Hey team! How are we all doing? How is lockdown treating you? I hope, despite the strange situation, everything is going well for you! Even though my caffeine consumption is already normally too high (an occupational hazard of working in a coffee shop) I feel like it has increased; my head is constantly buzzing… The ritual of making a nice cup of coffee seems to be even more comforting and appealing with everything that is going on. This week, I am going to do things a little differently. Feel like I want to mix it up a bit… So, instead of just the normal one book, I am going to give two options. Both Northanger Abbey, but either the classic Jane Austen version, or, if you have already read that, the modern Val McDermid version. Both, even though they have very different vibes, are great reads.
Northanger Abbey is my favourite Austen novel. Originally published in 1817, it follows the tale of Catherine Morland, who, with her sweet, but perhaps naïve personality, gets led into exciting adventures during her trips to Bath. During this book, as we get to know her more, we see her grow and mature. As this process unfolds, she learns more about complexities and struggles of life and love.
Two hundred years later, starting in 2013, the Austen Project paired up six modern day writers with the six Jane Austen works. Each author adding their own take and views to the original piece. Val McDermid transports us to the life of Cat Morland and her trip from a sheltered upbringing in Dorset up to adventure and excitement at the Edinburgh Festival. Every year, I travel up to Edinburgh for the Fringe. The buzz of people, the seemingly unlimited array of hugely diverse shows, and the beautiful city makes it one of my favourite times of the year. One year I hope to work in a coffee shop during the Fringe…
To finish, here is my favourite quote from the original (I love this quote so so so much…):
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”