Category: Northanger Abbey (novel)

Ep59: The Thing about the Bath Assembly Rooms

1/21/2023

Catherine Morland has arrived in Bath, and she is ready to be introduced to a man with a keen knowledge of muslin. This episode we explore both the Upper and Lower Assembly Rooms, including breaking down the role of the Master of Ceremonies, aka Bath's best matchmaker.

Selected Sources

Berg, Maxine. Luxury and Pleasure in Eighteenth-Century Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Byrne, Paula. “‘The Unmeaning Luxuries of Bath’: Urban Pleasures in Jane Austen’s World.” Persuasions 26 (2004): 13–26.
Chambers, Ephraim. Cyclopedia: Or, an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. Vol. 1. London, 1728.
Kingsbury, Pamela D. “Assembly Rooms.” In Oxford Art Online, by Pamela D. Kingsbury. Oxford University Press, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T004633.
Lane, Maggie. A Charming Place: Bath in the Life and Times of Jane Austen. Bath: Millstream Books, 1988.
New Bath Guide or Useful Pocket Companion for All Persons Residing at or Resorting to This Ancient City. Bath: R. Cruttwell, 1791. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_New_Bath_Guide_Or_Useful_Pocket_Comp/y65ayAEACAAJ?hl=en.
Stabler, Jane. “Cities.” In Jane Austen in Context, edited by Janet Todd, 204–14. Cambridge University Press, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316036525.020.
Thompson, Allison. “The Rules of the Assembly: Dancing at Bath and Other Spas in the Eighteenth Century.” Persuasions On-Line 31, no. 1 (2010). https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol31no1/thompson.html.

Ep54: The Thing About The Monk

11/9/2022

It's almost Halloween and what could be scarier than being trapped in conversation with John Thorpe? This episode we are taking a look at The Monk and discussing Thorpe's taste in literature. If you have ever been to a bad book club meeting, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources:

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “From Review of the Monk by Matthew Lewis.” In The Norton Anthology of English Literature. D: The Romantic Period, edited by Jack Stillinger and Deidre Lynch, 8. ed., 602–6. New York: Norton, 2006.
Groom, Nick. “Introduction.” In The Monk, by M. G. Lewis, vii–xxxviii. edited by Howard Anderson. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/6mrQCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1.
MacLachlan, Christopher. “Introduction.” In The Monk, by Matthew Lewis, vii-xxv. Penguin Classics. London: Penguin Books, 1998.
Peck, Louis F. A Life of Matthew G. Lewis: Harvard University Press, 1961. https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674423855.
“The Monk by Matthew Lewis.” The British Library. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-monk-by-matthew-lewis.

Ep43: The Thing About General Tilney's Breakfast China

7/21/2022

We hope you set an alarm! It's time for breakfast with General Tilney, and he does not like to be kept waiting. On the plus side, he will tell you exactly what he's planning to give you for a wedding present. This week we're joining Catherine for breakfast at Northanger Abbey and learning more about the General's taste in housewares.

Update: We had a few fabulous listeners explain Spode's underglaze transfer process mentioned in the episode and even provide a video explanation. So, for your viewing pleasure:

Selected Sources:

Austen, Jane. Jane Austen’s Letters. Edited by Deirdre Le Faye. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Burn, Matilda. “Collecting Guide: Sèvres Porcelain.” Christie’s, March 18, 2022. https://www.christies.com/features/Sevres-porcelain-collecting-guide-8706-1.aspx.
Johnson, Claudia. “Notes.” In Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley and John Davie, Reissued. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.
Jones, Hazel. “Tensions at the Table: Dining-Room Dynamics in Abbeys and Castles.” Persuasions 42 (2019): 13–23.
Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen and Food. London: Continuum, 2007.
Simpson, Dominic. “Collecting Guide: Meissen Porcelain.” Christie’s, June 26, 2019. https://www.christies.com/features/Meissen-Porcelain-Collecting-Guide-8158-1.aspx.
Slothouber, Linda. “Elegance and Simplicity: Jane Austen and Wedgwood.” Persuasions 31 (2009): 163–72.
Spode. “About Us.” Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.spode.co.uk/spode-about-us.
Wedgwood. “Wedgwood History & Heritage - The Story.” Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.wedgwood.com/en-us/welcome-to-wedgwood/the-wedgwood-story.
Wilkie, Jody. “How to Collect British Ceramics.” Christie’s, May 18, 2021. https://www.christies.com/features/how-to-collect-british-porcelain-11657-1.aspx.

Ep37: The Thing About Petty-France

5/5/2022

If General Tilney's chaise leaves Bath at 10 am and Henry's curricle also leaves Bath at 10 am and there are x postilions and y outriders and Catherine really, really, really just wants to get to the abbey, how many capes are on Henry's greatcoat?

This episode we're all about schedules and mileage (and Henry's greatcoat), as we journey along with Catherine and stopover at Petty-France.

Selected Sources

Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. Edited by James Kinsley and John Davie. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.
Cantrell, Dean. “Yes, There Is a Petty France.” Persuasions 9 (1987): 36.
Jones, Hazel. Jane Austen’s Journeys. London: Hale, 2014.
Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen’s England. London: Hale, 1996.
Le Faye, Deirdre. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. London: Frances Lincoln, 2003.
Mogg, Edward. Mogg’s Pocket Itinerary of the Direct and Cross Roads of England and Wales, with Part of the Roads of Scotland. London, 1828.
The Bodkin. “Stay.” Accessed April 30, 2022. https://thebodkin.co.uk/.

EP33: The Thing About Catherine's Love of Baseball

3/31/2022

Take me out to the ball game! This week we're getting sporty as we discuss Catherine Morland's love of baseball. If you have ever imagined a romcom moment for Catherine and Henry involving baseball, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Block, David. Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005.
———. “The Story of William Bray’s Diary.” Medium, September 5, 2013. https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/the-story-of-william-brays-diary-ff56a31de58d.
Citron, Jo Ann. “Running the Basepaths: Baseball and Jane Austen.” The Journal of Narrative Technique 18, no. 3 (1988): 269–77.
Hooper, Simon. “Did Baseball Begin in 18th-Century England?,” CNN, June 9, 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/06/01/lords.museum.baseball.cricket/.
Miriam Webster. “No, Jane Austen Did Not Invent Baseball.” Accessed March 15, 2022. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/who-invented-the-word-baseball.
Britannica. “Rounders: English Game.” Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/sports/rounders.
Thorn, John. "The 'Secret History' Of Baseball’s Earliest Days." Interview by Dave Davies. NPR Audio, March 16, 2011. https://www.npr.org/2011/03/16/134570236/the-secret-history-of-baseballs-earliest-days.
Wilson, John. “How Jane Austen Played Baseball.” First Things, March 22, 2019. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/03/how-jane-austen-played-baseball.

EP28: The Thing About Blaize Castle

2/18/2022

Wave goodbye to Henry and Eleanor Tilney because this week we're headed to Blaize [Blaise] Castle. Except not really, because John Thorpe is a big liar.

If you have ever gone on an ill-advised outing, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Alexander, Christine. “The Prospect of Blaise: Landscape and Perception in Northanger Abbey.” Persuasions 21 (1999): 17–31. https://jasna.org/assets/Persuasions/No-21/1e6d94a95c/alexander.pdf
“Blaise Castle - Bristol.” Parks & Gardens. Accessed February 11, 2022. https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/blaise-castle.
“Blaise Castle House Museum.” Bristol Museums. Accessed February 11, 2022. https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/blaise-castle-house-museum/.
“Blaise Castle.” Historic England. Accessed February 11, 2022. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1208115.
Lane, Maggie. “Blaise Castle.” Persuasions 7 (1985): 78–81. https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number7/lane.html
Wenner, Barbara Britton. Prospect and Refuge in the Landscape of Jane Austen. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006.

EP23: The Thing About Circulating Libraries

1/20/2022

This episode we cover the history of circulating libraries in the UK with a little help from our Northanger Abbey friends. We also discuss the reputation of novels in Austen's time and offer up at least one excellent hiding place for your most scandalous books. If you have ever hidden your novel behind a decoy dust jacket, this episode is for you.

Selected episode sources

Austen, Jane. Jane Austen’s Letters. Edited by Deirdre Le Faye. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Byrne, Paula. The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things. New York: Harper Perennial, 2014.
Erickson, Lee. “The Economy of Novel Reading: Jane Austen and the Circulating Library.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 30, no. 4 (1990): 573. https://doi.org/10.2307/450560.
Jacobs, Edward. “Circulating Libraries.” In The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature. Oxford University Press, 2006. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195169218.001.0001/acref-9780195169218-e-0102.
Nettleton, George Henry. “The Books of Lydia Languish’s Circulating Library.” The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 5, no. 4 (1905): 492–500.

EP17: The Thing About Catherine and the Black Veil

11/20/2021

It's spooky season, so we're headed to Northanger Abbey! This week we investigate the black veil that so fascinates Catherine, and uncover some of the faint-worthy Mysteries of Udolpho. If you have ever stayed up way too late reading a book, this episode is for you.

Selected sources

Castle, Terry. “Introduction.” In The Mysteries of Udolpho, edited by Bonamy Dobrée. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Radcliffe, Ann Ward, and Terry Castle. The Mysteries of Udolpho. Edited by Bonamy Dobrée. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

EP05: The Thing About General Tilney's Pamphlets

10/3/2021

This week we're all about the mysterious (or are they stupid?) pamphlets that General Tilney reads late at night. We talk about the political tumult of the 1790s and pamphlets as a form of blogging, and even make a nod to Bridgerton and scandal sheets. If you ever accidentally thought your boyfriend's dad was a murderer, this episode is for you.

Selected episode sources:

Hopkins, Robert. “General Tilney and Affairs of State: The Political Gothic of ‘Northanger Abbey.’” Philological Quarterly 52, no. 2 (1978): 213.
Minma, Shinobu. “General Tilney and Tyranny: Northanger Abbey.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction 8, no. 4 (1996): 503–18. https://doi.org/10.1353/ecf.1996.0068.

Episodes