Northanger Abbey

‘Northanger Abbey’ is the first of Austen's novels in order of completion. The story revolves around Catherine Morland, the young and naive willing victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance. In this novel, perceptive social observation and incisive wit are combined with a satire of the Gothic novel, as Catherine’s overactive imagination, stimulated by her extensive reading of these popular books, shapes her view of the world and leads her to jump to incorrect conclusions. Catherine eventually triumphs, blossoming into a discerning woman who learns truths about love, life, and the heady power of literature.
Written in 1798, but not published until after Austen's death in 1817, the novel has captivated generations of readers and is still widely read and studied today.

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at Steventon near Basingstoke, the seventh child of the rector of the parish. She lived with her family at Steventon until they moved to Bath when her father retired in 1801. After his death in 1805, she moved around with her mother; in 1809, they settled in Chawton, near Alton, Hampshire. Here she remained, except for a few visits to London, until in May 1817 she moved to Winchester to be near her doctor. There she died on July 18, 1817. As a girl Jane Austen wrote stories, including burlesques of popular romances. Her works were only published after much revision, four novels being published in her lifetime. These are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma(1816). Two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously in 1818 with a biographical notice by her brother, Henry Austen, the first formal announcement of her authorship. Persuasion was written in a race against failing health in 1815-16. She also left two earlier compositions, a short epistolary novel, Lady Susan, and an unfinished novel, The Watsons. At the time of her death, she was working on a new novel, Sanditon, a fragmentary draft of which survives.