Jane Austen's Charlotte

I’ll admit, I approached this with skepticism. Completing Austen is like finishing a master painter’s unfinished sketch—how do you honor the original without smudging the lines? Julia Barrett mostly succeeds, though not without stumbles. The first half hums with Austen’s signature rhythm: the seaside gossip of Sanditon, the deliciously awkward courtships, and Charlotte’s refreshing lack of artifice. But Barrett’s resolution for the Sidmouth plotline feels rushed, as if she panicked at the thought of deviating too far from Austen’s usual marriages-and-money formula. Still, the audacity to *try* is what makes this worth your time. Johanna Ward’s narration is a masterclass in restraint. She doesn’t do voices—no squeaky Miss Bates impressions here—but her pacing is impeccable, letting the subtext of a sentence land like a dart. (Her delivery of Lady Denham’s cutting remarks is *chef’s kiss*.) The audio production is clean, though I docked half a star for a few odd editing cuts where the tone shifts mid-sentence. What ultimately won me over? The way Barrett leans into Charlotte’s interiority, giving her a self-possession that feels radical for Austen’s era. It’s not perfect, but it’s *fascinating*—like eavesdropping on a conversation between Austen and a modern feminist. Just don’t expect the tight, flawless prose of *Emma*." "tags": [ "unfinished classics completed