“The Anxieties of Common Life: Northanger Abbey” from Jane Austen, the Secret Radical Audiobook by Helena Kelly, Narrated by Emma Bering
I have been working through all the Jane Austen related items I have access to through the Libby app and this was the next one on my to-list.
I have to admit I did have some reservations when it came to this book, as the title alone gave me pause. I was worried this book would be one of those where the author insults the reader and believes they are the first ones to ever see more in a book or put 2 + 2 together to equal 4. But I was determined to keep an open mind.
I was really confused with the beginning of the book as I thought it was a nonfiction book on Jane, but acts like a historical fiction. We have a little vignette about Jane Austen that made me stop the audiobook and search up on goodreads whether it was nonfiction or fiction.
It is a nonfiction book, but I’m not sure why they added that in? It’s an odd choice as it takes away from the seriousness of the topic; espechially as Bering doesn’t have the best English accent.
We start the book off just as I feared with Kelly insulting fans of Jane Austen. I didn’t see why Austen’s work can’t be both a romance and women’s fiction, but also have deeper meanings and have things that aren’t seen on a surface level.
I found fault with Kelly’s work as in her introduction she makes a lot of false statements. She stated Henry Crawford eloped with a married woman, which is false,they didn’t elope-they did run off together but Henry had no plan to be serious with her and does not marry her.
Kelly also states that Jane Austen was speaking out against the clergymen and states that none of Austen’s clergymen characters care about their flock or helping their parishioners but forgets about Mr. Tilney, Edmund Bertram, Captain Fredrick’s brother, Edward Ferrars, and Mary’s brother-in-law. Yes Mr. Elton and Mr. Collins were terrible; but they are only two ministers out of six books.
Kelly planned to go book by book and begins with the first book Austen tried to get published, Northanger Abbey. She discusses the difficulty Jane faced and a little about what women authors of the time faced when it came to writing and publishing.
She then begins to insult Northanger Abbey calling Mr. Tilney second tier? Excuse me?! She says he is wearisome and makes fun of her, also that Tilney is under the thumb of his dad; I’m like excuse me I don’t think we’ve read the same book.
Then to say he isn’t romantic?!
She continues to insult Catherine, saying she is not fully psychologically real and too mediocre? Even going as far as calling her stupid?!
I wanted to just end the book here, but I recognized that she could be speaking of what others say and planning on saying “the but”; but no “but” came.
Kelly says they are going to go book by book but she doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time on Northanger Abbey; instead discussing sex outside of marriage, pregnancy, babies, etc in the Regency Era.
We finally get back to Northanger Abbey and Kelly discusses that she believes Catherine hardly reads; as Jane Austen doesn’t mention her having read her book after a certain time of the book. She doesn’t mention Eizabeth reading after the scene in Netherfield, but her reading habits aren’t being called into question.
Kelly also doesn’t seem to enjoy the relationship between Catherine and Henry saying that Catherine takes all he says seriously, and that she is too silly to realize he is weaving a gothic tale. Again I have to disagree. I believe Catherine was carried away when she came into Northanger Abbey and saw the locked chest; but when they were on their ride to the Abbey I think she always knew he was teasing. Rereading the passage, it clearly sounds to me that she was flirting/teasing him back.
Later the author infers that Henry wound Catherine up with his Gothic tale and he, Tilney, is the one she should blame for her breaking into Mrs. Tilney’s room to look at the picture; not appreciating him as romantic hero as he “scolds” Catherine.
Again I disagree with the author as I don’t believe Henry to be in the wrong at that moment; anyone would be upset that their guest broke into a room that no one, not even him, is supposed to enter. Plus she accused his father of murdering his mother, who wouldn’t be offended to hear that? I mean from his point of view, General Tilney has treated Catherine well, nothing for her to suspect him of being nefarious. But if you continue to read the book to a further passage, which Kelly conveniently forgets, is that Henry does regret his outburst and and helping spur on Catherine’s beliefs that he later shifts his attitude toward her
“the only difference in his [Henry Tilney’s] behavior to her [Catherine Morland] was that he paid her rather more attention than usual. Catherine had never wanted comfort more, and he looked as if he was aware of it.”
Northanger Abbey
Kelly also believe that Northanger Abbey is the sexiest book Jane Austen wrote citing the list of men’s clothes that Catherine finds making “you think of a naked body” Um, I just thought of laundry.
I don’t think Northanger Abbey is the sexiest book, I would think that is Mansfield Park. Kelly also believe that Catherine opening the chest in her room was symbolizing female masturbation. I’m not an expert in sexual innuendo; but I think Kelly is seeing what she wants to in that one.
I did not enjoy this book at all and have decided to not longer read/listen any further.
I cannot take this author seriously. For one to talk big about looking under the surface of Jane and seeing her as a secret radical, but then takes such a shallow look at Northanger Abbey?
Kelly doesn’t even look at the history behind the book or the way it is supposed to be satire on the Female Quixote and Don Quixote? There is a lot she could have pulled from actually analyzing the text.
I would instead recommend reading The Real Jane Austen; I think it is similar in giving you a broader view of Jane Austen along with discussing all the subtext of her work.
For more nonfiction regarding Jane Austen, go to The Real Jane Austen Audiobook Narrated by Kate Reading
For more on Northanger Abbey, go to Loving Miss Tilney
For more audiobooks, go to Emma Audiobook Narrated by Nadia May