Much as I would like to blame the Thorpes for just about anything, I think Catherine's propensity to blur the lines between reality and what she reads in Gothic novels is entirely her own. ;-) For example, while it's true that John Thorpe encouraged her with his affirmations that Blaise Castle was every bit as interesting as what she'd read about, she's the one asking if there are dungeons, etc.

Catherine's speech is peppered with observations which couple what she sees around her with the imaginary world in novels. The scenery in Bath reminds her of the south of France, which she's never actually seen. ;-) The weather reminds her of what it was like on such-and-such a night in one of her books. It's almost as if she feels that she's been transported into the world of the novels and lived it rather than having just read it.