Northanger Abbey

Photo: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

There IS a point to this picture.

I'm currently reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (thanks Ashton and Marie!), and Ms. Austen is cracking me up. This book's style seems quite different to me, compared to Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. Her satirical punches are still there, but they're much more subtle (though just as hilarious). I think most of her satire in Pride and Prejudice comes in the form of Mr. Bennett's snide remarks. In Northanger Abbey, Ms. Austen makes the comments herself.

Also interesting: she goes into GREAT detail about the town of Bath, how the purpose of the city was for everyone to mill about, observe everyone else, gossip, make contacts, and get healthy if you're sick, I guess. Oh, and it isVERY poor mannered to go riding about in an open-topped carriage, especially with someone of the opposite sex, and ESPECIALLY (heaven forbid) if they are not your sibling. *satire*

My favorite quote thus far:

"She [Catherine] was heartily ashamed of her ignorance [of not knowing anything about drawing]. A misplaced shame. Where people wish to attach, they should always be ignorant. To come with a well-informed mind, is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others, which a sensible person would always wish to avoid. A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing any thing, should conceal it as well as she can."

Do you think Ms. Austen's sagacity no longer applies? Have you ever pretended not to know something, so that some guy (or girl) you liked could explain it all to you, trying to impress? Oh yeah, I'm thinking of at least a couple times watching football when I knew full well what the signal for a safety was, or why a team chose to do an onside kick, but did I let on? Heck no. Go Jane Austen, you sure know how to call it like you see it.