Northanger Abbey is both a perfectly aimed literary parody and a withering satire of the commercial aspects of marriage among the English gentry at the turn of the nineteenth century. But most of all, it is the story of the initiation into life of its naïve but sweetly appealing heroine, Catherine Morland, a willing victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance. When Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the grand though forbidding ancestral seat of her suitor, Henry Tilney, she finds herself embroiled in a real drama of misapprehension, mistreatment, and mortification, until common sense and humor—and a crucial clarification of Catherine’s financial status—puts all to right.
Adaptations (3)
Northanger Abbey has been adapted 3 times, across television film and film, from 1987 to 2007.
Northanger Abbey1987 · television film · 90 min · dir. Giles Foster · IMDb ↗IMDb5.4A young girl, whose head is full of romantic and melodramatic notions, goes to stay with the wealthy Tilney family. Through her adventures, Catherine Morland comes to learn that marriage in the society of her day is determined not by true love but by wealth and social status.
Ruby in Paradise1993 · film · 114 min · dir. Victor Nunez · IMDb ↗Reeling from her mother's recent death, Ruby Lee Gissing relocates to Florida to start anew. After finding a job at a souvenir store, Ruby becomes friends with the shop's owner, Mildred Chambers, and slowly acclimates to her new surroundings. Before long, she's juggling the affections of Mildred's Lothario son, Ricky, and the good-natured Mike. As she wavers between Ricky and Mike, Ruby also tries to come to terms with her past.
Northanger Abbey2007 · television film · 84 min · dir. Jon Jones · IMDb ↗IMDb7.2A young woman's penchant for sensational Gothic novels leads to misunderstandings in the matters of the heart.
