Member Reviews
This was my 5th read of Persuasion, it's my favorite Jane Austen book. This was the 2nd time I've listened to it and I'll admit I was skeptical about a male narrator but Mike Read did an excellent job! There's nothing worse than a male narrator who can't do female voices but fortunately, that wasn't the case with this one.
I consider Persuasion to be one of the most underrated books I've ever read. Everyone only talks about Pride & Prejudice when they hear Jane Austen and while it's an amazing book, I have to be in the right mood for it or else I feel like I'm getting bogged down in the writing. Persuasion is a lot shorter than P&P and while enemies to lovers is always an enjoyable, I find I like the second chance romance more because of how bittersweet it is. They're finally together but they missed out on eight years together. Reading or listening, everyone should read Persuasion once!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson for the audio-arc!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
This was a wonderful version of Persuasion, and I think that the narrator has done a wonderful job of bringing Anne, Captain Wentworth, and everyone to life! I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and Nelson's narration was fantastic. I think that his pacing was perfect (I listen to all audiobooks at 1.5x speed, and it was spot on for me), and he created different characters without being distracting or clownish. I am very familiar with Austen and Persuasion, and I think this audiobook more than does it justice!
Well, this is my first Jane Austen. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. One thing I absolutely do not get, is why a male narrator was chosen for this novel. I know that’s not Netgalley’s doing, but as we are with Anne quite a bit and this narrator doesn’t change his voice at all, it was kind of jarring and took away from the story.
Classics aren’t my favorite, I won’t lie. Austen definitely can keep your interest and was quite forward and captivating for the time period. I got a bit sick of the constant exclamation and “she cried” this and “she cried” that. The dramatics come with the era too, I suspect.
That love letter though. I think everything could have been shit and I would still swoon after that love letter. It makes me want to watch the movie so I can see it recited in action. I’ll definitely be giving Austen some more reading time!
One of Austen's lesser known works, not published until after her death, this is everything that you expect from her. It centres around 27yr old Anne Elliott, a young woman from a good, but slightly impoverished family. The family home is rented to an Admiral & his wife and it soon becomes apparent that the Admiral's wife is the sister of the man that Anne was engaged to be married to several years before. The book tells of various encounters between them, and ultimately is a tale of love that is lost & found again - but it manages to avoid the twee with a good dose of humour!
Mike Read has a pleasant voice but I thought it a slightly odd choice to have a male narrator for what is, in essence, a female story. I can't help thinking that the story just fell a bit flat whereas with the right female voice it would have really come to life.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.
Persuasion is a classic that is beautiful to read and beloved of many people over the last two centuries. If you want a good love letter Captain Wentworth's words transcend time in beauty. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who wants a lovely romance. Always 5 stars for Jane Austen
I wasn't as enamored with the narration though. I thought he did well during dialog but Austen often tells what happened rather than writing out a whole dialog for it. During those periods the narration was dull and repetitive in intonation. As a matter of fact my adult daughter walked in while I was listening and said she thought it was a computer reading it. This narrator does better than the computer does on my Kindle when it reads to me but I would rather read the book myself than listen to it this way.
5 stars for the book
2.5 stars for narration
Jane Austen is at her best when her writing suffuses barely contained, thinly veiled feminist rage, as is happily the case with Persuasion.
Because this is an audiobook review of a classic, I’ll refrain from spending too much more time critiquing the plot and instead focus on the narration and format.
The story lends itself fairly well to audiobook format. Classics are a bit of a mixed bag in this regard, but this one seemed to work.
I have nothing but good things to say about the narrator, whose straightforward, no frills style I greatly appreciate. One of the issues I have with audiobooks is that I cannot stand to listen to people “do voices.” Like if I wanted to hear someone overact and put on a bunch of cartoonishly vocalized accents, I’d go see a bad play, y’know?!
To me, a good voice actor/reader uses subtle changes in intonation to distinguish dialogue from one character to the next rather than turning them all into exaggerated characters. As always, subtlety in all things remains vastly underrated.
The narrator of Persuasion successfully did exactly that, maintaining a dignified subtlety while still conveying a shift in who is speaking. I’d probably read more audiobooks if they were all narrated the this gentleman.
4.5stars
I read this book as a part of the Reading Rush challenge and I was so glad I finally read Jane Austen's last published novel. Like all her other works, this one too was a social commentary wrapped within a romance at the core. However, as is classic Austen, there is a superb intertwining of the social with the private. It is as much a social commentary as a delving into the minds of the characters and the psyche of theirs, all of which were affected so much by the social norms and expectations.
the narration was a fantastic one however I do believe the narrator could have included a bit more expression in his narration. Other than that, it was a perfect couple of days that I spent with this short yet significant read. I loved the classic Austen story and look forward to reading more of her works including Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park.
This was my first time reading Persuasion. It was really helpful to listen to this audiobook, while reading. I found myself drifting at times. The narrator was great in this audio edition.
I love Jane Austen, and there is something about Persuasion that has always been near and dear to my hear. Maybe it’s the theme of enduring hope that keeps me coming back to this story.
If you have tried and failed to get through an Austen novel, this audiobook is a great option. I have found that sometimes listening to a classic is easier than reading one. The new release of Persuasion on audiobook is delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it even if sometimes the narration felt a tad rushed.
Thanks to #Netgalley and #ThomasNelson for providing me with a copy of the audio-book of #PersuasionSeasonsEdition in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and although I do not read many classics I can see me reading more on audiobook. I found the narration well paced and kept me interested with the voices being different enough that I knew which character was speaking. I loved the book the characters are so well written and who could not love Anne?
It's not a secret that I love Jane Austen, and that Persuasion is my favorite of her books. It shows a maturity and shrewdness that isn't felt in her earlier works, while still remaining ever hopeful in love. I've read it many times, but I actually had not listened to it yet. While the narrator has a really wonderful deep and refined voice, perfect for the era, I would have loved to hear a woman read it instead. But that's my personal bias, since I hear it in a feminine vein in my head. That doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the story - which is perfection!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to listen to Persuasion by Jane Austen.
Persuasion is my favorite of Jane Austen's books, and I either reread or listen to it every year or so. Lately I have been borrowing the audiobook from the library, narrated by Nadia May, or narrated by Juliet Stevenson. I much prefer both of those narrators rather than the one presented here.
Jane Austen wrote her novel, Persuasion, in 1817, four years after the well-known Pride and Prejudice. It was the last full work that the author wrote.
This audio version of Persuasion was a pleasure to listen to. The male narrator’s measured tone, along with his ability to create dialogue in the voices of multiple characters, enhanced the joys of the novel.
Persuasion is the story of Anne Elliott, a more mature Austen heroine, as she is in her late 20s and still single. Anne did not marry the man she loved as a young woman because she was convinced that Frederick Wentworth had a status too far below hers. As the novel opens, Anne is soon to be reacquainted with the now successful naval captain.
Along with their story, Austen provides much commentary and humor relating to shallowness, snobbery and more. For example, readers learn early on that Anne’s father’s favorite reading matter is the entry on his family in a peerage book.
I most definitely recommend this audio book. Whether you are coming back to the novel and have already read it in the past, or if you are new to it, this narration is sure to engage you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this listen in exchange for an honest review.
I love this book but i hadn't read it in quite some time so it was time I read it again. I listened to this audiobook and I did enjoy it very much.
Very well done. Narrator did a fantastic job.
I love Persuasion. Pride and Prejudice is still my favorite, but Persuasion is also such a wonderful story. Captain Wentworth's words are swoonworthy, and Anne has always been a relatable character for me. It's a tried and true story - short, fun, heart-wrenching, and sweet. Jane Austen has a way with words.
This audiobook version was really good. Though it did feel odd to hear the story read in a male voice, it was unique and interesting. His voice is very soothing, and I had a pleasant time listening to it. Would definitely recommend to someone looking to listen to a classic!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tomas Nelson for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I thought this audiobook was great. I thought the narrator was good and went at a great pace. Of course, the book was wonderful as the great Jane Austen wrote it. However, I do prefer to read classic books instead of listing to them because I find that helps them be easier to understand. But, that could just be me. Still, I thought the audiobook was good and the narrator did a great job.
2.75/5 stars Definitely not my favorite Jane Austen novel. There was none of the longing and tension I usually feel between the love interests. It fell quite flat for me and while the characters were likeable, they felt very surface level and there was none of the wit and charm from her other novels. There was also no plot. Nothing felt solved or accomplished by the end and there was no satisfaction. There was no chemistry between the love interests and they had maybe three or four scenes where they actually had a conversation. The audiobook narrator was okay, but he also was quite monotonous.
Persuasion is one of my favorite Jane Austin novels, the last one she had completed. When I seen that a new audiobook was being released I couldn’t wait to listen to it. Anne Elliot is the protagonist, she was persuaded at the age of twenty to not accept a marriage proposal from a Mr. Frederick Wentworth. Fast forward eight years, Anne is a spinster and is about to become reacquainted with Captain Frederick Wentworth, who is in search of a wife, one that is steady and not easily persuaded but knows how to make up her own mind. This book has many surprising moments and in the end Anne learns to stand up for herself and not allow those around her to deter her again from following where love leads her.
The narrator of this novel reads the novel clearly and his inflections help aide in telling the story that is so beloved.
Persuasion
By Jane Austen
Audiobook narrated by Mike Read
Review of audiobook
Persuasion is a classic that has stood the test of time. I listened to a current audiobook version thanks to NetGalley.
The narrator had a beautifully accented voice, and one can imagine him a contemporary in the story. However, his narration was a bit stilted and flat for me, and was a barrier to fully enjoying Austen’s lively story telling and charming wit.
Perhaps classics such as Austen’s are best left to the page. I plan to pick up this novel so I can satisfy my itch for her writing, as yet unsatisfied by this audiobook.
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This is one of my favorite stories, the narration was fine. It was unusual to have a make narrator, but He did a good job. Classic story.