JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA GREATER CHICAGO REGION etter rom hicago L f C Winter 2010 Saturday, February 20, 2010 The Parthenon Restaurant, 314 S. Halsted, Chicago Noon to 3:00 pm ] Free Valet Parking Northanger Abbey Lunch, Panel and Book Discussion William Phillips—Gothic Inspirations bbbbbbb Ronnie Jo Sokol—Plot Development bbbbbbb Natalie Goldberg—Friendship bbbbbbb Jeffrey Nigro—The Role of Bath LUNCH REGISTRATION FORM ¡ Members: $25; Guests: $35 Registration deadline: February 15, 2010 Member Name Guest(s) Name(s) Address City State ZIP E-mail Phone Amount enclosed $ You can register by 1. Going online to www.jasnachicago.org or 2. Mailing your check—payable to JASNA-GCR—and and pay using your Visa or MasterCard. this form to Elsie Holzwarth, 1410 East 55th Street, Chicago, IL 60615-5409. RegionalCoordinatorFrom the Natalie Goldberg February Luncheon In rereading Northanger Abbey, I was dolmades, Athenian chicken and Baklava. struck by the way Jane Austen emphasizes Come hungry for food and conversation! Catherine Morland’s very ordinary qualities Panelist Ronnie Jo Sokol will direct as she grows up a tomboy with her attention to plot development, particularly brothers. She isn’t a striking beauty, she some “flaws” in the structure that Austen hasn’t an ironic wit or particular brilliance, had never corrected when she gave up and she lacks ambition. She thinks she’d trying to get the book published. (As you like to play the piano but is impatient with recall, NA is a posthumous novel.) I will practicing and glad to stop lessons. Her focus on the role of friendship, especially parents are kind and sensible but let their those changing relationships that reflect daughters “shift for themselves” when it Catherine’s coming of age. Jeff Nigro will comes to their education and feminine address the role of Bath and reflect on the accomplishments. When neighbors kindly dangers and pitfalls in this elegant and take Catherine to Bath, her mother’s sole complex social setting. William Phillips advice is for her to stay warm and keep an has been reading the Gothic novels that account of her expenses. We are told that Catherine Morland and Isabella Thorpe Catherine is as “ignorant and unformed as loved. He will share his insights about any young woman of seventeen.” Yet she which characters most reflect Austen’s has an affectionate heart, an open and satiric views of these novels. Following our pleasant disposition and “when in good panel presentations, Ronnie Jo will looks, pretty.” This unlikely heroine moderate the group discussion. marries Austen’s most appealing man. Okay, those who are infatuated with Colin Pride and Prejudice: the Musical Firth’s Darcy will argue that Henry Tilney is not the best suitor of all—but reread this Good news about Jane Austen’s Pride and novel and you will be struck by his Prejudice: A Musical Play. Chamber Opera intelligence, imagination and wit. Is he like Chicago scheduled three performances at Austen’s favorite brother Henry? Why the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. would this sophisticated man fall in love Southport, on February 27 and March 6 at with Catherine? Member Shirley Holbrook 7:30 pm and March 7 at 3 pm. reminded me that Catherine is good and Playwrights/composers Lindsay Warren appealing—she shows much empathy, even Baker and Amanda Jacobs introduced and if she’s quite naive—and she is a reader. performed selections for our Chicago AGM Now she focuses on her Gothic novels, but brunch in 2008 to great acclaim. This will she is capable of learning and being be the Chicago premiere of the full directed in her reading. “Maybe,” argued production. Baker and Jacobs focus on Shirley, “she’ll even read Jane Austen!” Jane Austen revising her rejected novel, First Impressions, and show the author Northanger Abby will be the focus of our interacting with her characters. Their play panel and open discussion at our winter “illuminates two compelling, intertwined meeting at the Parthenon. This hilarious love stories: Austen’s romantic novel and novel is the theme for the upcoming AGM the author’s own passion for her work.” in Portland. Join our discussion as you enjoy family style servings of saganaki, Tickets available via Ticketmaster or call gyros, salad, moussaka, pastitsio, 312-902-1500. WINTER 2010 L ETTER FROM C HICAGO 3 Three Gothic Novels William Phillips Some 18th Century Creepiness Several of us saw a recent stage version of Given Northanger Abbey as the theme of the tale written and produced by the First the 2010 AGM, a lot of us are showing an Folio ensemble in west suburban Oak Brook. interest in the Gothic genre. In The Jane When Jeff Nigro and I went to see it, we Austen Book Club, Grigg, the one male thought the company couldn’t quite make participant, hosts the discussion of NA. up its mind whether to play it for laughs or Grigg is a bit like Catherine Morland, be serious (so that Sir Walter Scott would thinking Anne Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of have liked it). My advice is to read Otranto Udolpho (1794) is great with its black veils and decide for yourself; it is, after all, brief. and skeletons, and he’s a bit like Henry The fact that it is only 12% of the length of Tilney, showing insight into the novel he’s Udolpho may well be its most endearing a part of. Grigg certainly understands the quality, according to me. influence of Udolpho on NA better than any Many would argue that Udolpho is at the other character. My own growing interest pinnacle of the Gothic genre. Its length and in NA suggested that I should read a few density, however, do not make a decision Gothic classics. to read it one to be taken lightly. I’m Horace Walpole is credited with having convinced that Henry Tilney was pulling invented the Gothic genre with his slim Catherine’s leg (or at least tugging a bit at volume (really a novella), The Castle of her muslin) when he says that he couldn’t Otranto (1764). According to E.F. Bleiler put it down and finished it in two days (1966), Walpole also gets credit for the with his hair standing on end the whole interest in the Medieval during the 18th time. If that isn’t Henry’s great joke, then it and 19th centuries. Bleiler admits that is ample proof of the idleness of the idle Otranto is not deathless prose. He notes rich; he would have had to do nothing else that some contemporary critics think for two days. Perhaps it’s both. As my bus Walpole was pulling off a massive social reading, it took me the better part of a joke. Otranto can certainly be read that month to finish Udolpho’s nearly 300,000 way (particularly in 2010). However, no words on my workday trips. It’s clear to me less a cultural force than Sir Walter Scott that Austen spent a lot of time with this praises Otranto in his introduction to an novel. I’ll be arguing elsewhere that in 1803 edition. Scott credits Radcliffe’s addition to being a ‘source’ of NA, Udolpho “genius” but then pretty much puts her provided Austen with a lot more stuff she down in relation to Walpole. (Old boys’ used in other novels, but that’s a club? Can’t stand quite so many words discussion for another time and place. written by someone other than himself? Udolpho is unquestionably over-long and Who knows?) He praises Walpole for there is nothing much to terrify today’s avoiding unnecessary physical description reader. Nevertheless, it has much to and for sticking to the kind of ‘primitive’ recommend it. Radcliffe always provides a belief system (in the supernatural) that naturalistic explanation for apparently would have existed at the time during super-natural events. Scott deplored this; I which Otranto is set. For example, a giant liked it. Emily’s literal journey, from the helmet crushes the heir to Otranto (off headwaters of the Garonne through stage) in the opening scene, providing the Roussillon, via Venice, to the mountain ‘hook’ for the whole story. I won’t test your fastness of Udolpho and back, expertly credulity with more detail. parallels her developmental journey. 4 L ETTER FROM C HICAGO WINTER 2010 Radcliffe can certainly be criticized for and relatively little interior. Lewis, who anachronisms, but finding them is part of traveled extensively late in his life, had the fun. One favorite is Emily’s reference to only been to Holland and Germany prior to painter Domenico Zampiere (1581–1641), writing The Monk (at age 19), set mostly in who would have been three years old at the Spain and France (as well as Germany). beginning of this story in 1584. Interestingly, given her remarkably painterly The female characters are sometimes descriptions of southern France (alluded to irritating to me; however Radcliffe’s 1794 by Catherine in NA), Radcliffe’s only foreign reference to the vulnerability of women in travel (ever) was to Holland and Germany. 1584 is worthy (another influence on She was a perceptive user of others’ travel Austen?). It has only been very recently writing, however. Jacqueline Howard (Intro that female characters could regularly be to Penguin Classic edition of Udolpho) notes credited with very much bravery. I have that Radcliffe drew heavily on Hester Thrale the same reaction to lots of great literature Piozzi’s descriptions of Venice. of an earlier time (Desdemona, honey—get Let’s turn briefly to The Monk. Unless you out of the house!).