Jane Austen's first novel, <i>Northanger Abbey</i>—published posthumously in 1818—tells the story of Catherine Morland and her dangerously sweet nature, innocence, and sometime self-delusion. Though Austen's fallible heroine is repeatedly drawn into scrapes while vacationing at Bath and during her subsequent visit to Northanger Abbey, Catherine eventually triumphs, blossoming into a discerning woman who learns truths about love, life, and the heady power of literature. The satirical <i>Northanger Abbey</i> pokes fun at the gothic novel while earnestly emphasizing caution to the female sex.<br><br>This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the first edition of 1818.