Finished: Northanger Abbey (Austen). I love Jane Austen! I wish so much that she had written more books before her untimely death. She is one of my favorite authors based on Pride and Prejudice alone, but I relish reading more of her words! Jane Austen is, of course, already an author I've read so I should be concentrating on authors I haven't read, but I couldn't resist. :-)

Northanger Abbey was a delight to read! I loved Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney and their courtship. And, I couldn't stand the vapid Isabella Thorpe or the smarmy John Thorpe. Although it was a little predictable that Catherine and Henry would end up together and happy after overcoming some obstacles, that's one of the things I enjoyed the most after reading so many tragic books of late. And, there's just no beating Jane Austen's prose. Love it, love it, love it!

After Catherine grows up as a tomboy, she finally hits the teen years and starts dreaming of being a heroine, like in the novels:

But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes of their eventful lives.

When Catherine first meets Henry on holiday in Bath. I love this conversation:

Catherine turned away her head, not knowing whether she might venture a laugh.

"I see what you think of me," said he gravely--"I shall make but a poor figure in your journal tomorrow."

"My journal!"

"Yes, I know exactly what you will say: Friday, went to the Lower Rooms: wore my sprigged muslin robe with blue trimmings--plain black shoes--appeared to much advantage; but was strangely harassed by a queer, half-witted man, who would make me dance with him, and distressed me with nonsense."

"Indeed I shall say no such thing."

"Shall I tell you what you ought to say?"

"If you please."

"I danced with a very agreeable young man, introduced by Mr. King; had a great deal of conversation with him--seems a most extraordinary genius--hope I may know more of him. That, madame, is what I wish you to say."

"But, perhaps, I keep no journal."

"Perhaps you are not sitting in this room, and I am not sitting by you. These are points in which a doubt is equally possible. Not keep a journal! How are your absent cousins to understand the tenour of your life in Bath without one? How are the civilities and compliments of every day to be related as they ought to be, unless noted down every evening in a journal? How are your various dresses to be remembered, and the particular state of your complexion, and curl of your hair to be described in all their diversities, without having constant recourse to a journal? My dear madam, I am not so ignorant of young ladies' ways as you wish to believe me; it is this delightful habit of journalizing which largely contributes to form the easy style of writing for which ladies are so generally celebrated. Everybody allows that the talent of writing agreeable letters is peculiarly female. Nature may have done something, but I am sure it must be essentially assisted by the practice of keeping a journal."

Another conversation between Catherine and Henry, where Catherine doesn't want to tell Henry that she was curious about him:

"What are you thinking of so earnestly?" said he, as they walked back to the ballroom; "not of your partner, I hope, for, by that shake of the head, your meditations are not satisfactory."

Catherine coloured, and said, "I was not thinking of anything."

"That is artful and deep, to be sure; but I had rather be told at once that you will not tell me."

"Well then, I will not".

"Thank you; for now we shall soon be acquainted, as I am authorized to tease you on this subject whenever we meet, and nothing in the world advances intimacy so much."

I love this quote about friendship. :-) After their one evening together, Henry does not show up at the local balls for a few days, but Catherine has a new friend (or so she thinks), Isabella.

Catherine was delighted with this extension of her Bath acquaintance, and almost forgot Mr. Tilney while she talked to Miss Thorpe. Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.

Well, I could go on and on, but I might quote the entire book. All of the above happened in only the first 40 pages! Off to read more...just don't know what yet.