The second sentence

Okay, this is where anyone foolish enough to check in will want to head for the exits. Don't worry, I am not going to blog Northanger Abbey one sentence at a time. But it is important to go very slowly at the start of any Austen novel.

So let's have a look at it:

Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her.

Okay, egg-sucking detail: Austen is being ironic. These things do not match what is typical of novelistic heroines but they are the qualities Austen thinks make for a real life heroine for Catherine Morland is her heroine.

As we read on then, we should note what Austen thinks is important and what she thinks is not important.