The Dramatised Audiobook of Northanger Abbey

I have recently been looking for ways to expand my Austen obsessionism, though I have (ironically for one who has written a book of the same) struggled to find fan fiction I enjoy as much as the originals. About a year ago, I downloaded Persuasion only to discover myself listening to a dramatised scene in which Miss Elizabeth Elliot laments her younger sister Anne’s lack of interest in some topic or other which she found compelling. Pshah!, I declared with a sneer, and quickly deleted the download. I wanted no dramatization but the real, live, actual, no-words-but-Jane’s-words thing! This article is for those of you who have similarly declined these dramatised audiobooks, because I have found my mind as fundamentally changed as Lizzie Bennet’s toward Mr. Darcy.

My first reattempt has been with the Audible Original Drama of Northanger Abbey narrated by Emma Thompson. I’ll admit, seeing Emma Thompson’s name was my initial inducement, followed closely by Eleanor Tomlinson of Poldark fame. Who among us wouldn’t listen to Emma Thompson read anything, from the chronological order of the kings of England, with the dates of their accession, and most of the principal events of their reigns, to instructions for toilet flange repair?

[10 points to those who get the textual reference in the above paragraph!]

I suppose the critical thing to understand about these productions is what’s about to happen to you when you click play. One certainly doesn’t want to be accosted with ambient nature sounds, the churning of carriage wheels, or the shrill tenor of one of the many shrill characters of Austen without being aware of its impending occurence! Well, in this particular production, we begin with a scene of Catherine playing with her siblings and a direct scene between her Catherine’s mother and the music master who is about to be dismissed, which as you may remember was one of the happiest days of Miss Morland’s childhood. In the original text, this scene is summarized and included with a litany of behaviors and hobbies of the young Catherine meant to remind readers just how unlikely a heroine she is.

For the most part, the dramatization allows for performances by a diverse and talented cast for those scenes which were rendered as dialogue in the text. At times, such as that mentioned above, indirect dialogue is translated into scene and some additions to scenes are occasionally noticeable, but for the most part, the text remains true to the novel. Those parts of the book which were rendered via exposition and description are narrated by Emma Thompson with a perfect blend of inflection and sarcasm, rendering the book in exactly the playful light I sense Austen herself intended it to be read and received in.

The passage of time has dulled some of the wit of Austen’s text – which is to say, perhaps, that time has dulled the wits of the modern reader, though it is hardly our fault we no longer speak multi-syllabic words or care to remember the social customs of the past. Still, the modern reader is too apt to interpret the intended sarcasm as an authentic portrayal of the narrator’s beliefs and of the general ethos of the novel. Therefore, when hearing an audio performance, whether as a reading of the original text or a performance of an adapted version, the reader benefits from a deeper connection to the humor, irony, and satire of the work.

All in all, I highly recommend these dramatizations for those of us who have so exhausted ourselves on the original that we need a fresh way into the story. This isn’t to say I’ll ever give up those originals! Never! But I will incorporate some of these dramatizations into my rotation. And if you’re looking for a reason to click off the tube, I can’t think of a better. Take your phone or tablet to the porch or a comfortable chair and settle in.

Now I’m onto Jane Austen: The BBC Radio Drama Collection.

I once worked the midnight shift for a security company (of all things!) and during my shift, the local NPR station played the BBC. During those glorious two hours, I was frequently able to listen to BBC Dramas. Truly a great way to pass some time! I’ll share more when I’ve finished the first, Mansfield Park, which is not of course, the first of her written or published novels. I am intrigued by this ordering and wonder which to expect next!