With unequivocal certainty I can say that Jane Austen is by far my favorite female author. Her novels are nothing short of every young woman’s dream. Hopelessly falling in love is a resounding theme in Jane’s books.

While watching films and audio theatre will always pale in comparison to the book, they do offer something special to the experience. I recently listened to Lifehouse Theater’s Pride and Prejudice ($19.99) with my daughter, Julia. During a long car trip, my fourteen year old and I enjoyed the delightful sounds of Jane Austen’s book in audio theatre.

If you aren’t familiar with the story, this is from the back of the cd case: “Some of the most beloved characters in all fiction are brought to life as Pride and Prejudice is faithfully dramatized with all the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen’s charming 1813 novel. This classic literary masterpiece follows the dilemmas of the Bennet family as they pursue romantic antics and intrigue amidst the backdrop of frustrating social conventions. Elizabeth Bennet’s prejudice against Mr. Darcy is only matched by the arrogance of his pride as this cautionary tale unfolds with humorous twists, delightful dialogue and surprising situations arising from the age-old pursuit of happiness.”

The audio theatre, albeit short, is delightful. The 73-minute drama is full of wonderful characters, realistic sounds, and 19th century music.

The audio drama was a fun way to introduce Austen to my daughter. She thorougly enjoyed it, and is now reading the actual book. She says the best part about drama was listening to the cast of characters. She especially loved Mrs. Bennett.

Along with the CD, Lifehouse Theatre also offers a downloadable curriculum guide. The six-page guide contains highlights from the life of Jane Austen, content and review questions (and answers), interesting facts about Jane Austen, quotes by Jane, and a couple of questions for further thinking (critical thinking).

I’m not big on question and answer type work so we didn’t complete the questions, however, we greatly enjoyed her quotes. Our favorite is, “I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them.” I can just imagine what fun it would have been to sit down to tea with the quippy Ms. Austen.

I wholeheartedly recommend this Lifehouse Theatre audio drama. It is a wonderful catalyst to introduce your children to the world of Jane Austen.

-Product review by Jeniffer Do Nascimento, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, December, 2016