Persuasion
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
Eight years ago, Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth fell head over heels in love. But Anne's snobbish family put a stop to their engagement, believing the young naval captain wasn't good enough for her. Pretty, intelligent Anne soon realises it was a terrible mistake, and spends her twenties in the shadow of her father and her selfish sisters. But she never forgets.Then Captain Wentworth - by now a successful, wealthy man, looking for a wife - walks back into her life. Can he forgive her? Does he still love her? And could they ever be happy, after all this time?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stevenson has read all of Austen's novels for audiobook, in abridged or unabridged versions, and her experience shows in this delightful production. Though dominated by the intelligent, sweet voice of Anne Elliot the least favored but most worthy of three daughters in a family with an old name but declining fortunes Stevenson provides other characters with memorable voices as well. She reads Anne's haughty father's lines with a mixture of stuffiness and bluster, and Anne's sisters are portrayed with a hilariously flighty, breathy register that makes Austen's contempt for them palpable. Anne's voice is mostly measured and reasonable an expression of her strong mind and spirit but Stevenson imbues her speech with wonderful shades of passion as Anne is reacquainted with Capt. Wentworth, whom she has continued to love despite being forced, years before, to reject him over status issues. Listening to Stevenson, as Anne, describe a sudden encounter with Wentworth, one hardly needs Austen's description of how Anne grows faint Stevenson's perfectly judged and deeply felt reading has already shown that she must have. Even those who have read Austen's novels will find themselves loving this book all over again with Stevenson's evocative rendition ringing richly in their ears.
