompson, that — And from Shakespeare she gained a great store of information — amongst the rest, that — That And that a young woman in love always looks — "How uncomfortable it is," whispered Catherine, "not to have a single acquaintance here!" "Yes, my dear," replied Mrs. Allen, with perfect serenity, "it is very uncomfortable indeed." "Aye, so we do. That is very disagreeable. I wish we had a large acquaintance here." "I wish we had any — it would be somebody to go to." "Had not we better go away as it is? Here are no tea-things for us, you see." "Well, Miss Morland," said he, directly, "I hope you have had an agreeable ball." "Well, Miss Morland...I hope you have had an agreeable ball" "Very agreeable indeed," she replied, vainly endeavouring to hide a great yawn. "We shall do better another evening I hope," was Mr. Allen's consolation. "Yes, I have been reading it ever since I woke; and I am got to the black veil." "Have you, indeed! How glad I am! What are they all?" "I do not know the distance." Her brother told her that it was twenty-three miles. "You have lost an hour," said Morland; "it was only ten o'clock when we came from Tetbury." "That circumstance must give great encouragement." . "My dear Isabella, how was it possible for me to get at you? I could not even see where you were." "What do you mean?" said Catherine. "Where are you all going to?" "Not expect me! That's a good one! And what a dust you would have made, if I had not come." "And yet I have heard that there is a great deal of wine drunk in Oxford." "Yes, ma'am, I thank you; we could not have had a nicer day." "So Mrs. Thorpe said; she was vastly pleased at your all going." "Henry!" she replied with a smile. "Yes, he does dance very well." "Yes, an acquaintance of Mrs. Hughes." dirty." "Oh! That will not signify; I never mind dirt." "I doubt our being able to do so much," said Morland. "Blaize Castle!" cried Catherine. "What is that'?" "But now really — are there towers and long galleries?" "By dozens." "Then I should like to see it; but I cannot — I cannot go. "Not go! My beloved creature, what do you mean'?" "Go, by all means, my dear; only put on a white gown; Miss Tilney always wears white." "My dear, you tumble my gown," was Mrs. Allen's reply. "Me! I take offence!" "Nay, I am sure by your look, when you came into the box, you were angry." "I suspect," said Isabella, in a low voice, "there is no great struggle." "No; I had just engaged myself to walk with Miss Tilney before they told me of it; and therefore you know I could not go with them, could I?" "Yes, my dear, a very odd appearance indeed. I cannot bear to see it." "That is just what I was going to say," added his wife. "You have been abroad then?" said Henry, a little surprised. "Why not?" "Yes; I have promised your sister to be with her, if possible." "Then why do you stay away so long?" replied Catherine — finding that he waited for an answer.