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Pride and Prejudice captures the affections of class-conscious eighteenth-century English families with matrimonial aims and rivalries. This story of the Bennet family and the novel's two protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, is told with a wit that author Jane Austen feared might prove "rather too light and bright, and sparkling." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. Austen's artistry is also apparent in the delineation of the minor characters: the ill-matched Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charles Bingley and his sisters, and particularly the fatuous Mr. Collins, whose proposal to Elizabeth is one of the finest comic passages in English literature. Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
Pride and Prejudice captures the affections of class-conscious eighteenth-century English families with matrimonial aims and rivalries. This story of the Bennet family and the novel's two protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, is told with a wit that author Jane Austen feared might prove "rather too light and bright, and sparkling." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. Austen's artistry is also apparent in the delineation of the minor characters: the ill-matched Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charles Bingley and his sisters, and particularly the fatuous Mr. Collins, whose proposal to Elizabeth is one of the finest comic passages in English literature. Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
About the Author-
Jane Austen's delightful, carefully wrought novels of manners-Pride and Prejudice and Emma among them-are those rare books that offer us a glimpse at the mores of a specific period while addressing the complexities of love, honor, and responsibility that still intrigue us today.
Reviews-
Jane Austen's classic novel is expertly narrated by Josephine Bailey, whose eloquent presentation captures all the exquisite restraint and elegance of Austen's prose. Undaunted by a large cast that is almost constantly engaged in dialogue, Bailey has impeccable timing as she brings beloved scenes to life. Her insightful narration conveys all the depth and detail of Austen's believable characters, including pert, sometimes saucy Elizabeth; amiable Jane; the initially stiff Mr. Darcy; and the amicable Mr. Bingley. Less central characters (vulgar Mrs. Bennet, ungovernable Lydia, moralizing Mary) are equally well done. The spirited exchange between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh as dramatized by Bailey is beyond compare. This fine production makes a persuasive case that Austen is best enjoyed unabridged. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Juliet Stevenson delivers Austen's lovely prose with the grace and intelligence that it deserves. Most of the novel moves at a stately pace, even the most emotional peaks of the love story, and Stevenson delivers it with the measured cadence it demands. She isn't quite as strong when speaking the male dialogue, but when she's speaking as any of the female characters--especially the silly, breathy ones like Lydia or Mrs. Bennet--she strikes the perfect tone. However, this abridgment leaves much to be desired. Some of Austen's wittiest lines are cut, and so much is lost from some interactions that several characters come off far more flatly than written. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
June 4, 2018 Collagist Fabe adds flair to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with 39 original illustrations that accompany the unabridged text. Fabe’s collages overlay bright, watercolor-washed scenes with retro cut-paper figures and objects sampled from fashion magazines from the 1930s to the ’50s. Accompanying each tableau is a quote from the Pride and Prejudice passage that inspired it. Like Austen’s book, Fabe’s work explores arcane customs of beauty and courtship, pageantry and social artifice: in one collage, a housewife holds a tray of drinks while a man sits happily with a sandwich in hand in the distance. While tinged with irony and more than a dash of social commentary, the collages nevertheless have a spirit of glee and evidence deep reverence for the novel. As Fabe describes in a preface, Austen “was a little bit mean—the way real people are mean—so there are both heroes and nincompoops. Family is both beloved and annoying. That is Austen’s genius, her ability to describe people in all their frailty and humor.” This is a sweet and visually appealing homage.
A young lady ought to be married by the age of 23. The sole quest of a young woman's mother is to see her daughter entered into a proper and timely marriage. How times have changed from Jane Austen's to ours! From initial impressions through each twist and turn of pride or prejudice, the listener becomes intimately involved with the world of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darby. Kate Reading is a fine reader of this classic. She sets a pleasing pace to keep the story moving enough for Austen's words to resonate. Reading has just enough Britishness to her voice to reflect the story's culture, and she maintains adequate variation for each of the many characters of both sexes. Reading's delivery helps the listener appreciate Austen's control of plot and detail, as well as her exquisite diction. This is a recording worthy of repeated listening. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
A new version of Austen's classic are part of renewed interest in classics on audio. The BBC Radio production is not dramatized with music and sound effects as many of their productions are. Hodge's voice has a light, clear quality. She does well with the ladies' voices but make little attempt to differentiate among them. Hodge draws fine portraits of the young Bennet girls, their parents and suitors. Her narration involves the listener in the eighteenth-century drawing-room society. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Jane Austen's classic novel about Elizabeth Bennett, her sisters, and their movement toward marriage in Regency England is richly presented by Irene Sutcliffe. She makes Mrs. Bennett, the girls' flighty mother, strident and grating--just the sort of tone that must have annoyed Mr. Bennett these many years and made his daughter, the intelligent, self-possessed Elizabeth, the greatest source of his pleasure. When the satire gives way to Austen's thoughtful romantic comedy, Sutcliffe's gravity conveys the importance of the eventual humbling and self-awareness attained by Elizabeth and her intended, Fitzwilliam Darcy. G.H.
Jane Lapotaire, known to American audiences from her many PBS appearances, is a perfect choice to read Jane Austen's comedy of manners. Her rich and varied intonations capture just the right blend of artifice and empathy to recreate not only the lively and playfully witty Elizabeth Bennett and the handsome, albeit conceited, Mr. Darcy, but also the entire gamut of Bennett family members, friends and foes. Amazingly, Lapotaire even manages to conjure memories of the screen's Mr. D', Lawrence Olivier. This is an exquisite audio abridgment of the classic English satire. L.(H.)B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
A new version of Austen's classic is part of renewed interest in classics on audio. David's voice has a light, clear quality. She does well with the ladies' voices but make little attempt to differentiate among them. In addition, David makes no change in tone when a gentleman speaks. Her rapid pace through conversational passages makes them hard to follow. The abridgment increases the speed of events which seem slightly at odds with the protracted courtesies and manners, but is generally successful. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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