Jane Austen Quotes

Uncensured

"Catherine hoped at least to pass uncensured through the crowd.  As for admiration, it was always very welcome when it came, but she did not depend on it."

Of Catherine's first venture to Bath's Upper Rooms
Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 2

A herione

Ack!  (I think that's my new word.)  I was in a Lyme disease stupor yesterday and missed posting, and today's just a little better.  I would appreciate your prayers for total, complete and miraculous healing--as well as for healing the old-fashioned way.  It's incredibly discouraging, and I'm wondering if I should just give up trying to get better.  On to today's quote...

"There was not one lord in the neighborhood; no -- not even a baronet.  There was not one family among their acquaintance who had reared and supported a boy accidentally found at their door -- not one young man whose origin was unknown.  Her father had no ward, and the squire of the parish no children.

But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her.  Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way."

Of Catherine Morland, our would-be heroine
Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 1

All story and no reflection

Ack!  I couldn't get into Typepad ealier.

"Provided that nothing like useful knowledge could be gained from them, provided they were all story and no reflection, she had never any objection to books at all."

Of Catherine's reading habits
Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 1

Almost pretty

"'Catherine grows quite a good-looking girl, -- she is almost pretty today,' were words which caught her ears now and then; and how welcome were the sounds!  To look almost pretty, is an acquisition of higher delight to a girl who has been looking plain the first fifteen years of her life, than a beauty from the cradle can ever receive."

Of sweet Catherine Morland
Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 1

Felicity Jones as Catherine.

The joy of a good book

"'While I have Udolpho to read, I feel as if nobody could make me miserable.'"

Catherine, Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 6

The true heroine's portion

"And now I may dismiss my heroine to the sleepless couch, which is the true heroine’s portion; to a pillow strewed with thorns and wet with tears.  And lucky may she think herself, if she get another good night’s rest in the course of the next three months.”

Catherine is worried about having missed the Tilneys when they called for her for their scheduled walk that morning.  It rained, they were late, she was talked into going on a ride with the Thorpes and her brother instead, then sees them as she is leaving town.
Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 11

Oh, the sleepless nights of being young and in love...

I'll be posting here over the weekend as well, in honor of The Complete Jane Austen.

Seeking adventure abroad

"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."

Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 1

Of course, Catherine finds many of her adventures in Bath.  Here's one of my pics from the climb up Beechen Cliff (copyright Lori Smith, 2005).

(Read more about my own adventures in Bath in my book, A Walk with Jane Austen.)

The finest balm

"Friendship is surely the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love."

Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter 4

Carey Mulligan as Isabella Thorpe (left) and Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland. ©ITV plc (Granada International) for Masterpiece™

The Complete Jane Austen on Masterpiece

Ouch!

"Mrs. Allen was one of that numerous class of females, whose society can raise no other emotion than surprise at their being any men in the world who could like them well enough to marry them.  She had neither beauty, genius, accomplishment, nor manner."

Northanger Abbey, volume 1, chapter2

Oh, I love this quote -- such classic Jane.

Sylvestra Le Touzel as Mrs. Allen, thanks to Solitary-Elegance.com for the image. (In this picture, she looks like she has at least a little beauty.)

On being unintelligible

"I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible."

Catherine to Henry
Northanger Abbey, volume 2, chapter 1

Sweet, guileless Catherine.

I don't think I've ever seen an adaptation of Northanger Abbey -- really looking forward to this one.

Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland.   ©ITV plc (Granada International) for Masterpiece™