NORTHANGER ABBEY

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. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 92]