THE FEMALE QUIXOTE

DON QUIXOTE has been adapted or parodied many times over the centuries, and this 1752 version by Charlotte Lennox holds up pretty well as read by Juliet Stevenson. (It was also one of the inspirations for Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY.) Lady Arabella has read too many romances, and, having grown up in isolation in the country, she interprets them as history. Stevenson takes us through the novel's episodes with a series of characters who must cope with Arabella's delusions. All the characters come vividly to life, particularly the increasingly exasperated Charles Glanville, Arabella's would-be fiancé, who tries to spare her from the consequences of her nutty actions. Stevenson's reading heightens the humor and the pathos, and may help popularize this novel among today's listeners. D.M.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2020]