06-27-2011, 05:28 PM
I would argue that "Northanger Abbey" IS a Gothic novel in that even though it may be parodying the genre, it also contains ALL the stock elements of the genre. Lots of the books that have made the list have elements of parody, social commentary and satire in them. If you believe all these authors were working in this genre with a completely straight face, you are much mistaken.