Other editions of book The Jane Austen Collection

Pride and PrejudiceThe story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, moral rightness, education and marriage in her aristocratic society of early 19th century England. Elizabeth is the second eldest of five daughters of a country gentleman landed in the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, not far from London.Though the story's setting is uniquely turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of 'most loved books' and still receives considerable attention from literary critics. This modern interest has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen's memorable characters or themes.EmmaEmma Woodhouse, aged 20 at the start of the novel, is a young, beautiful, witty, and privileged woman in Regency England. She lives on the fictional estate of Hartfield in Surrey in the village of Highbury with her elderly widowed father, a hypochondriac who is excessively concerned for the health and safety of his loved ones. Emma's friend and only critic is the gentlemanly George Knightley, her neighbor from the adjacent estate of Donwell, and the brother of her elder sister Isabella's husband. As the novel opens, Emma has just attended the wedding of Miss Taylor, her best friend and former governess. Having introduced Miss Taylor to her future husband, Mr. Weston, Emma takes credit for their marriage, and decides that she rather likes matchmaking.

Jane Austen's novels have proved to be enduring favorites in every medium in which they appear, whether books or movies, comic books or TV mini-series. Works like Emma, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice present incomparable portraits of marriageable but discriminating young women, the scoundrels and gentlemen who entrance and confound them, their scheming mothers and hapless fathers—all set in the well-mannered world of early 19th-century British country life. With this collection, fans can enjoy the books anew in audio format. Joanna Lumley, whose Patsy made Absolutely Fabulous a cult hit, aptly showcases the mordant wit of Pride and Prejudice. Anna Massey brings character and vigor to her dramatizations of Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Northanger Abbey. Belinda Lang offers a stylish interpretation of Emma, while Harriet Walter evokes Austen in a different mode in her reading of the little-known novella, The Watsons. Musical backgrounds enhance the listener's experience.