“Dear creature! How much I am obliged to you; and when you have finished Udolpho, we will read the Italian together; and I have made out a list of ten or twelve more of the same kind for you.”
“Have you, indeed! How glad I am! What are they all?”
“I will read you their names directly; here they are, in my pocketbook. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries. Those will last us some time.”
“Yes, pretty well; but are they all horrid, are you sure they are all horrid?”

– Northanger Abbey, ch. 6

If you were recently introduced to Northanger Abbey through the ITV film, or if you’ve already read the book, you may be curious to know more about the Gothic novels Catherine and Isabella planned to read together.

The Castle of Wolfenbach was written by Eliza Parsons and published in 1793. Our heroine is a “wretched Matilda” as per Henry Tilney’s Gothic pastiche, and we meet her in flight from her lecherous uncle, seeking refuge in the suitably ancient and haunted Castle of Wolfenbach. As in Northanger Abbey, Matilda explores a forbidden wing of the castle, and makes the very discovery Catherine Morland had hoped for: the horrifying mystery of the missing Countess of Wolfenbach. But when Matilda’s uncle tracks her down, can she escape his despicable intentions? Will she ever discover the secret of her parentage? And what must and will happen to throw a suitable hero in her way? (more…)

Philip Sheppard, composer of the ITV Jane Austen season trailer and web site music, writes to tell us that Crystallised Beauty is now available on his MySpace profile, so you may link or add it to your own pages if you wish. The sheet music is being prepared and will also be available from his web site as a free PDF. Last, an iTunes release for the complete set of ten piano pieces is in progress, release date to be announced.

Thanks for the update!

We are very fond of Bath; we call it “The Happiest Place on Earth” (except after 6 p.m. when one cannot get a bloody cup of tea). It’s so beautifully preserved (and rebuilt where necessary) that one is constantly seeing reminders of Jane Austen’s life or novels. Perhaps this is ironic, as it is an accepted truth that Jane was not fond of Bath, or at least did not like living there, but the city nonetheless is a treat for any Janeite. Jane Austen in Bath: Walking Tours of the Writer’s City is a beautifully-presented little book that is an excellent companion for travelers, including those of the armchair variety.

Ms. Reeve is a Bath resident, and the book shows her familiarity with and pleasure in the city. The walks are quite short, and one could take two or three in a single day, though visitors with more time can ramble, visit shops, and read the information in the book about Jane Austen’s life and works related to that area of Bath as well as history of the city. The walks hit all the main tourist spots, and anyone who follows them will be as familiar as Jane herself was with the geography of this compact little city.

Period illustrations and maps give a real feel for the city, and travelers will enjoy seeing how little (or how much) Bath has changed since the 18th century.

Jane Austen in Bath is a beautiful little book, an excellent gift for any Janeite or even for oneself.

We were not really moved to review ITV’s adaptation of Northanger Abbey, but several of our syncophantic minions, er, Gentle Readers seem interested in our opinion, so here it is. We found it a mildly diverting amusement but hardly great. It was obviously done on the cheap (did they think we wouldn’t notice that every outdoor scene in “Bath” was shot in front of the same arch?), shoehorned into 90 or so minutes so there’s plenty of time for adverts. Not that we think ITV unentitled to make money from its presentations, but if they’re really serious about this Quality Television thing, they might want to think about spreading these things over a couple of nights. It’s television, after all, you can do that, and then the Evil Austen Bloggers might not get all snarky on you. No promises, though. (more…)