Northanger Abbey

That's right folks; I know there are a couple other more well-known Austen books left yet, but I am saving the best for last.  Northanger Abbey is the baby, if you will, of the Austen novels.  It was not published until after Austen's death, but it's style was very different than that of her other novels.  Not in terms of writing or humour, but in content.  Northanger Abbey is more reminiscent of the Victorian gothic novels of the day, and is perhaps intended as a parody or satire of the very genre.  The main character, a young and impressionable Catherine Morland, who has nothing heroic or remarkable about her, is swept up on an adventure (or an adventure in her eyes) - a trip to Bath!  But despite her overactive imaginative fancies, reality catches up with Catherine, and she learns a thing or two about life, trust and humanity by the end of the story.  It is cute, and especially today when the gothic theme is making a comeback with the rage of vampire and zombie-themed films and novels, Northanger is just as relevant as when it was written, and perhaps doubly comedic.

Northanger Abbey new much less fame than many of it's sisters in the literary world, however it was certainly recognized enough to produce screen versions.  Here they are:

1) Northanger Abbey (1986) - The only relatively positive thing I can say about this film is that the English is pronounced very clearly.  Yeah.  Pretty much it.  The main actress's name is "Googie."  Which pretty much sums up the entire casts' acting abilities.  The music is not only terrible, but the attempt at adding modern instruments (which may sometimes be done effectively) was very clumsy, the make-up is atrocious as they have attempted to combine pre-Georgian looks with Victorian looks creating an unified and ghastly atmosphere in the public scenes, the dream-scenes are almost stomache-churning in their eeriness, the script is very dumb, and the characters warped.  Don't watch it.  But if you nonetheless feel compared to test by judgement, let me at least direct you to a clip where the stupidity is more comical than nausiating.  Watch 8:04-8:54, the acting being laughable, especially the expression on the guy's face in the last second: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HQVEpcVrmg

2) Northanger Abbey (2007) - A far superior version than the earlier version.  Not only are the costumes, makeup, music and acting better, but the humour is kept in the story!  This is a very good interpretation of the story, and although i would of course recommend, as in all Jane Austen's story, that you read the book, this film tells it pretty well.  It's cute and fun and has some surprising twists.  I would definitly recommend it on a rainy afternoon!  :)  For comparison's sake, I will include a link to the same scene which I advised for the earlier version, and you may judge the acting and camera for yourself.  3:30 - 4:57:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO2tmarMzO4&feature=related