When I saw on our reading list at the beginning of the semester that we’d be reading The Mysteries of Udolpho followed by Northanger Abbey I was really excited, because ever since I first read Northanger I felt that I had to read Udolpho together with Northanger at some point in my life, but I never yet had the opportunity. When I started reading Udolpho for class I had trouble taking the book seriously because I kept on being reminded of scenes from Northanger which didn’t help me perceive the book as serious, sine Austen satires the gothic in her novel. Therefore, at some really melodramatic romantic or scary scenes I couldn’t keep from laughing. However, after last night’s reading I can say that I’ve officially become really caught up in the book. One of the reasons why I have always wanted to read Udolpho was because ever since Catherine Morland (the heroine of Northanger) mentioned the black veil I have always had this insane curiosity to find out what was behind it. So I have literally waited for years to find out what was behind that veil, and last night I thought at long last the secret will be revealed to me… But no, Emily who only had to wonder for one night what was behind that veil was able to easily discover what was behind it, while I still have to keep on waiting. Deep down I knew that such a sudden discovery was too good to be true.
Another result of having read Northanger numerous times is that I’m constantly intensely wondering about certain miniscule details that I really shouldn’t be. For example, when Emily first arrives at Udolpho she simply puts out her books and paintings on a chest. Once I read that I was like what’s in the chest, is she going to open the chest, will something really scary pop out of the chest? But she does absolutely nothing with the chest, which is really frustrating (Catherine Morland really puts her snooping to shame). Now I can’t keep from wondering if there is ever going to be anything in the chest or am I just a crazy person behaving like Catherine Morland?
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Black Veil
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2 comments:
I have no clue what all that is about, teh other cocmment I mean, wow. anyway, reading Northanger Abbey after I have already read the Mysteries of Udolpho kind of makes me look back and laugh about some parts of the novel as well. I thought it was interesting reading Northanger Abbey and having Austen constantly make Catherine refer to it in some aspect of the novel. It just seemed really funny to me as well.
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