-
The Jane Austen Society
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $18.89
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Bloomsbury Girls
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare book store that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans.
-
-
Thoroughly enjoyable
- By So Many Books on 06-17-22
By: Natalie Jenner
-
The Jane Austen Project
- A Novel
- By: Kathleen A. Flynn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two travelers - Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane - arrive in a field in rural England, disheveled and weighed down with hidden money. Turned away at a nearby inn, they are forced to travel by coach all night to London. They are not what they seem but rather colleagues who have come back in time from a technologically advanced future, posing as wealthy West Indies planters - a doctor and his spinster sister. Their mission: meet, befriend, and steal from Jane Austen herself.
-
-
Fun But Lacking Character Depth
- By E. Didi on 07-17-17
-
The Garden of Angels
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Palazzo Colombina is home to the Uccello family: three generations of men, trapped together in the dusty palace on Venice's Grand Canal. Awkward 15-year-old Nico. His distant, business-focused father. And his beloved grandfather, Paolo. Paolo is dying. But before he passes, he has secrets he's waited his whole life to share.
-
-
Excellent Story, Expert Narration, A Winning Combo!
- By U. Campanella on 01-30-21
By: David Hewson
-
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
- A Novel
- By: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.... As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends - and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is.
-
-
MUCH better than I ever expected! Give it a try!
- By Kent on 10-19-09
By: Mary Ann Shaffer, and others
-
Jane Austen at Home
- A Biography
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Ruth Redman
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a trip back to Jane Austen's world and the many places she lived as historian Lucy Worsley visits Austen's childhood home, her schools, her holiday accommodations, the houses - both grand and small - of the relations upon whom she was dependent, and the home she shared with her mother and sister towards the end of her life.
-
-
As a Devoted Janeite - I loved this book!
- By Dorothy on 07-17-17
By: Lucy Worsley
-
The Dictionary of Lost Words
- A Novel
- By: Pip Williams
- Narrated by: Pippa Bennett-Warner
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and, learning that the word means “slave girl,” begins to collect other words discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.
-
-
Enchanted
- By Lulu Can on 04-07-21
By: Pip Williams
-
Bloomsbury Girls
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare book store that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans.
-
-
Thoroughly enjoyable
- By So Many Books on 06-17-22
By: Natalie Jenner
-
The Jane Austen Project
- A Novel
- By: Kathleen A. Flynn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two travelers - Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane - arrive in a field in rural England, disheveled and weighed down with hidden money. Turned away at a nearby inn, they are forced to travel by coach all night to London. They are not what they seem but rather colleagues who have come back in time from a technologically advanced future, posing as wealthy West Indies planters - a doctor and his spinster sister. Their mission: meet, befriend, and steal from Jane Austen herself.
-
-
Fun But Lacking Character Depth
- By E. Didi on 07-17-17
-
The Garden of Angels
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Palazzo Colombina is home to the Uccello family: three generations of men, trapped together in the dusty palace on Venice's Grand Canal. Awkward 15-year-old Nico. His distant, business-focused father. And his beloved grandfather, Paolo. Paolo is dying. But before he passes, he has secrets he's waited his whole life to share.
-
-
Excellent Story, Expert Narration, A Winning Combo!
- By U. Campanella on 01-30-21
By: David Hewson
-
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
- A Novel
- By: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.... As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends - and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is.
-
-
MUCH better than I ever expected! Give it a try!
- By Kent on 10-19-09
By: Mary Ann Shaffer, and others
-
Jane Austen at Home
- A Biography
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Ruth Redman
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a trip back to Jane Austen's world and the many places she lived as historian Lucy Worsley visits Austen's childhood home, her schools, her holiday accommodations, the houses - both grand and small - of the relations upon whom she was dependent, and the home she shared with her mother and sister towards the end of her life.
-
-
As a Devoted Janeite - I loved this book!
- By Dorothy on 07-17-17
By: Lucy Worsley
-
The Dictionary of Lost Words
- A Novel
- By: Pip Williams
- Narrated by: Pippa Bennett-Warner
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and, learning that the word means “slave girl,” begins to collect other words discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.
-
-
Enchanted
- By Lulu Can on 04-07-21
By: Pip Williams
-
Lessons in Chemistry
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Garmus
- Narrated by: Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable.
-
-
Baby boomer editor needed....desperately!
- By Bun-Bun Baxter on 04-19-22
By: Bonnie Garmus
-
What Once Was True
- By: Jean Grainger
- Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robinswood, Co. Waterford, 1939. The once grand house is home to two very different families. Despite delusions of grandeur, Lord and Lady Kenefick and their adult children live a life of decayed opulence as the money needed to keep such a large house and grounds ever dwindles. Meanwhile, the Murphy family, Dermot, Isabella and their three almost grown-up girls, live and work on the estate and do their best to keep everything running smoothly.
-
-
I throughly enjoyed every minute of this book
- By paula wright on 09-16-20
By: Jean Grainger
-
The Lincoln Highway
- A Novel
- By: Amor Towles
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car.
-
-
I'm totally opposite
- By Meaghan Bynum on 10-10-21
By: Amor Towles
-
The Convenient Marriage
- By: Georgette Heyer
- Narrated by: Caroline Hunt
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the most eligible Earl of Rule offers for the hand of the beauty of the Winwood family, he has no notion of the distress he causes his intended. For Miss Lizzie Winwood is promised to the excellent, but impoverished, Mr Edward Heron. Disaster can only be averted by the delightful impetuosity of her youngest sister, Horatia, who conceives her own, distinctly original plans . . .
-
-
Yeah! They fixed it!
- By Yvette on 10-26-10
By: Georgette Heyer
-
Romeo and Juliet: A Novel
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's a story you think you know: the age-old tale of "star-cross'd lovers"; two families at war; a romance, so pure and absolute, fated for a tragic end. It's a story so thoroughly embedded in our culture, and so frequently retold. Yet, nothing captures the spark, the possibility, and the surprise of Shakespeare's work quite like this....
-
-
The Story and The Voice
- By Abiwim on 12-14-16
By: David Hewson
-
The Last Bookshop in London
- A Novel of World War II
- By: Madeline Martin
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
August 1939: London is dismal under the weight of impending war with Germany as Hitler’s forces continue to sweep across Europe. Into this uncertain maelstrom steps Grace Bennett, young and ready for a fresh start in the bustling city streets she’s always dreamed of - and miles away from her troubled past in the countryside. With aspirations of working at a department store, Grace never imagined she’d wind up employed at Primrose Hill, an offbeat bookshop nestled in the heart of the city - after all, she’s never been much of a reader.
-
-
Very very seldom
- By Sherry Tritt Holton on 04-27-21
By: Madeline Martin
-
Miss Austen
- A Novel of the Austen Sisters
- By: Gill Hornby
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone and unwed, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her 60s and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold.
-
-
Wonderful
- By RueRue on 06-27-20
By: Gill Hornby
-
The Last Garden in England
- By: Julia Kelly
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio, Marisa Calin, Danielle Cohen, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.
-
-
One of the BEST Audiobooks I've ever listened to
- By Buddy on 02-03-21
By: Julia Kelly
-
The Murder of Mr. Wickham
- By: Claudia Gray
- Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.
-
-
Better than I could’ve hoped
- By Logan on 05-23-22
By: Claudia Gray
-
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Ryan
- Narrated by: Sophie Robert
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the London Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. Praying that her niece and nephew will be more hospitable than her brother had been, she arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business while staying in a quaint country village.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Valerie L on 07-29-22
By: Jennifer Ryan
-
The Last Dance of the Debutante
- By: Julia Kelly
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsy to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society. In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women.
-
-
Not at all what i was expecting.
- By Tanya on 01-31-22
By: Julia Kelly
-
The Pillars of the Earth
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
-
-
It was very hard to get through this one
- By Leslie on 03-12-13
By: Ken Follett
Publisher's Summary
"Richard Armitage is an excellent choice of narrator for this celebration of the famed British author's work. His deep, resonant voice meanders through the stories of seven different people in the small English town of Chawton...a great casual listen, especially for those familiar with Austen's work." (AudioFile magazine)
This program includes a bonus conversation between the author and Kathleen A. Flynn, author of The Jane Austen Project.
Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now, it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people - a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others - could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
A powerful and moving novel that explores the tragedies and triumphs of life, both large and small, and the universal humanity in us all, Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society is destined to resonate with listeners for years to come.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press
"Fans of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society.... A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal." (Pam Jenoff, New York Times best-selling author of The Lost Girls of Paris)
"Anyone seeking an antidote to contemporary chaos will find a welcome respite among the members of a group whose outer lives may appear simple, but whose inner lives need the kind of balm Austen knew well." (Washington Post)
"Just like a story written by Austen herself, Jenner's first novel is brimming with charming moments, endearing characters, and nuanced relationships, all largely set within and reflecting the often intrusive atmosphere of a small country community.... The pleasures are many in this clever tribute to the beloved and endlessly influential Austen and the English village tale." (Booklist starred review)

Editor's Pick
More from the same
What listeners say about The Jane Austen Society
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 08-12-20
Why so much bad language? Ruined a good book
I liked the British portion of the book. It was delightful. The American portion swore like a sailor and totally ruined it for me. I will not keep this book, I was so disappointed. A good author doesn’t need sex and profanity to sell their book.
54 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dorothy Hanson
- 10-13-20
Skip it.
Narrator was great, but the story was rubbish. Austen fans beware, please skip it. Great promise at the beginning but increasing amounts of trash until it just becomes unbearable.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- alma
- 05-30-20
Choose Hope
I knew of Jane Austen but did not partake in her stories since I loved the sciences. I wasn't sure what to expect with this audio book , but what I experience was magical. The catalyst for this story is Jane Austen. Her books touched many lives and her determination to get them publish is extraordinary considering the time period. However, that wasn't the primary story. It was the eclectic characters and their struggles that mirrored the social commentary found in the Austen books that was powerfully told. The descriptions of the expectations, hardship, loss, and love experience by all the characters drew empathy from me. The range of empathy depends on your life experiences. The narration by Richard Armitage is outstanding. Even though the characters are distinct with RA voices, he is Dr. Gray in my mind. Excellent story and performance!
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kelly Houske
- 05-31-20
Introduction to Jane Austen
Wow. I friend said this was on her list of books to read and although I wasn’t familiar with Jane Austen and was ready to begin my next book I thought , “Why not?”
Wow - I am not disappointed! The character development is amazing. Each one so interesting yet with their own stories and brought together with such skill and mastery
If the actual Jane Austen books are half as interesting I’m sure I’ll be hooked!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Annie H
- 09-06-20
It was okay
The story was okay. Most of my qualms were with Adam conveniently being gay without any real reason to create the romance with Yardley. That romance could have very well been developed better. The performance by Richard Armitage was great.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Syd Young
- 06-23-20
Deep and Rich
Janeites of the world, rejoice, this is a hefty new offering. It is an imagining of an original effort to physically preserve Jane Austen’s legacy. Characterization is rich and there’s the surprising extra spice of feeling like you may recognize some of these character’s stories.
Another surprise is that the book begins with, and deeply portrays, what Austen means even to men. It’s ridiculous for me to have to say this, but I must: Austen is worthy to be read, even studied, by all. The characters and their conversations about Austen will help you dig deeper into her legacy, why it exists, and how sneaky and capable she is as an author in the worlds she builds. I, for one, am glad that her legend prevailed despite the gate keepers.
Also, I was a little peeved at PW for saying that this book is for Austen lovers, and yet I started my review with the same sentiment! The comparisons to The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are right on. Could a movie of this book, where men actually utter the words that they, too, are enamored with Austen, help show the appeal to all? Regardless, it would be super fun and the book would make an appealing movie.
I thought this book was probably a flighty offering, so honestly I avoided it for a while during the pandemic. Glad I picked it up, though, it’s very deep and moving. A major theme of the book is grief and how you get through it. Set at the end of WWII those griefs are different but proliferate in this world. They also speak to today.
Chawton is home to a local doctor, a young widow, a lawyer, a farmer, an heiress (whose last name is Knightly) and soon to be the home of a movie star in her prime. They’ve all had their hurts and sorrows, taking solace with Austen and each other, in their own different ways. They all fumble a bit, too, just as we do. When Austen brings them together, their one desire is to help others have access to their Austen. But can they succeed?
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Duckie
- 05-28-20
Great novel!
I couldn’t stop listening! Characters well developed and relatable! It’s balm for the soul and if you love Jane Austin you are in for a great treat! Narration was excellent! It’s so calming and yet full of surprises !It also makes you want to reread Jane Austin’s books! I’m looking forward to Natalie Jenner’s next novel!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lisa C
- 06-08-20
Fun Austen Tromp
What a fun cast of characters read by a wonderful narrator. I loved all the references and conversations about Austen’s work as much as the character’s drive to preserve history. I would listen again.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 06-25-20
Delightful
This book was a delight. The characters are relatable, the plot engaging, and the narrator Richard Armitage is excellent. Listening to this book was so relaxing for me.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ZChandler
- 06-24-20
Brilliant
I’ve never read a book faster. I missed the characters when I put the book down. So this novel, will keep you awake in a beautifully hungry way.
4 people found this helpful