PERSUASION

Listening to Juliet Stevenson's marvelous reading, one wonders if she collaborated with Austen in another life. Her narration enhances the text so beautifully that one thinks the author must have coached her. Stevenson applies vocal interpretations that make the characters pop with life. Mary whines and exclaims perfectly; Admiral Croft snaps listeners to attention; Sir Walter Elliot effervesces with indignation over the state of his finances. Only Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth speak in calm, measured tones. Nestled in social commentary targeting the matter of class, the story traces the twists and turns that Anne and Frederick must navigate on the road to love. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]