BAMJABC: Northanger Abbey

Sometimes I wonder where all my nerdiness comes from. I tried to make my own Greek Mythology Encyclopedia once when I was a freshman in high school. I was one of the few students able to memorize AND recite the introduction to Canterbury Tales in Old English. Hell, I just did Mortified where I drew from cold hard evidence – my high school diaries – to fully explain the depths of my nerdiness. Although I was kind of a closet nerd. I mean, I had friends and we hung out - but sort of nerdily.

Nowadays I’ve honed my nerdiness into quirkiness, or at least that’s what I like to think. Most of the time I think I can get "Brooke is a nerd" passed by pretty easily under the somewhat less disgraceful disguise of "Brooke is a weirdo". But there are some times when you must let your nerdiness shine through and this is one of those times.

Ever since I moved to Chicago five years ago, brunch with my mom has been a monthly, sometimes bi-monthly tradition. (Does bi-monthly mean twice in one month? Cause that’s what I meant. Or does it mean every other month? Or can it go either way? Zing!) We have enjoyed brunches across the windy city except for the time I ordered boudin blanc sausage and almost yarfed on the table. We also go to movies and stuff. We’re total gal pals.

Recently we saw the movie "The Jane Austen Book Club" because in our infinite nerdiness we deeply love all things having to do with oldsy timesy. The movie was ok, but it got us to thinking that we would really love to read all the JA books (there are only six) since both of us had only ever read Pride and Prejudice.

Thus was born "The Brooke and Mom Jane Austen Book Club". Once a month we read a different JA book. While reading it I send a barrage of emails to mom saying "What do you think is going to happen? Do you think he still loves her?" Or we email each other using JA expressions "dearest Mom, you are so droll. I would be monstrous happy if you should yes lend me twenty pounds for luncheon." Or Mom gets confused by all the characters and emails me for clarity (I’m good at keeping track of epic large families) "Mom, the reason you are confused is because Mr. Dashwood and Mr. John Dashwood are separate people." Then, we set a date to meet and discuss the book at a location that is somehow connected to the book.

I give you know the first installment; this is one of six, of the Brooke and Mom Jane Austen Book Club.

We decided to go chronologically which means that although published last we started with Northanger Abbey, her earliest work. You don’t want to hear all the details of the book I’m sure but here are the highlights…

-Catherine used to be ugly, now she’s ok looking so she leaves her giant family and goes to Bath with some friends.
- She meets a guy and totally starts crushing on him.
- She makes a friend who is a whopping beyotch.
- Catherine slyly makes friends with her crushes little sister who then invites her to Northanger Abbey cause Bath is like, so last year.
- Catherine goes to Northanger Abbey with crush, crush’s little sister, and crushes creepy mean dad. Fun!
- Catherine suspects creepy mean crush dad of being a killer and of killing his wife, logical. (She’s been reading too many gothic novels) While getting busted by crush for sneaking around forbidden rooms in the Abbey she confesses to him that she thinks his dad is a killer. Clearly she’s laying down the groundwork for a great romance here.
- Crush is mad and puts her in her place, but he still likes her, the crazy kid.
- Suddenly Catherine is cast out of Northanger Abbey rudely and sent back to her giant family.
- Crush comes chasing after her and arrives by horse days later to announce that his father cast her out because he was under the misconception that she was wealthy and then he found out she wasn’t and kicked her to the curb. Crush still loves her though, cause she’s got spunk. Crush proposes, all is well. The good people prosper in the end and marriages ensue like a Shakespeare comedy on speed.

We loved it. It was so funny and good. In the book Northanger Abbey Catherine and her crappy friend Isabella hang out at the Pump Room everyday to see and be seen. So…the inaugural meeting of the Brooke and Mom Jane Austen Book Club was held at the Chicago Pump Room downtown. We are so clever. We had the best time. Mom said we had to wear something reminiscent of the time period so I wore a cameo necklace that I hadn’t worn since I was about twelve and mom wore an empire waist shirt. We ate club sandwiches and apple fritters with caramel ice cream. It was lovely. Oh! And we have corresponding crossword puzzles for each book!

That was actually October’s book so please stay tuned for the 2nd Meeting of the BAMJABC in the next couple weeks when we cover our next book "Sense and Sensibility". We are going to Southport grocery for salads and cupcakes (think about it…)

Until then!