The Annotated Northanger Abbey by David M. Shapard
Although Northanger Abbey is not my favorite novel by Jane Austen reading the annotated version definitely made me like the novel more. Never having studied Austen in any English class and having the parody
explained in detail was very helpful to understand where Austen was
coming from when writing the novel. Having read the Mysteries of Udolpho and Cecelia both of which are mentioned in Northanger Abbey rereading the novel and the editor's notes on the parody between the heroines of gothic novels and Austen's made better understand the social commentary. The editor's notes on society certainly broadened my understanding of the Regency era and the events of the time.
The only thing I disliked about the annotated version was the definitions of period vocabulary, which I understand as being important when reading Austen for the first time but distracted me from the more interesting historical facts. After reading the annotated version of Northanger Abbey I'm excited to read one of the other annotated Austen novels that the editor has produced.
