Not Another Teen-Centric Classic Novel

A while ago, I stumbled on a funny little comparison between the Twilight series’s love triangle and the B-plot in The Merchant of Venice. (Stay with me.) It lists the similarities between Jessica and Bella: both daughters who disrespect their fathers, want to be with a man who will turn her into something else (a Christian and a vampire), and whose best friends are in love with them (Lancelot and Jacob). If we read Jessica’s actions in a negative light, then her happy ending turns into a subversion of the True Love cliché. “This means one of two things,” the commenter writes. “1) Stephenie Meyer is secretly a subversive, Shakespeare-referencing genius, or 2) Shakespeare saw Twilight coming.” 

This is how I feel about Jane Austen and entire Young Adult genre. Not only did Austen also see Twilight coming, but she was rolling her eyes at romance cliches centuries before YA became a marketable commodity. 

Don’t get me wrong—I don’t compare Catherine Morland with Bella Swan or the rest of her ilk. The genius of Catherine’s story is in its simplicity and the charm of her character is in each small but meaningful action. She’s relatable not because of her hobbies or personality quirks, but because of the way she behaves and thinks about things. The thing that makes Catherine so fun to read about is her curiosity about the world … which is also the thing that leads to her biggest mistake. Therein lies the genius.

One of the most striking things about Northanger Abbey is its lack of depth compared with Austen’s other works, and this is why it took me so long to start this project. I tried to read The Mysteries of Udolpho to get into Catherine’s mindset, thinking that would be a fun angle. It didn’t take: couldn’t get my hands on a hard copy, attempted the Librivox audio book, called it quits a dozen chapters in. Catherine may have adored the endless descriptions of the French and Italian countryside and Emily’s too-perfect-to-live family; I got bored waiting for the “mysteries” to kick in.

I know, I know—Henry Tilney wouldn’t give me the time of day.

Northanger Abbey, however, is worth pursuing. It’s Austen’s most accessible novel, with comparably low stakes, less ambiguity, and a heroine whose unabashed curiosity and unique perspective make her stand out among contemporary and modern main characters. It’s written with the same command of language and sharpness that mark all of Austen’s works. And while it may not take us to France or to our creepy uncle’s castle in Italy, Catherine’s journey is one that I think most humans go through: when we learn to separate fantasy and reality, that’s when we start to live.