Setting

Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is set in England during the late 18th century, likely 1798 to 1799 based on references in the novel. This places the story firmly in the Georgian era, a time of significant social and cultural change in Britain. The novel captures the manners, customs and social expectations of genteel society during this period.

The story primarily takes place in two main locations. The first is the fashionable city of Bath in Somerset, a popular resort town known for its Roman-built baths. Bath provides the backdrop for much of the novel's social interactions and romantic intrigues as the characters attend balls, take promenades, and engage in polite society. The second key setting is the fictional Northanger Abbey itself, located in Gloucestershire. This Gothic-style country estate becomes the focus of the protagonist Catherine Morland's overactive imagination.

Within these broader settings, Austen portrays several specific locations that were typical of upper-class English society at the time. These include the Pump Room in Bath where socializing and “taking the waters” occurred, various assembly rooms for dances and gatherings, elegant townhouses, and the rural parsonage where Catherine's family resides. The contrast between bustling Bath and the more isolated abbey estate allows Austen to explore different facets of Georgian social life and expectations.

Characters

• • Catherine Morland: The novel's naive 17-year-old protagonist who loves reading Gothic novels. She matures throughout the story as she learns to distinguish between fiction and reality.

  • Henry Tilney: An intelligent and witty clergyman who becomes Catherine's love interest. He helps Catherine overcome her overactive imagination.

  • Isabella Thorpe: Catherine's manipulative and flirtatious friend in Bath who initially appears genuine but proves to be selfish and insincere.

  • John Thorpe: Isabella's boastful and unpleasant brother who briefly pursues Catherine. His lies and exaggerations cause problems for Catherine.

  • General Tilney: Henry's status-obsessed and mercenary father who initially welcomes Catherine to Northanger Abbey but later rudely sends her away.

  • Eleanor Tilney: Henry's kind and sensible younger sister who befriends Catherine. She suffers under her father's oppressive control.

  • James Morland: Catherine's older brother who becomes engaged to Isabella before she jilts him for Captain Tilney.

  • Captain Frederick Tilney: Henry's older brother, a flirtatious and rakish soldier who seduces Isabella away from James.

  • Mr. and Mrs. Allen: Catherine's neighbors who bring her to Bath as a companion. Mrs. Allen is preoccupied with fashion while Mr. Allen is more perceptive.

Quick facts

• Northanger Abbey was the first novel Jane Austen completed for publication, though it wasn't published until after her death in 1817.

• The novel was originally titled “Susan” when Austen first sold the manuscript in 1803.

• Austen received £10 for the manuscript in 1803, but it was not published at the time. Her brother Henry had to buy back the rights for the same £10 in 1816. 

• Austen revised portions of the novel in 1816, shortly before her death and over a decade after first completing it.

• Catherine Morland, the protagonist, is considered Austen's most naïve and underdeveloped heroine.

• Northanger Abbey is generally considered more lighthearted than Austen's later works. It directly addresses the reader and contains more overt commentary on the nature of novels and novel-writing.

• The book parodies Gothic novels that were popular at the time, especially Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho.

• The novel mentions several real “horrid” Gothic novels that were long thought to be Austen's invention until they were rediscovered in the 1920s.

• The book includes one of Austen's most famous defenses of the novel as a literary form.

• Northanger Abbey is the only one of Austen's novels to be set primarily outside of southern England, with much of the action taking place in Bath.

• Along with Persuasion, Northanger Abbey was published posthumously in December 1817, with a biographical notice identifying Austen as the author of all her novels for the first time.

About the Author

Jane Austen (1775-1817) is considered one of the most influential authors in the English language. She wrote six major novels that critique and comment on the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for social standing and economic security. 

Austen's works were published anonymously during her lifetime. Her novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma achieved modest success when published, but it was not until after her death in 1817 that her reputation grew. Two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously.

Known for her realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of free indirect speech, Austen is now widely studied and considered part of the Western canon. Her novels have inspired numerous film and television adaptations. Despite living a relatively quiet life centered on family and writing, Austen's keen observations and wit allowed her to craft compelling stories that have stood the test of time.

Austen's popularity has continued to grow since the mid-20th century. Academic interest in her work has intensified, with scholarly books and articles analyzing her novels from a variety of critical approaches. Austen has a devoted following among the general public as well, with fan clubs and festivals dedicated to celebrating her life and works. In 2017, she was featured on the Bank of England £10 note, cementing her status as a British cultural icon.