Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen once said that if she'd been a painter, she would have been a miniaturist, for she loved the fine details. Reader Anna Massey is wonderfully attentive to those details. General Tilney is sufficiently ponderous, Mrs. Allen suitably vapid, and Catherine Morland, albeit sensible, just silly enough to make her flights of imagination entertaining as she enters the mysterious world of the handsome Henry Tilney. Massey renders palpable all of Catherine's delight and confusion in this new world. Though not as interesting as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE or EMMA, Austen's first novel argues forcefully for the seriousness of the novel as a form, pokes good humored fun at some of the silliness of the gothic, and tells a delightful story to boot. P.E.F. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Although published after her death, Northanger Abbey is one of Jane Austen's first novels. Like Don Quixote, it satirizes a popular literary genre of the day and draws distinctions between reality and illusion. Whereas Cervantes's novel took on a life--an archetypal one, in fact--independent of its original joke, Austen's novel suffers without at least a nodding acquaintance with the Gothic novels of Ann Radcliffe. A sheltered young woman mistakes relatively innocent actions for the sinister clues she reads about. A comedy of errors, of course, ensues. Academy Award-winner Glenda Jackson does an admirable job, particularly with Austen's memorable characterizations. Her touch is perhaps a bit too heavy for the aery narrative. But finding just the right tone for this author has eluded many a fine actor. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Sarah Childs appears to revel in a mannered reading of Jane Austen's satire of gothic novels. The posturings and prejudices of 18th century middle-class attitudes are exclaimed in an arch parody of the Edith Sitwell style. Unfortunately, Childs fails to comprehend much of what she is reading. While the conversational sallies between Catherine and her companions are sprightly, narrative sections often stumble. The elegant phraseology loses its thrust in a tangle that suggests lack of rehearsal. Very poor production editing emphasizes these problems with hesitations and mistakes left uncorrected. The overall effect is amateurish. S.B.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Austen's parody of a gothic novel gets an elegant reading to match its elegant prose. Sheltered Catherine Morland goes to fashionable Bath with a wealthy neighbor and discovers society and love. Juliet Stevenson gives each character a unique voice--the duplicitous Isabelle; Catherine's suitor, Henry Tinley; and Catherine's vacuous hostess--and invests each conversation with energy and importance. At the same time, as Austen, Stevenson steps back and comments on gothic heroines and Catherine's failures at becoming one. The delivery of Henry's fanciful description of the Abbey as a dark and mysterious place is a mini-classic in itself. Those who love Austen's fiction will appreciate this classy production. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

In this Woman's Hour dramatization, Juliet Stevenson elegantly presents Austen's novel with wry, nuanced humor. Stevenson captures impetuous, breathless Catherine's overactive imagination, fueled by the gothic novels she reads. From the vague, shallow Mrs. Allen to Catherine's intriguing, smooth-voiced suitor, Henry Tinley, Stevenson does a terrific job dramatizing all of Austen's characters, creating a new voice and persona for each. Stevenson's artful ability to convey Austen's characters and to dramatize their exchanges is underscored when she shifts back to the narrative voice reserved for Austen's ironic observations on their behavior. This audio program is so delightful that it's quite likely to send listeners looking for an unabridged version. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

With her natural elegance, fine ear for the English language, and hint of mischief, Emma Thompson has the ideal voice to narrate this Jane Austen classic. The first to be written (1798) and the last to be published after Austen's death (1818), the gentle gothic satire concerns clergyman's daughter Catherine Morland, who is introduced to high society with all its manners, teas, and dances. Young up-and-coming British actors Ella Purnell and Jeremy Irvine play the star-crossed lovers and lead the ensemble in this full-cast production, which includes plenty of period music and sound effects such as the clinking of fine china. Still, it's Emma Thompson who will mesmerize listeners. She and Jane Austen make a perfect pair. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine