Emma

De: Jane Austen

Narrado por: Jenny Agutter

Exclusively from Audible

Emma can be enjoyed as a charming love story, a detective story, and a comic and lively picture of English life 200 years ago.

Austen's beautiful, clever, wilful but fallible heroine Emma Woodhouse believes she knows best. Perfectly content with her life she sees no need for either love or marriage, yet nothing pleases her more than meddling in the romantic lives of others. But when she fails to heed the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and schemes to arrange a suitable match for her protégée, Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. She discovers that she understands the feelings of others as little as she does her own heart.

With a cast of unforgettable characters, it is a lively comedy of manners that explores the concerns of genteel women living in Regency times.

Jane Austen was an English writer known primarily for her six major novels which focused on the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her plots often explore women's dependence on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security.

Narrator Biography

Jenny Agutter began her acting career as a child in 1964's East of Sudan and is well known for appearing in three adaptations of The Railway Children. She starred in the critically acclaimed 1971 film Walkabout as well as receiving a string of Hollywood roles. She won an Emmy for her role in The Snow Goose (1971), as well as a BAFTA for her role in Equus (1997).

More recently she has appeared in several television dramas, including Spooks (2002-2003), and Call the Midwife since 2012. She has performed in numerous theatre productions, including roles with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has also narrated audiobooks like Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle, and featured in the Doctor Who audio dramas inThe Bride of Peladon, and The Minister of Chance. In 2012 she was appointed OBE for her charity work.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Did the narrator not like the book?

Usually audible narrators are fantastic. The performance here seems rushed with little effort to distinguish among the voices of the characters. Disappointing.

A stunningly complex web of affections

Trying not to give away spoilers, but this has to be the most artfully crafted web of interpersonal true and false attachments ever to grace the pages of fiction.

To follow all the sincerity and insincerity, public narratives and secrets, spoken and unspoken communications takes a bold focus, but if you succeed, there are many sweet rewards awaiting you.

Sadly there are many whole chapters that appear to offer the story line no forward motion... just be patient. Austen enjoys merely showing off how ridiculous Victorian elite can be.

Unabridged Goodness

I love this unabridged performance by the talented Jenny Agutter. I wish I'd never purchased the Ana Lea adaptation. Emma may be my least favorite Austen character but she comes off even worse when you abridge!

beautifully written

I love these classic romances. They are among my favorite to listen to. The narrator was acceptable.

Well told classic

This is a flawless narration of a Jane Austen classic. My first time reading it, and I did enjoy the story!

the writing and narration

it was great and awesome and fabulously written and narrated I was so sad when it ended

Biting Satire of Manners

I greatly enjoyed the book and the narration. This is only the fourth Jane Austen novel that I have listened to/read and found it very different than the others. It is much more biting in its satire of the life, manners, and prejudices of the English country gentry. Unlike the other novels that I am familiar with- Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion - the main character is not particularly likable as are almost all of her acquaintances except for Mr. Knightley and Jane Fairfax. I especially liked the fact that by the author focusing on describing the interactions of the many characters, I could not determine the final outcome of the plot until almost the end of the novel. The narrator was terrific. It is obvious that Ms. Agutter is a very experienced and talented actress; she was able to bring all of the novel's many characters to life, each with their own distinctive personality.I recommend this Audible recording most highly.

Lovely all around

What about Jenny Agutter’s performance did you like?

Jenny Agutter's reading was really just lovely! Her pacing was excellent, and I loved the distinction she made between conversational tone and narration.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Box Hill = cringiest moment EVER.

Any additional comments?

I'm not the biggest Elizabeth Bennett fan, but Emma Woodhouse was delightful. She's the George Costanza of the Austen world - aka whatever she does, she really should've done the opposite... for the first 2/3rds of the novel anyways. Eventually she has some serious personal growth, which is something that I think everyone can do with.

Perfect reading!!

Best narration I have heard, of one of my favorite books! it was a pleasure to listen to.

Give me a me a me a me

Really good, I really liked it, it took a while to get the names right but after that it was really really good one thing I would say is it’s a little hard to follow at the beginning but once you get into it it’s really easy space space