Northanger Abbey and the History of England (Annotated)

By: Jane Austen

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Award-winning narrator and internationally acclaimed writer/comedienne, Alison Larkin brings her signature wit to this hugely entertaining audio production of Jane Austen's first novel, Northanger Abbey, followed by The History of England, a short, delightfully satirical piece that Austen wrote when she was just 15 years old.

In Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland, a clergyman's daughter, longs for the kind of romantic adventures she has read about in her favorite Gothic novels. After spending a season mingling with fashionable high society in Bath, she is invited to stay at Northanger Abbey where nothing is what it seems.

In The History of England, the teenage Jane Austen pokes fun at the historians of the day who pretended to be objective when they clearly were not, and wrote about the kings and queens of England with less respect (and more wit) than a British newspaper.

Public Domain (P)2017 British Classic Audio

Great narration.

The narration made the story even better. The story was entertaining and at times funny.

Northanger Abbey

I have never read anything by the esteemed Jane Austen & decided to edify myself with this one. Throughout this book, I felt like I was eavesdropping on a High School girl's innermost thoughts, only back in Victorian England!

Ms. Austen definitely had a sense of satire & it shows in this book. The characters are annoying, airheaded, obsessed with fashion & comportment.....just exactly what Ms. Austen's world must have been like. I also loved the short "A History of England"....I only wish I knew more about the real history to get some of the allusions!

The narration by Alison Larkin was absolutely spot-on! Her various voices for the different characters added so very much to the enjoyment of this book! Most of the time, I really thought that I was following along with Miss Moreland on her adventures. I will definitely give more books narrated by Ms. Larkin a listen!

I was given the Audible version of this book by the narrator & chose to review it .

Absolutely LOVED this sublime performance!

What a delight!

Alison Larkin has done it again -- an outstanding performance with her usual wit and humor, as well as tremendous characterization, in this wonderful performance of Northanger Abbey!

Just as Larkin introduced us to Jane Austen's little known poems in her narration of Persuasion, here she has included even more little-known Austen in the humorous and satirical "History of England. I loved listening to Jane Austen's "History of England"-- which was completely new to me, as it may be for many other Austen fans.

"Northanger Abbey and the History of England" is a great addition in Larkin's growing collection of Jane Austen novels. I loved her narration of Pride & Prejudice (with songs from Regency England), Persuasion & Poems, and Emma, too!

Definitely worth the listen whether it's your first time with Northanger Abbey or your 50th!

Jane Austen is always good...:)

Would you listen to Northanger Abbey and the History of England (Annotated) again? Why?

Yes, I would. I like Austen's novels, I come back to them quite frequently, althought I must admit that "Northanger Abbey" is the one that I read just once before. Listening to it now may count as my second meeting with the book - and a very pleasant one, thanks to Ms Larkin's interpretation:)

Who was your favorite character and why?

I'd say it's Catherine Morland, the heroine - I know, she is sentimental, head over heels in love with gothic romances, makes bad decisions and imagines things... but she is young, hungry for life in all its beauty and for extreme emotions... just like almost every girl her age:) And she is fantastically interpreted by Ms Larkin who portrays her as she is - a young inexperienced girl not really knowing the world outside her family circle, thrown into the "worldly" crowd and trying to find her own place there :)

I also loved the "History of England" part of the audiobook. I knew pieces of it as they were used in the 1999 film version of "Mansfield Park", but listening to the whole text was a great pleasure. And again, Ms Larkin's interpretation added even more fun to it:)

Which scene was your favorite?

There isn't one particular scene that I'd pinpoint as my favourite... There are many, really, that I like because of something small - it may be a piece of conversation or an image... But all of them make the book so intelligently funny...:)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I would gladly listen to it in one sitting on condition that I have no-one around me disturbing me all the time:) Austen's books, just like most classics, demand focus - the language and the style of writing is so totally different from modern writers'; the reader (or listener) has to concentrate a little bit more to follow the long sentences with quite a complicated structure...:) This being said, I like that old-fashioned and almost poetically rich kind of story-telling:)

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

God I Love Jane Austen

She stands the test of time Miss Austen does and Alison Larkin does her work justice with every syllable. Get this book and sit and listen. You will not regret a minute and if you are like me, you will find yourself searching for more of Miss Alison Larkin,s narration. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Good audiobook

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

I would recommend this book to a friend ,like all Jane Austin books.It is masterpiece of the english literature.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked all the characters.

What about Alison Larkin’s performance did you like?

She reads in a very calm and original way with British accent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I woul not change the original tag line of the book.

Any additional comments?

"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

Wonderful narration to Jane Austen's 1st Novel.

Any additional comments?

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars.
I've listened to audio recordings of Northanger Abbey probably 4 or 5 times over the past 20+ years, and this version is my favorite. Besides Alison Larkin providing a sublime narration, I've come to appreciate Jane Austen's first novel over the years, probably because I have two daughters who acted very similar to the heroine in this story when they were of similar age. [I'll never forget my then 16-year old daughter crying to me one night after she experienced her first kiss because "it wasn't like it is in romance novels."]

Like my daughter who is a voracious reader of historical romance novels, the heroine in Northanger Abbey is 17-year old Catherine Morland, who enjoys reading gothic novels to the point of believing that there must be some truth behind the stories. [I'll never forget my then 16-year old daughter crying to me one night after she experienced her first kiss because "it wasn't like it is in romance novels."]

Catherine is the most naïve of all Austen heroines. You can really see how she matures throughout the book and over the few months she spends in Bath with kindly and wealthy neighbors. Catherine is sincere, honest, goodhearted, and never pretends to be anyone other than who she is. I could really relate to Catherine's character as her crush on Mr. Tilney develops into a fond admiration from their first acquaintance; her steadfastness never wavers from him even though she was shown great attention and preference by someone else.

Alison Larkin's narration was simply wonderful. As she does with all of her narrations, Alison uses differing voices for all characters, and changes up the tempo during the most exciting parts of the story. But my favorite aspect of Alison's narration is that she delivers what Jane Austen wrote with satiric wit, just as the great author intended 200 years ago. As an added bonus, this version of the audiobook includes a few summaries of England's monarchs from Jane's point of view, many of which are laugh out loud funny. Brava!

great narration of this great book, =)

I love Jane Austens novels. And the narration was very good too. And I like that "The History of England" was included.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Fantastic Narration of some of Austen's Best

What did you love best about Northanger Abbey and the History of England (Annotated)?

Northanger Abbey might be my favorite of Austen's novels and this audio only enhanced it. All of the characters are well voiced, the emotion and imagination are beautifully read, and each character comes alive. Henry Tilney is one of my favorite literary characters and he was done splendidly here. Every time he was mentioned I found myself grinning, excited to see what he was going to do and how it would be read. The history of England portion was interesting and humorous. You can see Austen's style even in that writing from when she was fifteen.

Have you listened to any of Alison Larkin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of Alison Larkin's other performances, but this one definitely gives me a reason to do so!

Any additional comments?

This is such a splendidly done audio of one of my favorite classics. I would highly recommend it to any lover of Austen or audiobooks. *I received a copy of this audiobook upon request for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.*

Northanger Abbey - Loved, History of England, ok

Where does Northanger Abbey and the History of England (Annotated) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed Northanger Abbey. I have always loved Jane Austins books and this one is no exception. I love how the people interact and how Jane Austin writes her main characters strong and with at least a semblance of brains, both Women and Male main characters.

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed the interactions between the different people. I like how Catherine wasn't always right, but stood up for what she wanted even when being bullied into something by her brother, best friend, and another guy.

What does Alison Larkin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am not sure, but she did an awesome job on the characters voices and the pacing that she read the story with.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't know about being moved, but i did really understand the feelings she had at the end with her good friend. and i was really interested to see how quickly she hopped to conclusions once at Northanger Abbey about the father, that was quite a leap.

Any additional comments?

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."