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Quick answer: If you loved Northanger Abbey, try Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, The Mysteries of Udolpho, Rebecca and Jane Eyre. Each one offers wit, a young heroine learning about the world or a gothic atmosphere with a sense of humor.
Jane Austen's first completed novel, published after her death in 1817, follows Catherine Morland, a seventeen-year-old who loves gothic novels. On a visit to Bath she meets the clever Henry Tilney and his family, and when she stays at their home, Northanger Abbey, her imagination runs wild. Readers love its humor, its parody of gothic fiction and its kind heroine. These books share its wit, its romance and its playful view of reading.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Era | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Regency | readers who want Austen's most loved novel |
| Emma | Jane Austen | Regency | readers who like a heroine who misreads people |
| Persuasion | Jane Austen | Regency | readers who want a mature heroine |
| The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe | 1790s | readers who want the novel Catherine adores |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | 1930s | readers who want a real gothic house |
| Jane Eyre | Charlotte Brontë | Victorian | readers who like gothic romance |
| Cold Comfort Farm | Stella Gibbons | 1930s | readers who want parody |
| I Capture the Castle | Dodie Smith | 1930s | readers who like young narrators |
| The Jane Austen Book Club | Karen Joy Fowler | Modern | readers who love Austen fans |
| Sense and Sensibility | Jane Austen | Regency | readers who want sisters and heartbreak |
| Evelina | Frances Burney | 1770s | readers who like Austen's influences |
| The Woman in White | Wilkie Collins | Victorian | readers who want Victorian suspense |
| Austenland | Shannon Hale | Modern | readers who want a funny homage |
| Romantic Outlaws | Charlotte Gordon | Nonfiction | readers curious about the era |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | 1950s | readers who want a modern gothic |
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy overcome pride and misunderstanding.
Best for: readers who want Austen's most loved novel.
2. Emma by Jane Austen
A clever young woman meddles in her friends' love lives.
Best for: readers who like a heroine who misreads people.
3. Persuasion by Jane Austen
A woman meets the naval officer she rejected years before.
Best for: readers who want a mature heroine.
4. The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
A young woman is trapped in a sinister Italian castle.
Best for: readers who want the novel Catherine adores.
5. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride lives in the shadow of her husband's first wife.
Best for: readers who want a real gothic house.
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
A governess falls for her employer, who hides a terrible secret.
Best for: readers who like gothic romance.
7. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
A sensible young woman tidies up her gloomy rural relatives.
Best for: readers who want parody.
8. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
A girl in a crumbling English castle writes about her eccentric family.
Best for: readers who like young narrators.
9. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
Six readers discuss Austen's novels while their own lives change.
Best for: readers who love Austen fans.
10. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Two sisters face love and heartbreak in very different ways.
Best for: readers who want sisters and heartbreak.
11. Evelina by Frances Burney
A young woman enters London society and its embarrassments.
Best for: readers who like Austen's influences.
12. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A teacher helps a woman uncover a cruel conspiracy.
Best for: readers who want Victorian suspense.
13. Austenland by Shannon Hale
An Austen fan visits a resort where guests act out Regency life.
Best for: readers who want a funny homage.
14. Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon
A dual biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.
Best for: readers curious about the era.
15. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman goes to a decaying mansion to rescue her cousin.
Best for: readers who want a modern gothic.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Northanger Abbey: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Northanger Abbey. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
If you enjoyed Austen's humor, Emma and Pride and Prejudice are the natural next steps. To see what Catherine was reading, The Mysteries of Udolpho is long but fun once you know Austen's jokes. For real gothic chills, try Rebecca or Jane Eyre. If you want parody and charm, Cold Comfort Farm and Austenland are both delightful. I Capture the Castle is perfect if you loved Catherine's innocence and her eager voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Northanger Abbey about?
A young woman who loves gothic novels visits Bath, falls for Henry Tilney and imagines dark secrets at his family home.
Is Northanger Abbey a gothic novel?
It is mainly a parody of gothic novels, though it uses their settings and mood.
When was Northanger Abbey published?
It was published in late 1817, after Austen's death, though she wrote it much earlier.
Is Northanger Abbey a good first Austen?
Yes. It is short, funny and easy to follow.
Is there an adaptation?
Yes. A 2007 TV film starred Felicity Jones and JJ Feild.