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Mansfield Park

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Mansfield Park

Written by: Jane Austen
Narrated by: Frances Barber
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When the self-effacing 10-year-old Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy relations at Mansfield Park she seems shy and withdrawn beside her witty and vivacious cousins. Growing up in the Bertram household, she is always treated as an inferior, only finding an ally in her cousin Edmund. But Fanny's steadfast and purposeful character eventually makes her an indispensable part of the household. During the absence of Fanny's uncle, the others become entangled in a maze of flirtation and intrigue upon the arrival of Mary Crawford and her brother Henry. It is only Fanny whose deep but secret love for Edmund remains true despite his fascination with her brilliant but frivolous cousin Mary.

The most serious of Austen's works due to its discussion of religion and religious duty, Mansfield Park also offers a subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, making it one of Austen's most profound works.

Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels which focused on the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her plots often explore women's dependence on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security.

Narrator Biography

Frances Barber has received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays, Camille, and Uncle Vanya. Other theatre credits include; Madame Rubinstein, The School for Scandal, What The Butler Saw, Julius Caesar, Les Parents Terribles, That Face, Afterplay, Madame De Sade, and King Lear. Her numerous television credits include Father Brown, Medici: Masters of Florence, Mapp and Lucia, Psychobitches, The Spa, a new regular in the series Silk, several episodes of Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders and A Passionate Woman. Her film credits include The Escape; The Bookshop; Blue Iguana; Film Stars don't Die in Liverpool; El Elegido (The Chosen) and Mr. Holmes.

Frances Barbar has narrated an impressive list of titles, including The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Barbara Vine, The Voyages of the Princess Matilda by Shane Spall and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

Public Domain (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
Classics Witty
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What the critics say

"Frances Barber offers a sterling performance, bringing life and sparkle to each character....Barber convincingly shifts from lord of the manor to sniveling servitude at the change of a sentence. And her narrative passages transparently tie the whole family together into one beautiful package." (AudioFile)

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What listeners say about Mansfield Park

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intelligent, ear-soothing read!

The way Frances Barber voices Mrs Noris is one of my favourite parts! That disdain, that chuckle, that inhalation before she rants on again: brilliant!

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Frances Barber

Thank you Frances Barber , your narration is impeccable and I enjoyed every second of Jane Austen's " Mansfield Park " better than ever. I will look for other books narrated by you :)

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Excellent

A thoroughly enjoyable version of Mansfield Park, definitely a recommend to anyone who likes stories about selfish people getting their comeuppance.
Narrator does do voices for each of the characters but they're not too obtrusive, and her pacing and energy is lovely!

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    4 out of 5 stars

Charming. Beautifully read. Comparatively boring.

Fanny too perfect, Edmund frustrating, and ending too summarizing to be satisfying. Wanted more dialogue.

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love this narrator

The narration was very beautiful and well done! Her tone was very expressive and really made the story come alive!

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Faithful, excellent

Frances Barber delivers a witty and wonderful reading of this strangest and driest of Austen’s novels. I tried several other versions this by far is the best. Fanny retains her awkward timidity without becoming fretful or shrill, the brashness of the Crawfords shines through.

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Entertaining

Slow start but I’m glad I persevered. The plot has a few good twists and the last chapter tied up any loose ends satisfactorily. The audio performance was well done.

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Five stars

Love this story and love this narrator. She did a wonderful job of distinguishing the individual characters and creating a voice that reflected the personalities.

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Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park has always been my least favourite book by Jane Austen so I left this one for last for listening to. I dreaded it a little and thought it would be long and boring. But it wasn't, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I appreciated this book so much more than I thought I would, and having the audiobook and listening to every little detail made it such a rich experience. This narrator was good; I particularly liked her voices for the men, although I didn't love Fanny's high-pitched voice. I chose this one because the length was shorter.

Fanny is still Fanny, in my opinion a pushover, and Edmund is still Edmund, in my opinion too high-and-mighty, but it is overall funny, and clever, and a good commentary on society of that day.

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.

Loved the narrator. The characters and different voices were so well done. Will be looking for more books narrated by her.

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