Personal+Reviews

Summary: __Northanger Abbey__
Jane Austen’s __Northanger Abbey__ is divided up into two books. Book I begins with Catherine Morland accepting an invitation from the Morlands’ family friends the Allens to spend a few weeks of vacation in the resort town of Bath. Catherine is very excited, because she does not often get to go out. It is just her luck that she is introduced to a young gentleman, Henry Tilney. She is very attracted to the intellectual, well-mannered boy. After their meeting however, they do not have another encounter for a while.

After a short time of being there the Allens encounter their friends the Thorpes. Catherine becomes very good friends with their daughter, Isabella, who is well versed in the current happenings of all the balls, fashion, and gossip in Bath. The girls’ brothers, John Thorpe and James Morland come to town. Isabella begins to fall in love with James after the foursome spends some time together by going on carriage rides. Catherine is always stuck trying to converse with John, but her thoughts are preoccupied with thinking of Henry Tilney. John becomes under the impression that Catherine is attracted to him, but the truth is quite on the contrary.

As Isabella and James spend more and more time together, Catherine begins to separate from the group. She becomes friends with Henry’s sister Eleanor Tilney, who is aware that Catherine has feelings for Henry, but keeps her observation to herself. The girls plan to go for a walk with Henry, but inclement weather puts a damper on their adventure. John, James, and Isabella strongly urge Catherine to go for a carriage ride with them instead and she reluctantly complies. On their ride Catherine spots Henry and Eleanor making their way to her home to pick her up for their walk. Catherine feels awful that she broke their plans and asks John to stop the carriage and take her to them, but he denies her request. This makes her very angry. After the rest of the ride, Catherine barges into the Tilney’s home, passed the servants and into the room where General Tilney and his two children are relaxing. She urgently apologizes for missing their walk and they plan a new time. The General invites her to stay for dinner, but she cannot, because the Allens expect her home, so she takes a rain check.

Following the incident of Catherine being pressured into the carriage ride, John, James, and Isabella try to make her come with them again. Catherine stands her ground this time and is faithful to her previous plans with the Tilneys. As she walks with Henry and Eleanor, they get better acquainted and find they have similar taste in literature and the trio becomes much closer. Upon Catherine’s return home, she is informed that James and Isabella are engaged to be married. Also, John is taking his leave from Bath and meets with Catherine to tell her goodbye. He is left with the false impression that Catherine is in love with him.

In Book II, the arrival of Henry Tilney’s brother, Captain Frederick Tilney, captures Isabella’s attention. The two begin to form a relationship. James is of course unaware of this connection, but due to his mediocre income, Isabella’s attention is much happier spent on the Captain.

Eleanor and Catherine’s friendship has grown very strong during their time in Bath and this leads to the Tilneys inviting Catherine to come spend a few weeks at their home, Northanger Abbey. She graciously accepts. A small time later, they are on the road to the Abbey. Catherine expresses her thoughts on what the Abbey will be like and the adventures she might have there. Henry humors her and pulls at her vivid imagination by telling her what her time might be like there, adding ideas of hidden passages and secrets.

One night Catherine explores into the late Mrs. TIlney’s room. She begins to suspect that the General had some sort of role in her death. Henry catches her, scolds her, and demands that his father would never do such a thing as end his mother’s life. Isabella and Captain Tilney’s suspected relationship causes John to end his engagement to Isabella. Catherine finds this out when she receives a letter from her brother, James. The letter also states that Isabella and the Captain are now engaged. However, this turns out to be false, because she receives a letter from Isabella, herself stating that the Captain has broken her heart and left her. Catherine is upset by her friend’s ridiculously unworthy behavior and does not write her back.

After a few weeks pass, General TIlney orders Catherine to leave Northanger Abbey. She does not understand his reasoning for this, but respects his wishes and returns to her home, where she lives in an uneasy manner. She misses Henry dearly and wishes they could speak. Henry does come to her home and surprise her by asking her hand in marriage. She is absolutely thrilled! He goes on to explain that she was asked to leave, because of a misunderstanding with his father about her family’s financial standing. Although they must still gain permission from the General to get married, they are happy they can be together again. After Eleanor Tilney marries a rich man, the General is in a good mood and consents to his son’s marriage to Catherine. The book ends with the couple happily married.

Review
This book was a good read. It started off slow and was definitely confusing at times. However, as the story developed it got more and more interesting. The more you got to know the characters the more intriguing it became. The plot had a few twists and turns with the characters' relationships. It was surprising when Henry returned to Catherine's home after she was asked to leave the Abbey. I thought they were done for good. I am glad that it had a happy ending for them.

There were a lot of conversations between the characterst that were all over the place. I had trouble keeping up with their changing topics and opinions. Overall the plot was a good one. As Catherine lived through the plot, I felt like I was learning and growing with her. It was a good story that let me in as one of its players. I would recommend this book to someone who can see past the plot and pay attention at the boring explantory parts.

Summary: __Sense and Sensibility__
Jane Austen’s __Sense and Sensibility__ is broken up into three volumes. The first volume begins with the tragic death of Mr. John Dashwood. His passing has left his son, who is to his first wife, with all of his possessions. Mr. Dashwood’s second wife and three daughters are left with little income and nowhere to live. John will not help them out so, the foursome is invited to live at Barton Park with their relatives, the Middletons. The oldest of the three daughters, Elinor is upset by their sporadic move, because she has recently gotten involved with Edward Ferrars. She does not want to leave her new crush. Marianne has a few discussions with her mother on the fact that she does not feel that Edward has good enough interests in the arts to be with Elinor. She accepts that he is a man of good status, but she feels that he needs to have more interest in literature and the arts to be a proper fit for her sister. Also, Marianne is upset about Elinor’s feelings for Edward not being strong enough. She feels that Elinor should be absolutely committed to the gentleman at this point, but Elinor is not sure Edward feels the same way she does and is scared to attach herself any farther.

 At Barton Park Marianne and Elinor meet Colonel Brandon and John Willoughby. Upon their meeting, Willoughby is attracted to Marianne and begins to court her. However, their courtship does not last long, because Willoughby suddenly has to leave for business. Two friends of the Middletons arrive at Barton Park, Lucy and Anne Steele. Lucy befriends Elinor and tells her that she is engaged to a Mr. Ferrars for four years now. Elinor believes it to be Edward’s younger brother, Robert, but then she is informed that it Edward that has her heart. Elinor is flabbergasted.

 Volume II begins with Marianne and Elinor going to London with Mrs. Jennings. It is rumored that Marianne and Willoughby are to be engaged, but Marianne receives a letter from him stating that he never had feelings for her and did not mean to lead her on. Marianne is crushed and the family decides that Willoughby was not a proper fit for her anyway.

 The third volume of the novel tells of how Lucy’s older sister exploits Lucy’s engagement to Edward’s mother and she is absolutely furious. His mother then removes him from any inheritance that he would have received. On Marianne and Elinor’s way home from London, they stop in Cleveland. While there Marianne contracts a cold. Willoughby comes to visit her and explain his emotional letter. Marianne comes to her senses and realizes that he was not a proper man for her anyway. Mrs. Dashwood and Colonel Brandon also come to visit Marianne.

 The novel ends with the Dashwoods returning to Barton Park, and they learn that there was a complete misunderstanding concerning who Lucy Steele was engaged to. It turns out that she is engaged to Robert Ferrars, leaving Edward able to propose to Elinor. Marianne and Colonel Brandon become engaged soon after Elinor and Edward. They all live happily together at Delaford.

Review
This book had a good story overall. At the beginning there were a lot of characters being introduced and it was a little hard to follow with so many people having the same last name. I liked and disliked all of the romantic drama. The characters were definitely easy to relate to. The story sucked you up and made you feel like you were there reading the letters and going through the hardships that the girls were going through.

Overall the book was a good read and had many twists and turns. The mysterious atmospheres kept me wanting more. I would recommend this book to someone who has a good memory to remember all of the characters and to someone who likes romantic tragedies.