EMMA

Emma Wodehouse, while eschewing marriage for herself, has no compunctions about making matches for others. No one creates silly English characters better than Austen, and Wanda McCaddon is up to the challenge of presenting them in all their inanity, especially as she reads dialogue. She’s equally adept at portraying the multitude of characters that people the village of Highbury—whether male or female; upper, middle, or lower class; likable or unlikable. The plot itself might sag a bit in the middle, but it rights itself by the end with several satisfying chapters that resolve all the romantic couplings, including Emma's own. As Emma grows into a more thoughtful young woman, McCaddon's narration reflects her maturation. S.S.R. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]