-
Two on a Tower
- Narrated by: Michael Kitchen
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
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Publisher's summary
Exclusively from Audible
Two on a Tower is Hardy's ninth novel and contains perhaps his most complete use of the theme of love across the class and age divide, to beautifully depict Hardy's reverence for science and astronomy.
The unhappily married Lady Constantine breaks all the rules of social etiquette when she falls in love with young Swithin St. Cleeve, an astronomer and her social inferior. Despite their differences that society deems unacceptable, together, from an astronomical observatory, the lovers 'sweep the heavens'. But work, ambition and the pressures of the outside world intrude upon the pair.
Swithin is faced with a cruel choice. The death of Lady Constantine's husband leaves them free to marry but it's not that simple. He has the option of furthering his education with an inheritance that will propel his career into the highest levels of astronomical science. Does he choose love or ambition?
Within Two on a Tower, Hardy creates a wonderful and timeless contrast between the infinite reaches of the universe and the infinitesimal scale of human affairs. Hardy's intention, in his own words, was to 'set the emotional history of two infinitesimal lives against the stupendous background of the stellar universe'.
Hardy was a Victorian realist whose novels and poetry were greatly influenced by Romanticism, especially the poet William Wordsworth. His critical thoughts on Victorian society can be seen throughout much of his work.
Narrator Biography
Michael Kitchen is an accomplished actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama series Foyle's War (2002-2015). He has also starred as Bill Tanner in the Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999) as well as Berkeley Cole in the film Out of Africa (1985). Other notable television appearances have included roles in BBC Four's critically acclaimed comedy series Brian Pern (2017) and Channel 4's comedy Hacks (2012). Michael Kitchen's stage performances have included Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Shakespeare Company and roles in Tom Stoppard's plays On the Razzle and Rough Crossing. He has narrated many classic and contemporary audiobooks including Thomas Hardy's Two on a Tower, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Robert Lewis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
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Perfect pair
- By Philip on 03-25-08
By: Charles Dickens
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Ethan Frome
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Ethan Frome, a poor, downtrodden New England farmer, is trapped in a loveless marriage to his invalid wife, Zeena.When Zeena's young cousin Mattie arrives to help care for her, Ethan is immediately taken by Mattie's warm, vivacious personality. They fall desperately in love as he realizes how much is missing from his life and marriage.
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Slow is smooth and smooth is Fast until it isn't
- By Darwin8u on 05-29-13
By: Edith Wharton
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North and South
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Written at the request of Charles Dickens, North and South is a book about rebellion that poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience. Gaskell expertly blends individual feeling with social concern and her heroine, Margaret Hale, is one of the most original creations of Victorian literature. When Margaret Hale's father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience she is forced to leave her comfortable home in the tranquil countryside of Hampshire....
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Delightful
- By Sally on 01-04-10
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Fathers and Sons
- By: Ivan Turgenev
- Narrated by: David Horovitch
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
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When Arkady Petrovich comes home from college, his father finds his eager, naive son changed almost beyond recognition, for the impressionable Arkady has fallen under the powerful influence of the friend he has brought with him. A self-proclaimed nihilist, the ardent young Bazarov shocks Arkady's father by criticising the landowning way of life and by his outspoken determination to sweep away the traditional values of contemporary Russian society.
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The greatest novel I'll ever read
- By Dan Harlow on 07-07-13
By: Ivan Turgenev
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The Shuttle
- By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by: Tabi That
- Length: 19 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Rosalie Vanderpoel, the daughter of an American multimillionaire marries an impoverished English baronet and goes to live in England. She all but loses contact with her family in America. Years later her younger sister Bettina, beautiful, intelligent and extremely rich, goes to England to find what has happened to her sister. She finds Rosalie shabby and dispirited, cowed by her husband's ill-treatment. Bettina sets about to rectify matters.
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More than Lovely
- By jTacy67 on 01-17-18
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Ruth
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Eve Matheson
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Story
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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The Best Ghost Stories Ever Told
- Best Stories Ever Told
- By: Stephen Brennan - editor
- Narrated by: J. M. Badger, Imelda Pot
- Length: 24 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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A big, brilliant, spooky collection of classic and contemporary ghost stories that will make you hesitate before turning off that light.
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A very mixed review
- By Michael Mayer on 08-05-15
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The Custom of the Country
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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One of Edith Wharton's most acclaimed works, The Custom of the Country is a blistering indictment of materialism, power, and misplaced values. Its heroine, Undine Spragg, is one of the most ruthless characters in all of literature, as selfishly unscrupulous as she is fiercely beautiful. As she climbs the class ladder through a series of marriages and affairs, she shows little concern for who she has to step on.
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Narrator kills the book
- By Mississippi Malka on 05-24-10
By: Edith Wharton
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The Bondwoman's Narrative
- By: Hannah Crafts, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
- Narrated by: Anna Deavere Smith
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
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An unprecedented historical and literary event, this tale written in the 1850s is the only known novel by a female African American slave, and quite possibly the first novel written by a black woman anywhere. A work recently uncovered by renowned scholar and professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., it is a stirring tale of "passing" and the adventures of a young slave as she makes her way to freedom.
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Poor reading of an important book
- By Hilary on 11-15-04
By: Hannah Crafts, and others
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Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon’s mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.
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Best Audible book ever
- By Molly-o on 12-25-11
By: George Eliot
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wonderful novel, wonderful reader, poor recording
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What listeners say about Two on a Tower
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Dawn
- 01-17-23
Must Read
I love the way Hardy introduces characters and you not only hear the story of the main characters but also of their loved ones and friends.
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Performance
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- Megan
- 10-13-23
Nah
Good ole Hardy loves to remind us of the absurdity and injustice of life. I mean, I guess that is sometimes necessary. However, not what I was looking for on a Tuesday night.
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Performance
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- Joanna Sakievich
- 11-13-23
Beautifully written but…
Kind of senselessly tragic for my tastes. I’d really like to have seen some unexpected plot twists, development and resolutions. Thomas Hardy’s wording and descriptions are unsurpassable, but his insights seem unfortunately predictable as the clueless astronomer never really evolves into more than just that and the heroine pays beyond measure, without committing any crime. I’d really really like to have seen her find some level of contentment and warmth with the bishop instead of his turning out to be just as much of a trial as her first husband. Sure, it happens just as this story outlines, but who wants to just remain disillusioned and sad at the end of a well written story as they are with real life? We know that good things are coming Swithin’s way, but Viviette simply gets slapped down and ultimately crushed by the universe for being beautiful. Bleh.
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- Jenny
- 04-03-23
Star-crossed lovers
Took a little time getting into the story.. but it showed both high morals, low morals and a perplexing story of what age differences can do to a couple. A woman full of passion, yet conscious of her being married before and ‘wiser’ about a lot of things, trying to hook up with an innocent young man, who is naive about romance and sex, draws out a complex story bound to entertain.
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- belle
- 05-03-23
Amazing story
This is one of the best audible books ever. I have read a lot of Hardy but never before discovered this gem
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Overall
- Joseph R
- 01-31-09
Two in a Lovely Lovely Tower Looking at Stars
Michael Kitchen did a magnificent job of narrating Thomas Hardy's heart breaking love story. For any guy, or non-perfumed and non-powered male who happens to read my first sentence, I hasten to add, this is a guy's book, a real man's book. It is about astronomy and gadgets and stuff. Old Tom knew a great deal about the science. OK they fall in love looking at the stars, this older unhappily married woman and the young single man with a single minded devotion to astronomy. They got married in secret because of the difference in their status which changes occasionally. Then, it turns out their marriage wasn't quite valid due to some odd or another husband being still alive at the time. Thomas Harding wrote a delicious book which if you do not like says a great deal more about yourself than about Thomas Harding.
Finally, I want to say something about Micheal Kitchen. He made this book live! I have read this book many times but Mr. Kitchen made me understand things I have overlooked before. There are things which can only be brought out by the human voice. Perhaps a story can only be truly told around a campfire 30,000 years ago. Mr. Kitchen and Mr. Harding were at that campfire. I was there also and I am very thankful to them both.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Reader
- 06-11-08
beautiful
some of his phrases are so stunningly beautiful...you just think: how did he think of saying it like that?
and a very good story too.
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5 people found this helpful
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- tanda
- 11-07-22
Thomas Hardy Got Me Again!
This little-heard-of Hardy novel ranks above Madding Crowd and Greenwood Tree, near Tess/Mayor/Native. Happy Surprise!
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- mdk
- 02-21-14
Good Story Great Narration
If you could sum up Two on a Tower in three words, what would they be?
almost classic... almost
What was one of the most memorable moments of Two on a Tower?
The final scene
Which character – as performed by Michael Kitchen – was your favorite?
Lady Constantine
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Not quite, the narration was spot on but the story had some slow points
Any additional comments?
This is generally regarded as a minor work of Hardy's. If that's true then it's still better than most famous authors' masterpieces. I fell in love with the heroine and the setting and Hardy had a lot to say from which he did not shy away.
It wasn't a perfect book. The hero Swithin, never quite materialized for me and I'm not sure how much I felt the romance. I loved her but not really 'them'. There were a few slow spots too and the very last sentence of the book was for me a huge disappointment and a mistake on Hardy's part in my humble opinion.
Still, the book is very much worth reading. 3.5 stars for the book. 5 stars for Michael Kitchen's performance
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3 people found this helpful
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Performance
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Story
- RMac
- 01-06-23
Jane Austen meets Hardy
This is the typical tale
of star-crossed lovers set amid the backdrop of astronomy. Highly predictable. My least favorite of Hardys books due to the superficial character development and silliness of the storyline.
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