In 1798, the English novelist Jane Austen sat down to write Northanger Abbey, a tale of a young girl whose imagination almost gets the better of her.
The book’s main character, Catherine Morland, reads wild, horror-filled stories and begins to take them a little too seriously.
In the novel, here’s how Catherine is described: “She read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes (see definition and hear pronunciation below) of their eventful lives.”
But, as the story unfolds, Catherine’s own vicissitudes are not as dramatic as those in the novels she loves.
Eventually, she finds contentment and learns to use her imagination wisely. Now, that’s a happy ending!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What books have you read in which characters overcome vicissitudes in their lives?
Vicissitude: A change of circumstances, especially one that is unwelcome.
Click to hear the pronunciation of vicissitude:
https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/vicissitude.mp3
We're looking for the coolest of the cool words! Nominate and vote on words. See which ones your friends like best.
>> Winners Circle
Got something important to say? Send us your essays. Your work may be chosen as a guest blog for this website. 
Vote for your favorite word and see which words your friends think are cool!