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I've said that I prefer to read book club selections rather than listen to them and I started out going back and forth, but I found that it was much easier to take in audio. Overall, I liked both performances; I found that Gilbert's tendency to be overwrought was somewhat excessive as read by Davidson, but then as I've said elsewhere, he was using a voice he's also used in a long-running series I follow, and the whole effect was a little bizarre.
My weak defense of the book is that I was entertained by it. It held my interest and I was happy enough to go on with it. Somewhat in the category of "good trash"; Anne's long apprenticeship with her sisters meant that the prose was serviceable as opposed to awful, although the book itself was a flat failure technically and in terms of characterization. The plotting was decent and certainly the subject matter was arresting.
I have to agree that I found Gilbert dispicable. His sneering contempt for most of his coterie was unforgivable. I can't blame Eliza, in fact. He had led her on; things has got to the point where it was reasonable for her to expect a declaration; instead, she was obviously and publicly dumped.
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