Live-Blogging Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

Introduction:
I read Northanger Abbey last week and I enjoyed it very much. The first page is very humorous [I'll cite it here later] and I'm curious about tonight's adaptation.

On Friday morning I heard a short interview with Andrew Davies, the screenwriter, on NPR's Morning Edition in which he talked a bit about his invented scenes in this novel. They have to do with the books Catherine Morland reads and the things she might have imagined. PBS also has an interview with him you can read and watch here. I haven't checked it out yet. After I do I may comment here (probably at another post) about it.

NOTE: Plenty of spoilers ahead. Do not proceed if you haven't seen it and want to see it. I do recommend this one, much better than last week's Persuasion!

Live Review:
The opening lines were used precisely as in the novel -- which scored high points with me.

Of course it's extremely quick paced, which is perhaps inevitable for a short TV adaptation.

The prompt encounter with Mr. Tilney and the dialogue that followed was not that badly adapted. It was weird to have Mr. Thorpe (we only learn it's him later, but we can already suspect) there staring at her as she dances.

In my opinion the two first imaginary scenes were kind of OK if far-fetched, but the
third, seemed way too exaggerated...

Much quicker introduction between them and Mrs. Thorpe and Mrs. Allen and Catherine -- she addresses Catherine first and only later acknowledges Mrs. Thorpe (who says they were classmates) which is very inaccurate. How could Mrs. Thorpe know who she was and already mention her brother coming? (she only finds out that he's coming when he appears with Mr. Thorpe later).

library scene - pump room in the book.

Thorpe speaking to the General (telling him that she'd inherit money) -- introducing himself for the first time -- quite strange. (in the book we learn this much later and indirectly, here it doesn't make any sense since Thorpe is interested in her -- why would he try to make Henry Tilney's father interested in her? In the book we learn that he made up stuff about her just because that was his way -- bragging about everything -- he doesn't brag once in the film, not that I remember! He's just rude, but his character is not developed in the same way).

Deceiving carriage scene, very well done in the beginning , BUT Mr. Thorpe saying bad things about the Tilney family, particularly the statement: "something very strange about the mother's death" is uncalled for! He doesn't know them at all at that point in the novel! They didn't get rained on either in the book, the rain took place earlier.

Isabella's statement regarding Mrs. Radcliffe's novel The Monk as "My brother's favorite novel" was very strange because Mr. Thorpe has said earlier (in the book too) doesn't read novels and he did say so earlier.

Catherine's walk with the Tilneys (no suspense leading to it here) is interrupted by Eleanor's "friend" (future husband, mentioned at the very end of the novel), this is very interesting because he's not a character and this encounter isn't mentioned in the book.

The elder Mr. Tilney (Captain Tilney's) introduction into the story was really well done!
Isabella's reaction to the consent was well done too.
9:46 - first posting.

I didn't like the fourth (or fifth?) imaginary scene that portrayed her running around and finding a woman being tortured.

"All houses have their secrets and Northanger is no exception" -- Did Mr. Tilney really say that?
I remember that he said some things about a chest and stuff, nothing related to the house.

Dinner scene, quite precise. Night scene of finding the papers on the bottom of the chest (it's not in the chest, it's actually in a cabinet drawer). OK.

The portrait doesn't hang in her private chamber, it hangs in Eleanor's room! There's no mention of Eleanor not seeing the body after she died, all we know is that Eleanor wasn't there.

"I'm surprised at you Eleanor" -- the father didn't say that when she was

Letter to Isabella -- she never wrote to Isabella (on the contrary, she waited anxiously for news from her which she didn't get until after her brother wrote to her -- and then she never wrote back), and never mentioned (or probably would have) a suspicion of a secret with the death of Mrs. Tilney.
9:59 posting.

Riding together to see Mr. Tilney's house and being rained on... I guess the screenwriter likes rain! -- I'd rather have "seen" the scene where General Tilney basically suggests that he will soon be furnishing the rooms for her. And that she'll be mistress of that house.
Ah... cleaning mud from her face.. that was the reason for the rain scene, I guess ;)

They walk outside and he brings this subject: "You said that the house held secrets...
I'd like to know what you meant" -- he doesn't want to reveal the secret. "Why not imagine the worse you can and write a novel -- Northanger Abbey was going to be a good title for a novel!"

"I can't help feeling that this house is not a happy one" she says and then he explains that his sister is not happy -- father refused to sanction the match, Eleanor must marry the heir -- He says he must marry fortune too... What if she should not have fortune? "A stern test of my character."

No such dialogs in the book!! First, it's strange that he wants to encourage her imaginings and the existence of a secret. And then, that he's reveal that he had to marry for money.

Visit to the room scene: Mr Tilney finds her there. (no suspense of him being away and coming back unexpectedly -- not much suspense really).

"Too many novels" dialog OK, as well as her pain afterwards.

And I don't thing she ever complains to Eleanor about Henry not liking her and the things she said... Does she really receive her brother's letter then? Precise dialog follows. Except for the suggestion that Isabella may have slept with Captain Tilney -- imaginary scene, but, maybe it could have happened... "He's accostumed to having his way" Eleanor says about Captain Tilney, (I guess she means he gets [to sleep with?] the women he wants).
10:12 posting

Does she really say to Eleanor that she deserves to be turned out (because of what she suspected)? I don't remember that. And she doesn't leave at night!! It's in the morning! I guess this is just to make her forced exit more "Gothic."

The coming home is OK, the scenes of her telling her siblings about the Abbey aren't really accurate as well as her sister asking if she did something very naughty to get turned out. Crying to mother that she loves him -- she does no such thing, only gets really upset and doesn't concentrate on her work

"It's a man on a white horse!" her brother and sister say when Tilney comes-- oh, what a cliché!! In the book she's at home with her mom when he calls, it's quite a "sedate" scene. :)

Now, the biggest change was when Henry begins to tell her that her instincts were true and that their mother had suffered greatly. He asks if he remember him mentioning vampires (only in the adaptation -- on their drive to the abbey) and says that his dad did "Drain the life out of her with her cruelty, coldness -- He married her for money! " and adds that "The worst crimes are the crimes of the heart" [hmmmm, oh well, why was there a need for a "crime" anyway?]-- There's no such admission of his father's cruelty in the book! Henry assured her in the book that his mother may have suffered because his dad had a difficult personality, but he had never been unkind to her.

Drawing room scene with all the little ones watching, very interesting :). (Little girl saying "you can see the house from the window!" instead of the mother was fun)

She's quite eager when he declares himself:
"A love so strong, I may be disowned because of it"
and she interrupts to say:
"please go on with what you were going to say"
which obviously is "will you marry me?" and an overeager (from her part) kiss follows.

Puzzling thing:
She has a baby by the last scene?!
The short narration comes straight from Austen's book...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Conclusion:

I liked it. I think the actress did a good job, I also liked the woman who portrayed Isabella -- they both looked quite young, which is very accurate (Catherine is 17 and gets married by 18).

Some comments:
I don't think that Henry and Catherine's dialog at the end made it clear that his father objected to her because she was poor -- that's not really mentioned! The fact that it was Eleanor's own happy (and prosperous) wedding that allowed them to marry was not revealed either. I don't think it would have taken more than a minute to make those things clear! Why include all the previous machinations of Thorpe (telling the General that she was rich and stuff) not to pick up on this theme later on? And we never see the General again after he leaves for a few days (except for his hasty and angry return at the end).

Another small problem in my point of view is that Austen goes to great lengths in the book to reveal to the reader that Catherine is completely guileless, outrightly naive most of the time, and completely unaware of her blunders and of speaking her mind way too clearly and earnestly. Some hints are given about her being a bit "slow" to catch double meanings, but her character is not fully developed in areas that would contrast her more strongly with Isabella. The supposed letter that she writes to her friend (and which didn't happen in the book) detracts from her character quite a bit -- sharing her suppositions and stuff. She was misguided in her overactive imagination, but she was very proper and kept her silly machinations to herself.

OK... I guess this is enough, this must be the most boring review ever! I'm glad I saw it, and I may buy this one in the future... Now I'm curious to see the screenwriter's interview!
11:13 pm.

P.S. Andrew Davies didn't adapt Persuasion, so that's probably why I liked this one and didn't like the other. He also adapted the older Pride and Prejudice (which I think it's great) and
Emma and the more recent Sense and Sensibility. I'm relieved now that the next films were written by him and not the Persuasion screenwriter(s).