Northanger Abbey

This was my second favorite Jane Austen book so far, after Emma. Even though her other books are more popular, I felt like this was was more lighthearted and did not take itself so seriously. The main character, Catherine, is not always the smartest, and does not see the plotting that is going on around her, but she is good hearted (and loves novels!). The antics pulled by John and Isabella also create comical confusion and make it a quick, humorous read, as do the horrific things that Catherine imagines into the Abbey based on the story Henry tells her, as well as her own penchant for gothic novels. This reminds me a lot of the haunted woods scene in Anne of Green Gables. Jane Austen also talks to the reader a lot more, and defends the rights of the novel, which was often considered a waste of time and not worth talking about during the period in which she was writing. I thought this was interesting and gave a sense of perspective considering that anyone reading those words would be reading a novel themselves. Overall, I found this to be a very fun, lively read and one of my favorite Jane Austens so far.