PRIDE AND PREJUDICE With Songs From Regency England

A bright, lively narration by Alison Larkin makes listening to Jane Austen’s classic an experience not to be missed. She sounds as if she can’t wait to tell this delicious story, and she doesn’t disappoint. Larkin makes sure all the characters’ motives are believable—from frantic Mrs. Bennet to laconic Mr. B; from social-climbing Mr. Collins to devious Wyckham. Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s repartee is especially sharp. Spritely bursts of music between chapters, which emphasize the atmosphere, and an added scene written by Larkin, take listeners to the Bennets’ drawing room, where the exuberant, if untrained, voice of Mary Bennet sings “The Lonely Ash Grove,” “Ye Banks and Braes,” and “Down by the Salley Gardens.” Larkin’s sparkling performance is a perfect fit for audio. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]