Book Info: Genre: Classical Literary Parody Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this text from the author through the LibraryThing Members Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Gothic horrors collide with high satire in this elegant, hilarious, witty, insane, and unexpectedly romantic supernatural parody of Jane Austen's classic novel.

My Thoughts: I will start out by saying that, despite having been an English major, I have never read Northanger Abbey, the book being parodied. I am not sure if that will affect my understanding and appreciation of this text or not.

I had a fun time reading this book – while I have no idea how it held to the original plot and text, I found the writing style to be amusing and full of humor, and there is nothing I like more than to laugh. And laugh I did – a LOT – through about the first 40 percent of the book. Then it slowed down – there were still amusing moments, but not as many that made me laugh out loud as in the earlier parts. But it was still a fine story, beautifully written in the style of the time, with many amusing footnotes, asides and appendices.

Interestingly enough, the author in this text has also provided illustrations, just as in the last book I read, although these are much more life-like. I’m always impressed by the multiple talents that some people have – apparently they hog up all the talents and leave the rest of us with none ☺ I was also interested to learn that Ms. Nazarian immigrated to the US from the former USSR, which my husband also did, although he is from St. Petersburg whilst she is from Moscow.

All in all, an entertaining read, and one I highly recommend to those who enjoy parody and satire. Lots of fun! ( )

IT IS ALL JAMMIES' FAULT!

I'm having difficulty getting through this one. I can't fault the writer, it's the format that's a problem. .pdf files don't work well on my kindle and it's difficult to read because the print is so small, and light. I've tried to reset the kindle to make it larger, but it doesn't work on .pdf.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very hard to put down and I stayed up two nights reading this book. The main character's, Catherine, supernatural abilities brought a refreshing tone to the novel. I hated Catherine's so called friend, Isabella, and her brother, John. I was ecstatic when Catherine disassociated herself from the evil siblings.The innocence and supernatural abilities of Catherine made it hard to close the book. Nazarian's character development, imagery and plot development with a surprising twist at the conclusion of the book will make this a favorite for people who enjoy romance, suspense, supernatural fiction with a sprinkling of a little humor. Don't take my word for it go out and purchase the book.This is the first Nazarian book I've had the pleasure of reading. ( )

I just finished the very entertaining novel Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons. What a splendid read it was! The supernatural elements were woven into the story quite seamlessly, and I was pleased to find it an easy and most enjoyable way to pass the time. I haven't read many Jane Austen or mashup novels, but I think this one worked quite well.

The only parts I found somewhat jarring were the several footnotes relating to Oscar Wilde and being gay. I think they were a little overdone, and could have been omitted after the first one.

I am looking forward to reading the next most frightfully horrid (in a good way) novel from Ms. Nazarian.

I did receive this as an e-book through a LibraryThing.com giveaway. While I was asked to give a review in exchange for the book it was not required to be a positive one. ( )