Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

How hard is Northanger Abbey to read?

Northanger Abbey scores 47 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it moderately challenging. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 60 out of 100

Austen's prose features a sophisticated 19th-century vocabulary, including words now considered somewhat archaic or used with period-specific connotations (e.g., 'propensities,' 'profligacy,' 'vicissitudes,' 'amiable,' 'se'nnight,' 'curricle'). While not as obscure as 'Moby-Dick' (72), the consistent presence of such terms requires a reader comfortable with historical English, placing it above 'The Great Gatsby' (45) in its demands.

Sentence structure: 70 out of 100

The text is characterized by long, elaborate sentences with frequent use of subordinate clauses, parenthetical asides, and inversions, typical of formal 19th-century writing. For instance, a single sentence might span several lines, demanding sustained attention to track the logical flow, as seen in descriptions of Catherine's internal thoughts or social interactions. This complexity is comparable to '2666' (70) in its consistent hypotaxis, though not reaching the extreme experimentalism of 'Ulysses' (98).

Abstraction: 60 out of 100

Northanger Abbey primarily offers a concrete narrative of social life and personal development, but it frequently elevates to a level of social commentary and psychological insight through the narrator's voice and Henry Tilney's witty observations. While not delving into overt philosophical debates like 'Brothers Karamazov' (75), it moves beyond mere plot to explore themes of appearance, reality, and the influence of literature on perception, positioning it above 'The Great Gatsby' (58).

Information density: 55 out of 100

The novel's density stems from its detailed social observations, subtle irony, and the narrator's frequent interjections on human nature and literary conventions, rather than from rapid conceptual shifts or extensive external allusions. While the plot is straightforward, understanding the nuances of character motivation and social critique requires careful attention, making it more demanding than 'The Great Gatsby' (48) but less overwhelming than 'Lolita' (65).

Narrative indirection: 38 out of 100

The narrator frequently intervenes to explicitly guide the reader, explaining characters' motivations and even offering meta-commentary on novel conventions, such as the defense of novels in Chapter 5. Catherine's thoughts and feelings are often directly stated or immediately clarified, leaving little room for deep inference of primary plot points or character traits. This is much lower than 'The Great Gatsby' (65) where Nick's bias significantly shapes understanding.

Symbolic density: 30 out of 100

The novel's themes, such as the contrast between Gothic fantasy and reality, are largely presented through direct narrative and character dialogue, rather than through layered symbolic structures. While the 'abbey' is a central motif, its symbolic meaning is explicitly explored and often debunked by Henry Tilney, not left for abstract interpretation. This score is closer to 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (45) where the symbolism is present but overt, and far from 'Moby-Dick' (90).

Ironic distance: 72 out of 100

Jane Austen employs pervasive verbal irony, particularly in her descriptions of characters like Mrs. Allen and John Thorpe, and in the narrator's meta-commentary. Readers must consistently discern the author's critical or amused perspective beneath the polite surface of the prose. This requires a constant recalibration of meaning, placing it higher than 'The Great Gatsby' (70) due to the sustained, subtle nature of Austen's irony.

Resolution withholding: 35 out of 100

The narrative resolves immediate mysteries and misunderstandings quickly, often with a humorous debunking of Catherine's Gothic expectations, such as the 'black cabinet' yielding a washing bill. The plot progresses linearly towards expected romantic and social conclusions, offering clear closure rather than ambiguity. This is significantly lower than 'The Crying of Lot 49' (75), which maintains uncertainty to the last page.

Structural complexity: 30 out of 100

The novel maintains a straightforward, chronological progression of events from Catherine's perspective, guided by a consistent omniscient narrator. There are no significant timeline jumps, shifts in point of view, or formal experiments that introduce structural complexity. Its structure is highly conventional, similar to 'Beach Read' (28) in its linearity, and far from 'Ulysses' (98).

How Northanger Abbey is regarded

Northanger Abbey holds a literary regard score of 80 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.

About the author

Jane Austen