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Jude The Obscure
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles (AmazonClassics Edition)
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Gabriel Oak is only one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Bathsheba Everdene. He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy and the respectable, middle-aged Farmer Boldwood. And while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes, she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart.
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The Woodlanders is vintage Hardy. The story revolves around the young woman Grace Melbury, who returns to the leafy world of Little Hintock and soon finds herself at the center of a number of tragic events. In penetrating, incisive, and beautiful prose, Hardy tells a moving tale of unrequited love as fate and the constraints of society thwart the happiness of our heroine. The leafy world of Blackmoor Vale and the hamlet of Little Hintock are all lovingly described by Hardy, who named The Woodlanders as the favorite of all his novels.
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A Masterpiece of writing and narration!
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Depressing story & unbelievable central character
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles (AmazonClassics Edition)
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When peddler John Durbeyfield learns that he may be a descendant of a noble family, he sends his oldest child, Tess, to “claim kin.” Blindly ushered into harm’s way, the strong-willed yet untinctured peasant girl is not prepared for the blighted course her life will take. Nor for those whose destructive desires will determine her fate, and force Tess to make only the most desperate of choices. From her tragic loss of innocence through betrayal and revenge, Tess’s struggle for survival challenged the era’s mores and the cruel indifference shown women in Victorian society.
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Fantastic narration, compassion inducing tale
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Overall
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Performance
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A Masterpiece of writing and narration!
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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel of the Roaring Twenties is beloved by generations of readers and stands as his crowning work. This new audio edition, authorized by the Fitzgerald estate, is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain). Gyllenhaal's performance is a faithful delivery in the voice of Nick Carraway, the Midwesterner turned New York bond salesman, who rents a small house next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby....
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Publisher's summary
Exclusively from Audible
Eager to escape the confines of his lower-class upbringing, Jude Fawley dreams of pursuing higher education, graduating from university and becoming a scholar. Slowly, we witness the resistance Jude is met with and, in keeping with Hardy's other works, the consequences of having dared to defy a society with long-held traditions.
Thomas Hardy's last novel, Jude the Obscure, offers scathing commentary and insight into 19th century England. Widely considered Hardy's boldest and most avant-garde work, it was first published in serialised form, sending weekly shockwaves of outrage to its Victorian audiences. Despite being an able and driven young man, Jude's potential is squandered and his aspirations quashed when he relents and becomes a stonemason. Grounded by an unhappy marriage and a lack of opportunity, Jude's only escape comes in the form of his beloved cousin, Sue Bridehead. An unconventional yet extraordinary heroine, Sue becomes Jude's only chance at happiness, but in a society so unwilling to accept change, their love becomes their undoing.
One of the most influential and prolific novelists and poets of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Thomas Hardy followed the naturalist movement and was greatly inspired by the works of Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth. In turn, his work enthused the likes of Robert Frost, W.H. Auden and Philip Larkin.
Narrator Biography
Stephen Thorne is a classically-trained radio, film, stage and television actor. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and has toured with The Old Vic Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His voice experience is extensive and he is credited with over 2000 radio broadcasts and 300 unabridged audiobooks. These include works by James Henry, Dick King-Smith, Arthur Conan-Doyle and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Stephen famously voiced the character of Aslan in the 1979 adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. His unique narration style has won him various awards in both the UK and the USA, including a Talkies Award and several Golden Earphones Awards from Audiofile Magazine.
Stephen is no stranger to the screen and his television roles include Z-Cars, Death of an Expert Witness, David Copperfield, Crossroads, Last of the Summer Wine and Doctor Who. He also appeared in the 1984 film, Runaway and the 1985 film, Lollipop Dragon: The Great Christmas Race.
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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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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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The Shuttle
- By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by: Tabi That
- Length: 19 hrs and 44 mins
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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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Scenes of Clerical Life
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
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The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton, through vignettes of his life, portrays a character who is hard to like and easy to ridicule. Many people do ridicule as well as slander and despise him, until his suffering shocks them into fellowship and sympathy.
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The first work...from a very old soul
- By Theodoc on 04-07-21
By: George Eliot
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Silas Marner
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
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For 15 years the weaver Silas Marner has plied his loom near the village of Raveloe, alone and unjustly in exile, cut off from faith and human love, he cares only for his hoard of golden guineas. But two events occur that will change his life forever; his gold disappears and a golden-haired baby girl appears. But where did she come from and who really stole the gold? This moving tale sees Silas eventually redeemed and restored to life by the unlikely means of his love for the orphan child Eppie.
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amazing
- By Ramon on 06-04-12
By: George Eliot
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The Jewel of Seven Stars
- By: Bram Stoker
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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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Ethan Frome
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
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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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Howards End
- By: E. M. Forster
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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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Ghosts: Edith Wharton's Gothic Tales
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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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Lady Audley's Secret
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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
What listeners say about Jude The Obscure
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- J.B.
- 04-22-22
The Deepest of Undeserved Tragedies
Jude wants to be a man of literacy, he wants to be a cleric, he wants to be a good lover, he wants, he wants, he wants, and he should be, should be, should be, but nothing breaks in Jude’s Favor. Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy and read by Stephen Thorne, is a study of tragic failures by the turn of the 20th Century education system, the church, and the institution of marriage. This is Jude’s story, the deepest of underserved heartbreaks. All Hardy books are laden with heroes and heroines whose obtuse decision-making leaves them adrift with loss. The peculiarities of humankind, and how we are hurt by the peculiarities of other humankind. This book is no exception to Hardy’s style. Perhaps it is just the most despondent of his novels.
Jude gets trapped into a forlorn marriage while falling in love with a cousin, who foolishly passes Jude up for an older loveless man, and they struggle, to live with their mistakes. Finally, they ignore social norms and co-habitat in an effort to resolve their love but achievement in love never arrives, but for a fleeting moment and then disaster. A tortured disaster. The tale is painful but capturing. One may wonder, how with all its pain, it has remained in literature an alluring read? Because Hardy always instructs in how not to live your life. Read Hardy in hopes of not making the mistakes his characters make.
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- BBWrighter
- 12-15-22
I can’t believe I waited this long to read it
A stunning book by Hardy. I had to look up papers on whether Hardy liked or disliked women to have created such a story. I’m satisfied with the conclusion many have suggested that he loved strong, educated women but also feared them in the new changing world of late 1800s. I probably will read this again and small other Thomas Hardy books.
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Overall
- Deb Dake
- 03-17-09
It kept me engaged...
I thought the narrator was good as far as creating the environment but his portrayal of the female characters is weak and kept slightly pulling me out of the story. Not enough, however, to bring me to quitting it all together. I don't regret the time spent on the book.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Benny Profane
- 04-20-23
A romantic melodrama
Hardy is obviously a canonical writer. My personal take, though? He's sad, abbreviated Dickens.
While I've appreciated his other novels -- Mayor & Tess particularly -- this one is tough to take. For one, I didn't particularly like any character. Second, speaking of characters... Sue is insufferable.
Third, there are way too many unfortunate coincidences that push the plot forward.
About 37 million people lived in England in the 1890s. There's no way four characters who live in different towns would so consistently just happen to run into each other over a decade.
And the tragic plot point that sends things spiraling is the highly intelligent (if insufferable) Sue spilling her guts to a random stranger (don't think that's a spoiler but... )
The lesson in this tale? While some want to talk about the unfair economics that prevent Jude from attending university, it's really about not being stupid when choosing a spouse. I kid you not... don't choose an incompatible, slightly nutty or unethical person to marry. Trust me on this.
And, really, Jude is kinda... lazy? As in: He writes some elders at the University asking for advice on how to get in and gets just one response which says, "Give it up." And he does. He made no real effort and showed no tenacity for pursuing his dream of academia. And he repeatedly abandons his work over and over because... he's sad?
I read this to check another box on my "Great Books" list. But unlike most of those, I finished with relief rather than intellectual or emotional elevation.
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- Natalie Bartels
- 12-23-16
A truly complex and lovely tragedy
If you could sum up Jude The Obscure in three words, what would they be?
Lovely tragic novel
What was one of the most memorable moments of Jude The Obscure?
Jude's foolish drunken scenes.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, it would have been too rich
Any additional comments?
My first Hardy novel. Brilliant. Tragic. When I finished it, I had an overwhelming feeling of having participated in something so aesthetically rich and complex. Learned a a lot about myself by exploring these characters. Would recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Nuraie
- 10-06-23
A new favorite!
A poignant novel with much to communicate. Bleak and heart-wrenching beyond what I had predicted, but a profoundly moving social commentary & an exceptionally agonizing romantic saga. I have never found so much of myself in any fictional characters as I did with our central pair. As a nonbeliever living in a theocratic country, I found myself so intimately sympathizing & aligning with their struggles, defiance, & sense of alienation,
I've grown to deeply cherish our sympathetic, troubled, and imperfect protagonists: The stubborn bird who tried her darnedest not to be caged, & the passionate dreamer who longed to learn & love above all else.
Damn you Hardy for how you tortured them, and myself by extension. Onto read everything else he’s ever written!
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- Jenny
- 04-09-23
So sad
I felt so sad for Jude in this story. It’s hard to imagine a man loving such a tormenting and demanding woman, yet he loved her til his last breath. The ending left me sad and unfulfilled.
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Overall
- Tad Davis
- 02-16-10
Staggering
I first read this book about 40 years ago, and coming back to it now, with Stephen Thorne's wonderful narration, I feel the same sense of overwhelming tragedy. The climax of the book is shattering.
Jude is a country laborer with a dream, and with patience and determination to match. He teaches himself Greek and Latin while supporting himself as a stonemason, and he hopes to become a fellow at the University. But one thing after another happens, and his opportunities become more and more constricted. Personal drama takes center stage. He falls in love with his cousin Sue, a relationship doomed not only by his own prior entanglements but by Sue's own indecisiveness and apparent horror at physical expressions of love. (There's something damaged about Sue that Hardy never tries to explain: it just is.)
Stephen Thorne is a terrific reader: all characters distinctively voiced in a variety of accents, with the brooding narrator hovering over all. Enthralling throughout: but be forewarned that it ends badly for pretty much everybody you care about.
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- Vic Habersmith
- 06-05-23
Disappointing but still worth reading.
I was disappointed with parts of this story but overall feel it was worthwhile to read.
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- Peter
- 02-17-24
Compelling Story
Psychopathy, borderline personality, and Christian sadomasochism combine to do the dirt to Jude, wonderfully narrated
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