Great post !

Pardon if I wasn't clear.
I discussed JA's Defence of the novel earlier but to clarify my view the first part of NA is a Defence of the novel , should have quoted from Ch. 5.

As usual, your explaination hits the nail on the head, Heather !

]Perhaps the best sort of novel reader can discern which parts of a charecter are the sensational, overblown details and recogzize the core of human nature inside- then apply that core to "reading" (understanding) people in real life.
Does that make any sense ?

As I see it the Tilneys are the best sort of novel readers.
Henry sees gothics as a 'good read'. He's an excellent reader for the escapism of Mrs Radcliffe's novels.
Yet I wonder if Henry considers the core of human nature in novels he reads and applies them to real life.

(In contrast, the Thorpes appear as 'readers' of the worst sort.)