Now as you all know I am a huge Jane Austen fan and normally I love BBC adaptations but for every rule there is an exception and this is it but as there is no Udolpho review today then I thought I would at least keep on subject with todays posting,

It has been a long time since I last viewed this version of Northanger Abbey and I now recall why.  The acting is merely acceptable but the constant use of dream sequences is both annoying and distracting.  While they do reflect the dangers that were perceived to exist in impressionable young ladies reading gothic literature they are done in this in such a way as to almost drive the viewer to hitting the off switch.  While of course as most BBC dramas they stick faithfully to the text this adaptation falls well below the normal standard one expects from the BBC.

Originally transmitted on 15/02/87 eight years before the great success of the Pride & Prejudice adaptation one must be thankful that they obviously learned from it in terms of casting and characterisation.

While Northanger Abbey is one of the less adapted works of Austen I am confident that there are better ones out there, as well as the visual failings the soundtrack plays continuously what I assume is supposed to be music to build tension sadly it merely annoys and leads to temptation to mute the TV.  I sadly have to say give this one a miss.

Rating 2 out of 5 stars and that is simply for Austen’s words.

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