High pitched mother voice

I really enjoyed the story, but the narrators version of the mother's voice gave me a headache. Very high pitched louder than the others and gave me a headache. Took me a few different sitting to get through this just because I couldn't stand the mother voice.

12 people found this helpful

The voice work is too enthusiastic

The narrator starts out enthusiastically, delivering an excited Mrs. Bennet at the prospect of an aristocrat moving to her town and maybe some day marrying one of her daughters. But then all of the characters' lines are delivered with almost the same enthusiasm throughout the book. You'd think that Jane Austen ended every other sentence with an exclamation mark. I'm not a huge fan.

28 people found this helpful

Favorite narrator, of three!

Love this story! I come back to it when I want to take a break from new material or a different book. I bought it from Audible three different times with different narrators, and this version is the best.

6 people found this helpful

Great Book Made Better by the Perfect Narrator

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

Not to be reductive of a very important book, but this provides the storylines for every single romantic comedy and high school drama ever made. The characters are very compelling.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are far too many great scenes to say there was one best, but one of the most memorable was Mr. Collins' proposal to Elizabeth Bennet. Her refusal and his mental contortions to make himself believe that she really wasn't saying no was hilarious.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No tears yet, but plenty of laughter. Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins are both perfect comic relief.

Any additional comments?

Audiobooks aren't a replacement for reading obviously, but at their best they can bring those books to life in interesting ways. Emma Messenger manages to do that with Pride and Prejudice beautifully. The depth and timbre of her voice make the listen a true pleasure.

Even more than her voice, however, is her voice acting which makes the fascinating characters of the novel truly come to life. Her shrill, loud Mrs. Bennet helps bring out all the comic awfulness of her personality. Even better, in my mind, was the self-important harrumphing of Mr. Collins. The deep, dramatic breaths she would give him before every mention of Lady Catherine de Bourgh truly brought to life the ridiculousness of his character.

Emma Messenger is quickly becoming one of my favorite readers and I hope she continues to read titles for Audible.com.

15 people found this helpful

Hilarious

Emma Messanger gives an extremely, entertaining narration of this incredible book. Very lovely voice and dramatic inflection.

14 people found this helpful

Wonderful

Would you consider the audio edition of Pride And Prejudice to be better than the print version?

I have read Pride and Prejudice multiple times and thought this portrayal was spot on- Emma Messenger really captures the characters with the different voices she does. The voice used for Mrs. Bennett in particular was just perfect.

Which character – as performed by Emma Messenger – was your favorite?

My favorite character in the book is Elizabeth Bennett- a strong, opinionated and confident woman. But while Mrs. Bennett is an obnoxious woman, Emmas portrayal was so perfect it made me actually enjoy hearing all the foolish things she says.

Any additional comments?

This is my favorite book and having the audio edition to listen to while I work out is great-- I highly recommend this particular version because it really gives you the full Pride and Prejudice experience.

8 people found this helpful

Fantastic story; subpar narration

That Pride and Prejudice is wonderful is not news. Anyone who appreciates novels of wit, intelligence, and manners has probably encountered it already.

I'm writing this review to comment upon the narration which unfortunately was not up to the standards of the novel. It was often difficult to tell minor characters apart. For example the two Bingley sisters sounded almost the same and in rapid-fire dialog it was impossible to discern who was talking. Although the narrator was quite good conveying enthusiasm and animation, she fell into an unfortunate pattern when reading straight descriptions. Every sentence began to sound just like the last as her voice rose and fell in the same way from line to line.

Also, this should be marked as an abridged copy. Or perhaps it is simply very badly proofed. At one point I was having trouble following fast dialogue and picked up the book to get a handle on who was talking. That is when I discovered the narrator would omit occasional words (such as, "said Mr. Bingley"). This is inexcusable.

If I'd have picked this up from LibriVox as the work of a talented amateur it would have been fine. As something offered from Audible it is reprehensible. Only the extreme low cost offsets the many flaws. And even then one is not sure that is enough to excuse it.

12 people found this helpful

Highly recommended, a really good book.

Would you listen to Pride And Prejudice again? Why?

Yes, I will probably. The reader reads very well and her voice is pleasant to listen to.

Which character – as performed by Emma Messenger – was your favorite?

Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins

2 people found this helpful

Still a classic

Would you consider the audio edition of Pride And Prejudice to be better than the print version?

This has and always will be one of the classic love stories..And Emma Messenger's narration made it even better!

2 people found this helpful

Excellent

Almost everyone has read Pride and Prejudice, so why should you buy this audiobook? Buy it for Emma Messenger. She's done a superb, superb job. Great vocal modulation, a warm, easy style, and the characters really come alive. Recommended.

5 people found this helpful