The Jane Austen BBC Radio Drama Collection

Six BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

By: Jane Austen

Narrated by: Julia McKenzie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliet Stevenson, Eve Best, Jenny Agutter, Toby Jones, full cast, David Tennant

A collection of BBC radio full-cast dramatisations of Jane Austen's six major novels. Jane Austen is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this volume includes all six of her classic novels.

Mansfield Park: on a quest to find a position in society, Fanny Price goes to live with her rich aunt and uncle.

Northanger Abbey: young, naïve Catherine Morland receives an invitation to stay at the isolated Gothic mansion Northanger Abbey.

Sense and Sensibility: forced to leave their family home after their father's death, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood try to forge a new life at Barton Cottage.

Pride and Prejudice: Mrs Bennet is determined to get her five daughters married well, so when the wealthy Mr Bingley and his friend, Mr Darcy, move into the neighbourhood, her hopes are raised....

Emma: Emma Woodhouse declares she will never marry, but she is determined to find a match for her friend, Harriet.

Persuasion: eight years ago, Anne Elliot rejected a marriage proposal from a handsome but poor naval officer. Now her former love has returned....

With an all-star cast including David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch, Julia McKenzie, Jenny Agutter, Toby Jones, Eve Best and Juliet Stevenson, these BBC radio adaptations are full of humour, romance, love lost and love regained. Duration: approx. 14 hours 30 mins.

Full chapter listing:

• Chapters 1-10: Mansfield Park
• Chapters 11-13: Northanger Abbey
• Chapters 14 and 15: Sense and Sensibility
• Chapters 16-18: Pride and Prejudice
• Chapters 19 and 20: Emma
• Chapters 21-23: Persuasion

©2016 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2016 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sadly, there was no Cumberbatch Darcy

I love Jane Austen and I'm a Benedict Cumberbatch fan as well so I was really excited about this series. But Cumberbatch only performs in Mansfield Park (my least favorite novel of Austen's). Overall, the acting was good and I thought that the rewrite kept the integrity of the story. Just don't get your hopes up to hear Benedict Cumberbatch as Mr. Darcy.

An Amazing Cast in Each Story

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think a lot of the titular characters stand out. But my real answer is everyone plays their part - Austen didn't create many one dimensional characters. And through her creations I think it created a seamless transition between book to play.

Any additional comments?

The stories are timeless and sometimes I like a good dramatisation over the actual book itself. The case is exceptional - pretty sure most having gone to drama school or come from the theater. Just feels like it could be a TV production and I'm down with that!

Good for the medium, lots left out

I'm a fan of Austen though not a purist, however I did hope they would have been able to keep more of the original stories in the performances.

They're logical cuts because radio shows cannot be hours and hours long though.

This combo also included EMMA which was not clear when it was purchased.

The voices are well done and it was enjoyable overall.

Enjoyed it.

This was my first time listening to a dramatized book but I really enjoyed it.

Well done, just wish they weren't abridged

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because they are a great listen.

Any additional comments?

Wish it wasn't abridged versions of the books.