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Far from the Madding Crowd
- Narrated by: Tadhg Hynes
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
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Publisher's summary
Far from the Madding Crowd is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel. It centers on the lives of five characters: Gabriel Oak, Bathsheba Everdene, Mr. Boldwood, Sgt. Troy, and Fanny Robin. The plot involves love, loyalty, death, and betrayal, and all this is delivered to us in Hardy's most eloquent prose. The images of character and nature are painted for our mind's eye with sublime style.
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The orphaned heroine Ruth, apprenticed to a dressmaker, is seduced by wealthy Henry Bellingham who is captivated by her simplicity and beauty. Their affair causes her to lose her home and job to which he offers her shelter, only to cruelly abandon her soon after. She is offered a chance of a new life though shamed in the eyes of society by her illegitimate son. When Henry reappears offering marriage she must choose between social acceptance and her own pride.
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Fallen Woman Finds Redemption
- By Susan on 12-06-12
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A Room with a View
- By: E. M. Forster
- Narrated by: Rebecca Hall
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In this rich new audio production, acclaimed British American actress Rebecca Hall brings one of E. M. Forster's most admired works to life in this classic tale of human struggle. A charming young Englishwoman, Lucy Honeychurch, is wooed by both free-spirited George Emerson and wealthy Cecil Vyse while vacationing in Italy. Though attracted to George, Lucy becomes engaged to Cecil despite twice turning down his proposals. On hearing of the news, George confesses his love, leaving Lucy torn between marrying the more socially acceptable Cecil or George, the man she knows would bring her true happiness. Should Lucy choose social acceptance or true love?
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A lovely performance, and a wonderful story
- By Robert on 01-19-19
By: E. M. Forster
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Lady Audley's Secret
- By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Narrated by: Olivia Poulet
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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From the author of The Christmas Hirelings comes this Audible Exclusive production of Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s classic sensation novel Lady Audley’s Secret. English actress Olivia Poulet gives an assured and captivating narration; a cornerstone of the genre and a scandal at the time of its publication, Lady Audley’s Secret is an entertaining and shocking tale of high drama and shifting perceptions.
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Classic 19th Century “sensation novel”
- By Susan on 08-20-19
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The Jewel of Seven Stars
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The warning was inscribed on the entrance of the hidden tomb, forgotten for millennia in the sands of mystic Egypt. Then the archaeologists and grave robbers came in search of the fabled Jewel of Seven Stars, which they found clutched in the hand of the mummy. Few heeded the ancient warning, until all who came in contact with the Jewel began to die in a mysterious and violent way, with the marks of a strangler around their neck.
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Mother of all Mummy-Stories
- By Dorothea on 03-15-08
By: Bram Stoker
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Ghosts: Edith Wharton's Gothic Tales
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin, Jonathan Epstein, Corinna May, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Beneath the brilliance that was behind The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome was a dark side. A dark side which produced magnificent tales of the unseen influences in our lives, such as "Mr. Jones", "The Eyes", "Kerfol", "The Ladie's Maid's Bell", and "The Looking Glass".
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Ghastly Shadows of the Feminine Condition
- By Diane on 10-16-12
By: Edith Wharton
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Howards End
- By: E. M. Forster
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Howards End is a beautifully subtle tale of two very different families brought together by an unusual event. The Schlegels are intellectuals, devotees of art and literature. The Wilcoxes are practical and materialistic, leading lives of "telegrams and anger". When the elder Mrs. Wilcox dies and her family discovers she has left their country home - Howards End - to one of the Schlegel sisters, a crisis between the two families is precipitated that takes years to resolve.
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Fantastic Narration in Delightful Story
- By Wren on 05-05-18
By: E. M. Forster
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Oblomov
- By: Ivan Goncharov
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 20 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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A member of the landed gentry, with a seemingly guaranteed income from his estate in the country, Oblomov lives in Petersburg, uninterested in the business that provides his living and barely aware that the revenue is diminishing. Not that he leads a dissolute life of extravagance, balls and entertainment. Instead he is a dreamer, a sybarite, content above all to spend most of the day supine, in bed. The novel opens with Oblomov thus ensconced, attended only by his dirty, grumbling, indolent servant Zahar, who has looked after him since childhood, catering to his every need.
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funny and smart
- By Bennett Weiss on 07-29-20
By: Ivan Goncharov
What listeners say about Far from the Madding Crowd
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Gail
- 08-14-15
Hooked on Thomas Hardy
If you could sum up Far from the Madding Crowd in three words, what would they be?
A good story.
What did you like best about this story?
Thomas Hardy takes every day life and situations and turns them into a story that, like Far from the Madding Crowd, is spellbinding. This is a good story, told in a good way of the type that make you glad you read them. This story will resonate long after it's been put away - what more can I ask from a good book.
What about Tadhg Hynes’s performance did you like?
This narration was very good.
If you could rename Far from the Madding Crowd, what would you call it?
This book is classic so the name cannot change. Madding does not have significance, but the title does say this story is likely not taking place in a cosmopolitan environment.
Any additional comments?
I recommend this audiobook.
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3 people found this helpful
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- David Bogosian
- 10-18-15
Evocative rendition of a classic
This is a classic book with a fascinating plot, a heroine who is beset by not two but three suitors, all of them very different. The choices she makes lead determine their fates, along with their own vices and virtues, but it's all brilliantly crafted and makes for great reading. The portrayal of life in a country town in the west of England is equally as much a reason for reading this. I enjoyed this much more than any other Hardy novel.
And in particular, this particular version has the reader using a West Country accent that adds a terrific layer of local colour to the experience. When used for the voice of the narrator, I did find it awkward, since Hardy would hardly have spoken that way but would have used the polished tones of an educated man. But when speaking the various characters, and most particularly the assorted set of country bumpkins who make up a sort of chorus of local simple folk and play a fairly important role in the story, the reader is dazzlingly perfect. I confess that with the heavy accent I couldn't understand most of what the country folk were saying, but it hardly mattered. The main characters get a lighter dose of the same accent and are all perfectly clear. An enthusiastic 5-star rating for Mr Hynes' performance on this book.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Aliza
- 06-03-15
Droll, dynamic and deeply heartfelt.
Where does Far from the Madding Crowd rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Far from the Madding Crowd ranks as one of my favorite audiobooks. I'm won over by Thomas Hardy's humor, accessibility and wisdom. Tadhg Hynes' delivery is an unalloyed pleasure as he portrays the good (and not so good) town folk of Weatherbury.
What did you like best about this story?
I love the wit and exuberance of Hardy's writing. It lends warmth to his compassionate critique of the constraints placed upon women.
Which character – as performed by Tadhg Hynes – was your favorite?
Gabriel Oak's steadfastness and unassuming self-respect is a healing force to those in his circle. Tadhg Hynes imbues each character with special cadence and color.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I found the concluding chapters deeply satisfying. In addition, the "Greek Chorus" of the townspeople weaves throughout the book, giving great pleasure throughout.
Any additional comments?
I'm deeply grateful that Audible.com made this recording available. The combined artistry of Thomas Hardy and Tadhg Hynes brings rural life of Southwest England in the late 1800's to glowing life. I look forward to listening to this fine book many times, and will seek out more books narrated by Tadhg Hynes.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Oliver
- 06-12-15
Hardy at his best!
Any additional comments?
This is my favorite Hardy novel. I was prompted by the recent film version to revisit the book. How glad I am that I did. To hear the book as it was written is to do full justice to it. Every word and syllable has it's propose and place and the language used transports the listener to a simpler time and place. The insight and understanding of the characters is amazing and each becomes a living being.
The book is enhanced enormously by the reader. He clearly understands Hardy very well and acts out the book perfectly. In chapter eight, for example, there is a scene in the malthouse consisting of ten or twelve different characters. Every one is performed distinctly each with it's own personality. Wonderful!
The story itself is very engaging and keeps the attention transfixed all the way through. Also, there are some very funny parts, chapter eight as mentioned above being one.
I highly recommend this version and can't think of a better way to spend fourteen or so hours.
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5 people found this helpful
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- James Diedrick
- 12-13-15
Genre-bending marvel
I listened to this novel after reading Hardy's later masterpieces Tess and Jude the Obscure, and was surprised at how strange and subversive it is despite ( or in part due to) Hardy's appropriation of melodramatic tropes and the kind of Victorian sensation tropes Mary Elizabeth Braddon helped popularize. Bathsheba is part feminist heroine, part masochistic participant in male domination, and even her ostensibly happy marriage to Gabriel at the end can't erase the memory of the sadomasochism, fetishistic obsession and corpse-loving that precedes it., The plot is remarkably rich and constantly surprising (yes, coincidences abound), and Hardy's writing is always compelling. What surprised me was how much this novel has in common with those of Braddon and Wilkie Collins, underrated novelists who put sensational designs in the service of slyly subversive narratives.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Joan
- 09-22-16
If you can understand this narrator...
Any additional comments?
I only listened for about 2 hours. I thought I might "adapt" to this narrator, but never could understand anything he said. Will have to spring for another version, as am eager to listen to this book.
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3 people found this helpful