Northanger Abbey Audiobook Narrated by Anna Massey

So I love Northanger Abbey SO MUCH!

Please note that this is being said sarcastically.

So when I saw this audiobook on Overdrive I was excited to give it a listen.

But that joy did not continue with this production.

So I really enjoyed her narration and I liked how she did Mrs. Allen’s voice. It was really well done and had me view her in another way. Take this passage for instance:

“…they[Mrs. Thorpe and Mrs. Allen] proceeded to make inquiries and give intelligence as to their families, sisters, and cousins, talking both together, far more ready to give than to receive information, and each hearing very little of what the other said. Mrs. Thorpe, however, had one great advantage as a talker, over Mrs. Allen, in a family of children; and when she expatiated on the talents of her sons, and the beauty of her daughters, when she related their different situations and views—that John was at Oxford, Edward at Merchant Taylors’, and William at sea—and all of them more beloved and respected in their different station than any other three beings ever were, Mrs. Allen had no similar information to give, no similar triumphs to press on the unwilling and unbelieving ear of her friend, and was forced to sit and appear to listen to all these maternal effusions, consoling herself, however, with the discovery, which her keen eye soon made, that the lace on Mrs. Thorpe’s pelisse was not half so handsome as that on her own.”

I never really thought about this other than Mrs. Allen was a bit vain and both ladies were not really friends, but just trying to one up each other…but hearing the audiobook got me thinking. What if Mrs. Allen’s obsession with clothes isn’t really because she is a vain, silly, or just obsessed with fashion…what if it is to fill something that is missing in her life?

Hmm…?

Having children was very important in the Regency Era, maybe her attention to fashion was what she always had, but became more obsessed with after she never had children. I mean Mrs. Allen’s only consolation to Mrs. Thorpe bragging about her children is she is dressed better than her.

Or my gowns.

However, I didn’t care for her doing Catherine’s voice as she didn’t really make it sound different, but did for Isabella. I mean she tried to show distinction with everyone’s voice but Catherine didn’t sound youthful. All that I could have handled it was the men though, the men were really hard to listen to.

I prefer in audiobooks narrated by women when they don’t try to make “men’s voices” but just read it normally as a lot of times it just sounds silly. I didn’t like Mr. Tilney’s voice, but I really didn’t care for Mr. Thorpe’s voice, I mean I wouldn’t anyway, but it was just so silly and grating. It made it really hard to listen to.

It wasn’t horrible, but definitely wasn’t that enjoyable to me. I didn’t really care for it.

Are there any audio adaptions you really care for? Any narrators you recommend?

For more Northanger Abbey, go to Is Emma Jane Austen’s Only Mystery?

For more audiobooks, go to YULETIDE: A Jane Austen-inspired Collection of Stories Audiobook

For more Northanger Abbey adaptions, go to Are You Prepared to Encounter All of Its Horrors?…Let’s Just Say That All Houses Have Their Secrets, and Northanger is No Exception.: Northanger Abbey (2007)

For more Jane Austen adaptions, go to Achy Breaky Heart: Austentatious (2015)

In other news, February usually means it is time for Romance is in the Air: 14 Romantic Moments from Film & TV.

However, I will not be doing it this year.

I just wasn’t inspired this year. I only had 4/14 romantic moments so instead of trying to rush it and try to scrounge up 10 more, I just decided to not do it this year. I just save it for next year.