The Harp in the South
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The Harp in the South
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Narrated by:
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Kate Hood
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By:
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Ruth Park
About this listen
An Australian classic, this is the story of the Darcy family who live in the Depression era tenements of Surry Hills, Sydney.
Hugh and Margaret Darcy are raising their family in Sydney amid the brothels, grog shops and run-down boarding houses of Surry Hills, where money is scarce and life is not easy. Filled with beautifully drawn characters that will make you laugh as much as cry, this Australian classic will take you straight back to the colourful slums of Sydney with convincing depth, careful detail and great heart.
©1948 Ruth Park (P)2011 Bolinda Publishing Pty LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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Continuing the history of the Irish Darcys begun in Missus and continued in The Harp in the South, this third novel of the trilogy re-acquaints listeners with the vicissitudes of slum life in a Sydney suburb. An unforgettable family and a cast of unforgettable characters enliven a story that is sometimes tragic, but often humourous, in a time of poverty and destitution, hope and promise.
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After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom. When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry. But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong.
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In 1806 William Thornhill, a man of quick temper and deep feelings, is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife, Sal, and their children he arrives in a harsh land he cannot understand. But the colony can turn a convict into a free man. Eight years later Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury to claim 100 acres for himself. Aboriginal people already live on that river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan, and Mrs Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them.
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Poor Man's Orange
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- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
Continuing the history of the Irish Darcys begun in Missus and continued in The Harp in the South, this third novel of the trilogy re-acquaints listeners with the vicissitudes of slum life in a Sydney suburb. An unforgettable family and a cast of unforgettable characters enliven a story that is sometimes tragic, but often humourous, in a time of poverty and destitution, hope and promise.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Looked forward to every chapter
- By Brendan on 07-16-23
By: Ruth Park
-
Cloudstreet
- By: Tim Winton
- Narrated by: Peter Hosking
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 433
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 346
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 347
Two rural families flee to the city and find themselves sharing a great, breathing, shuddering joint called Cloudstreet, where they begin their lives from scratch. For 20 years they roister and rankle, laugh and curse until the roof over their heads becomes a home for their hearts.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Magic for my city
- By Matilda on 01-18-12
By: Tim Winton
-
Missus
- By: Ruth Park
- Narrated by: Kate Hood
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 10
Missus takes us behind the lives of Hughie and Mumma, out of the gritty realism of inner city slum life and into the past of the stations,the bush and the country towns. We meet them as they were in the early 1920s, drifter Hugh Darcy, the unwilling hero who sweeps the dreamily innocent Margaret Kilker off her feet.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
First instalment of a very entertaining trilogy !!
- By Kerry on 01-14-13
By: Ruth Park
-
In a Sunburned Country
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,404
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,527
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,519
Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion on the Appalachian Trail resulted in the best seller A Walk in the Woods. Now, we follow him "Down Under" to Australia with this delectably funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance that combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity. More from Bill Bryson.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Laugh out loud funny
- By Larry on 06-09-03
By: Bill Bryson
-
The Island
- By: Adrian McKinty
- Narrated by: Mela Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,606
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,455
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,451
After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom. When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry. But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Love McKinty, but ....
- By Emily S. on 05-22-22
By: Adrian McKinty
-
The Secret River
- By: Kate Grenville
- Narrated by: Paul Blackwell
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 130
In 1806 William Thornhill, a man of quick temper and deep feelings, is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife, Sal, and their children he arrives in a harsh land he cannot understand. But the colony can turn a convict into a free man. Eight years later Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury to claim 100 acres for himself. Aboriginal people already live on that river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan, and Mrs Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Powerful yet heartbreaking. An absolute must for every Australian
- By henhao on 03-01-16
By: Kate Grenville
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Harp in the South
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- HellyBelly
- 03-13-16
Awesome Narrator
This was one of THE best Narrators I have listened to. The way she is able to give different accents & tones to each character only added to a wonderfully written book.
It's my first entry into Ruth Parks novels but not my last.
A great audible book choice all round.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Shannon
- 12-12-12
Great Narration of an Aussie classic
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend this to someone who liked Australian literature. Classic Aussie lit seems to focus on place and challenging lifestyles in a tough environment. The Harp in the South is set in the slums of suburban Sydney and also depicts life for the poor in post-war times.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
The ending was satisfactory.
Which character – as performed by Kate Hood – was your favorite?
I have to say, I really enjoyed Kate Hood's performance. She's a fantastic narrator who really brought each of the characters to life! I didn't have a favourite character but very much enjoyed the dynamic between all the members of the Darcy family.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I found myself laughing at times, saddened at other times.
Any additional comments?
It's a gem, a must read, particularly for Australian readers and authors.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Greg D. Joffe
- 05-31-15
Surry Hills in the 1920s
Think your life is tough? Only 100 years ago life was poverty stricken and desperate (in the slums in Australia). And yet people managed to survive. Definitely worth listening to.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Merlin
- 07-25-17
Decent;y entertaining
Given how highly acclaimed this book is, I was a little disappointed. It's good--but it's pretty conventional, and I don't find either the writing or the thinking especially exhilarating. But I read it right after Tim Winton's Cloudstreet--and I think it suffered by comparison--as most novels would.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Karen
- 09-14-13
Read As Part Of The Year 12 English Curriculum
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I probably wouldn't have listened to this book if it hadn't been a requirement of the Year 12 Curriculum. My youngest son is in Grade 12 and so we listened to it together. It was an interesting story, and I enjoyed it. It told the story of an Australian family living in the slums of Sydney. Ruth Park was able to make the listener really understand and visualise each of the characters and wrote with incredible attention to detail.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brendan
- 07-24-23
Delightful
I adore this series and I am absolutely enamored with the narrator!!!! I can’t stop listening and I think I will listen to this whole series again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rod
- 10-29-23
Full of warmth
If you have been to Redfern or Surry Hills in Sydney, you’ll appreciate the quintessential characters, language and values depicted in this classic. It’s tough, rough, very moving and sometimes funny. Hard not to see a show like Kath and Kim as somehow springing from the same evolutionary branch.
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