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4 classic audiobooks

Four recent audiobooks bring new life to titles that should not be forgotten.

2. 'Northanger Abbey' and 'The History of England,' by Jane Austen

  • By Rochelle O'Gorman

(Read by Alison Larkin; Blackstone Audio; 8 CDs; 9.5 hours; $27.99 www.audible.com download; $19.95)

In Austen's first novel, protagonist Catherine Morland aches for romance, but gets more than she bargained for when invited to Northanger Abbey, a place where appearances are deceiving. Narrator Alison Larkin reminds one of such character actresses as Billie Burke, or to a lesser extent, Spring Byington, from the Golden Age of cinema.  She can sound almost effervescent, which works very well with young characters, but changes her tone and timbre for others. This is a particularly enjoyable rendition of an oft-recorded novel because Larkin understands that Austen was sending up Gothic novels and never lets the parody out of earshot. The "History of England" was written when Austen was 15, and while callow remains surprisingly witty.

Grade: A –

 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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