Pride and Prejudice

By: Jane Austen

Narrated by: Rosamund Pike

One of Jane Austen’s most beloved works, Pride and Prejudice, is vividly brought to life by Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl). In her bright and energetic performance of this British classic, she expertly captures Austen’s signature wit and tone. Her attention to detail, her literary background, and her performance in the 2005 feature film version of the novel provide the perfect foundation from which to convey the story of Elizabeth Bennet, her four sisters, and the inimitable Mr. Darcy.

In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennet sisters try to find their way in the repressive strictures of 19th-century society. Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and the experience of falling in love, and she superbly describes a world which, despite being more than two centuries old, still resonates with modern concerns.

Public Domain (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"British actress Rosamund Pike is the perfect choice to narrate this novel of manners, and listening to her voice each of the iconic characters is great fun.... Austen's many devotees will savor this first-rate version of her charming novel." (AudioFile)

Smiling as I clean

Having loved the story since high school lit class, I have read my tattered copy of Pride & Prejudice nearly every year. I have etched out time to indulge in the long A & E movie version and when time eludes, enjoy the latest 2-hour version. Yet I have known that the vocabulary and its rightful owners had to be abridged and reassigned in the screenplays.

When I saw that Rosamund Pike (actress who portrayed Jane in latest movie) had recorded for Audible, I immediately put the book and a pair of headphones on my wish list.

Birthday gifts did not disappoint, and I have cleaned my house top to bottom, folded laundry, sat for a spell, all the while thoroughly enjoying this audio version. Ms Pike's voicings have made me smile and laugh out loud. Her Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine are hilarious. The encounters at Rosings were some of my favorites. What a treat to get the whole story in dramatic form. I feel satisfied and look forward to listening again and again.

An exceptional narration of a great novel.

If you could sum up Pride and Prejudice in three words, what would they be?

Character, manners, and folly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elizabeth Bennet is the story.

What about Rosamund Pike’s performance did you like?

She gives a lively and nuanced reading, showing a well-known story in a fresh aspect.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I forced myself to go slower and enjoy the details.

Any additional comments?

I am familiar with P&P, and have the Lindsay Duncan performance, which I like, and had thought was the best available. Now I believe the Rosamund Pike narration is even better, more lively, subtle and interesting.

Excellent Job!

Would you listen to Pride and Prejudice again? Why?

Definitely yes! It's my favorite of Jane Austen's I've read it 3 times in my life time, and listening to it again is a given...

What did you like best about this story?

The story is one of my favorites. Rosamund Pike knows her stuff, and aside for two characters which she did not fully capture, namely Mr. Collins and Mrs. Hurst, her performance was exquisite.

An excellent version of P&P but not flawless

I love Pride and Prejudice. It's a beautiful, insightful story that works well in the audiobook medium. It's my favorite audiobook and I recommend it to anyone wholeheartedly. This review will focus primarily on the performance:

pros: The narrator's voice and accent overall is a pleasure to listen to and the men are rendered believably. Many P&P narrators struggle with the men in the story and rendition does it particularly well.

cons: I didn't love some of the choices in the performance. I actually dislike the performer's Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Hurst, and Kitty Bennet, but more irksome for me was that sometimes the performer fails to take vocal cues from the text (eg. does not sound shocked when the author describes a response as shocked etc.) I didn't find the Mr. Bennett performance anything special - it was good but not the fantastic performance I was expecting after reading many of the reviews.

Overall I recommend this recording and it is a pleasure to listen to, but I would be skeptical of reviews that claim that this was some particularly insightful performance.

Excellent performance

The reader enhances the story with her beautiful voice and inflection which add an element of authenticity to the reading. Pike as Elizabeth, make it abundantly clear the story relates the views, thoughts and emotions of a young English woman of the Elizabethan era. Too many versions sound as though they read by matron. For those who have never read Pride and Prejudice, this is an excellent introduction to Jane Austen's work.