SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

It's a cliché to say that reason triumphs over emotion in a Jane Austen novel, but the struggle is always far more interesting than the outcome. That's why Marianne Dashwood's passage from grief to good sense or Edward Ferrars's from quiet, unrequited faith to modest victory all delight the listener and ensure Austen's continued popularity. But how to choose among the current glut of Austen audios? Susannah Harker, familiar to Austen fans for her portrayal of Jane Bennet in the BBC's production of Pride and Prejudice, makes that task easier. As a trained British actress, she highlights the rich consonant qualities of Austen's prose. But more important, as a skilled reader, she possesses a complete range of pitch and the acute tonal nuance needed to capture Austen's delicate satire. If "our Jane" were to select a reader today, I suspect it would be Harker. P.E.F. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 98]