Thomas Hardy has 17 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 36 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.1★ across 606 ratings. The most-rated is Voyager.
Voyager
Summary
Diana Gabaldon's magnificent historical saga, begun with Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber, continues with this New York Times best seller. Set in the intriguing Scotland of 200 years ago, the third installment in the romantic adventures of Jamie and Claire is as compelling as the first. Now that Claire knows Jamie survived the slaughter at Culloden, she is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. She aches to travel back through time again to find the love of her life, but, in order to do that, she must leave their daughter behind. It has been 20 years since she and Jamie were forced to separate. Can she risk everything, maybe even her life, on a gamble that their love has withstood the long, rigorous test of time? Diana Gabaldon's powerful, witty, and heroic characters lend themselves well to the rich, melodic narration accorded them by Davina Porter. Under her spell, listeners find themselves transported back through time to exciting, faraway places alive with people they would enjoy knowing.
©1993 Diana Gabaldon (P)1998 Recorded Books
The Return of the Native
Summary
Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine) Exclusively from Audible Set on Egdon Heath, a fictional barren moor in Wessex, Eustacia Vye longs for the excitement of city life but is cut off from the world in her grandfather's lonely cottage. Clym Yeobright who has returned to the area to become a schoolmaster seems to offer everything she dreams of: passion, excitement and the opportunity to escape. However, Clym's ambitions are quite different from hers, and marriage only increases Eustacia's destructive restlessness, drawing others into a tangled web of deceit and unhappiness. Considered a truly modern story due to its sexual politics and hindered desires it still holds relevance to audiences today. There is a tension between the symbolic setting of the heath and the modernity of the characters that makes the listener question our freedom to shape our lives as we wish. Are we always able to live our dreams? Like George Eliot, 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 Multi-award winning actor and director Alan Rickman, famous for roles such as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films and the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), had a varied career that included performing on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company in modern and classical theatre productions. In America, he gained recognition for his Broadway appearance in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1985) and later his role in Die Hard (1988) made him internationally famous. Other notable performances included his 2001 return to the West End and Broadway in Noël Coward's Private Lives and Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman in 2010. Rickman is most remembered for his roles in films such as Love Actually (2003) and Sweeney Todd (2007) as well as voicing Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and Absalom the Caterpillar in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010).
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Summary
Exclusively from Audible When John Durbeyfield discovers a family connection to the ancient Norman family, the D'Urbervilles, the fate of daughter Tess is transformed. Sent by her ambitious parents to visit her wealthy D'Urberville cousins, Tess attracts the attention of the unscrupulous Alec. Seduced and discarded by him and alone in the world, she finds work as a milkmaid and the love of Angel Clare. Yet his love cannot accept the truth about Tess's past. Considered Hardy's masterwork it presents a major departure from conventional Victorian fiction, causing controversy and mixed reviews on first publication due to it challenging Victorian sexual morals. The work was subtitled 'A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented' as Hardy felt that its heroine was a virtuous victim of a rigid Victorian moral code. Hardy considered it his finest book and due to his enlightened and forward thinking, the story has captivated audiences since it was first released. Thomas Hardy was an English writer and poet in the Romantic era who was greatly influenced by Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth. Narrator Biography Having started his career as a leading child actor, Peter Firth received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Peter Shaffer's play Equus (1973) at only 21. He later starred with Richard Burton in its film adaption earning him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. His other film work has included roles in Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005). He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks (2002-2011) appearing in every episode of the show's 10 series. Recent roles have included Jacob Marley in the BBC's Dickensian series (2015) and Ernest Augustus in ITV's drama series Victoria (2016). He has narrated several audiobooks and starred in Audible's multicast drama Amok.
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Far From the Madding Crowd
Summary
In a remote corner of early Victorian England, where traditional practices remain untouched by time, Bathsheba Everdene stands out as a beacon of female independence and self-reliance. However, when confronted with three suitors, among them the dashing Sergeant Troy, she shows a reckless capriciousness that threatens the stability of the whole community. Published in 1874, and an immediate best seller, Far From the Madding Crowd established Thomas Hardy as one of Britain's foremost novelists. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Public Domain (P)2014 Naxos AudioBooks
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Summary
Tess Durbeyfield, a peasant girl and cast-off descendant of English aristocracy, has become one of the most famous female protagonists in 19th-century British literature. Betrayed by the two men in her life - Alec D’Urberville, her seducer/rapist and father of her fated child; and Angel, her intellectual and pious husband - Tess takes justice, and her own destiny, into her delicate hands. In telling her desperate and passionate story, Hardy brings Tess to life with an extraordinary vividness that makes her live in the heart of the reader long after the novel is concluded.
Public Domain (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC
Jude The Obscure
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.
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Under the Greenwood Tree
Summary
The four seasons of the Wessex year form the backdrop for the delightful romance of Dick Dewy and Fancy Day. The ups and downs of their courtship are set alongside the story of the rustics who form the church choir.
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
The World's Best Classic Short Stories
Summary
A glittering collection of some of the world's finest short stories, including: 'The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe 'The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant 'The Mezzotint' by M. R. James 'The Phantom Rickshaw' by Rudyard Kipling 'The Withered Arm' by Thomas Hardy 'The Model Millionaire' by Oscar Wilde 'The Monkey’s Paw' by W. W. Jacobs 'An Uncomfortable Bed' by Guy de Maupassant 'The Mortal Immortal' by Mary Shelley 'The Black Cat' by Edgar Allan Poe 'Sredni Vashtar' by Saki 'The Nose' by Nicolai Gogol 'Regret' by Kate Chopin 'One Thousand Dollars' by O. Henry 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield 'A Descent into the Maelström' by Edgar Allan Poe 'The Sphinx Without a Secret' by Oscar Wilde 'The Inconsiderate' Waiter by J. M. Barrie 'The Black Poodle' by F. Anstey 'The Quest' by Saki 'The Three Strangers' by Thomas Hardy 'Oil of Dog' by Ambrose Bierce 'The Oval Portrait' by Edgar Allan Poe 'Markheim' by Robert Louis Stevenson 'Fear' by Guy de Maupassant 'The Belated Russian Passport' by Mark Twain 'The Changeling' by W. W. Jacobs 'The Pit and the Pendulum' by Edgar Allan Poe 'The Eyes of the Panther' by Ambrose Bierce 'The Dead' by James Joyce 'The Secret Sharer' by Joseph Conrad 'The Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin 'The Telltale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe 'My Favorite Murder' by Ambrose Bierce 'The Premature Burial' by Edgar Allan Poe 'Tobermory' by Saki 'Memoirs of a Yellow Dog' by O. Henry.
Public Domain (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
Short Stories: The Vintage Collection
Summary
The fifth volume in CSA Word's massively popular complete and unabridged ‘Short Stories’ collection is bound to please. With something for everyone this collection of classic stories read by only the best-suited and most established readers will delight the ears as a vintage wine excites the gullet; The Vintage Collection is audible gold. Full story listing: 'The Old Couple' - Alphonse Daudet, read by Stephen Fry 13.49 'Pat Hobby Does His Bit' - F. Scott Fitzgerald, read by Kerry Shale 14.46 'A Tale of Negative Gravity' - Frank R. Stockton, read by Nicky Henson 41.50 'The Kiss' - Kate Chopin, read by Rupert Degas 06.54 'A Double Tragedy' - Louisa May Alcott, read by Derek Jacobi 53.48 'The Boar Pig' - Saki, read by Barbara Leigh-Hunt 12.06 'Sredni Vashtar' - Saki, read by Robin Bailey 11.15 'The Werewolf' - Frederick Marryat, read by Robin Bailey 48.23 'At the Article of Death' - John Buchan, read by Iain Cuthbertson 16.28 'The Toys of Peace' - Saki, read by Rupert Degas 12.25 'The Son’s Veto' - Thomas Hardy, read by Joanna David 38.24 'The Wrong Black Bag' - Angelo Lewis, read by Rupert Degas 25.45 'The Foolhardy Mouse and the Cautious Cat, - James Thurber, read by Liza Goddard 03.15 'The Cat and the Lifeboat' - James Thurber, read by Richard Griffiths 04.51 ,The Owl and the Pussycat' - Edward Lear, read by Liza Goddard 01.22 'A Terribly Strange Bed' - Wilkie Collins, read by Robin Bailey 39.10 'Providence and the Butler' - P. G.Wodehouse, read by Martin Jarvis 19.50 'The Box Tunnel' - Charles Reade, read by Rupert Degas 17.33 'On Eating and Drinking' - Jerome K. Jerome, read by Hugh Laurie 13.39 'To Catch a Thief' - E. W. Hornung, read by Rupert Degas 50.28 'The Locket' - Kate Chopin, read by Rupert Degas 14.33
©2009 CSA Word (P)2009 CSA Word
Hardy: The Mayor of Casterbridge
Summary
Michael Henchard, drunk at a country fair, sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas. The following day, in despair and remorse, he forswears alcohol and sets out to redeem himself. In time, he becomes a respected merchant and eventually the mayor of the town. But Fate is not to be so easily appeased, and Henchard finds his past actions resonate through and destroy his plans for the future. One of the greatest novels in the English language, The Mayor of Casterbridge sees Thomas Hardy at his best, bringing landscape and richly imagined characters to life, and setting the hope of love against the forces of Providence.
Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos Audiobook
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Adaptation)
Summary
A pretty young girl has to leave home to make money for her family. She is clever and a good worker; but she is uneducated and does not know the cruel ways of the world. So, when a rich young man says he loves her, she is careful - but not careful enough. He is persuasive, and she is overwhelmed. It is not her fault, but the world says it is. Her young life is already stained by men’s desires, and by death. An Oxford Bookworms Library reader for learners of English, adapted from the Thomas Hardy original by Clare West.
©1989 Oxford University Press (P)2008 Oxford University Press
Halloween Scary Stories
Summary
A classic collection of short stories to thrill and delight. Watch out for the twist in the tale.
Public Domain (P)2014 Saland Publishing
Tales from Longpuddle (Adaptation)
Summary
Tony Kytes is a favourite with the girls but he’s not terribly clever. If you meet an old girlfriend and she asks for a ride home in your wagon, do you say yes? And then if you meet the girl you are planning to marry, what do you do? Very soon, Tony is in a great muddle, and does not know how to escape from it. These stories are set in an English country village of the nineteenth century, but Hardy’s tales of mistakes and muddles and marriages belong in any place, at any time. An Oxford Bookworms Library reader for learners of English, adapted from the Thomas Hardy original by Jennifer Bassett.
©2003 Oxford University Press (P)2008 Oxford University Press
More of the Greatest Mysteries of All Time
Summary
More of the Greatest Mysteries of All Time is the second in a series featuring the finest short story mystery fiction by the most acclaimed writers, past and present. From Thomas Hardy, O. Henry, Jack London, Vincent Starrett and everyone in between, this unique collection, edited by multi-award winning mystery connoisseur Otto Penzler, is a delightful mixture of mystery and suspense.
©2009 Phoenix (P)2009 Phoenix
Richard Burton Reads the Poetry of Thomas Hardy
Summary
Richard Burton, the multi-award winning actor, reads the finest work of Thomas Hardy.
©2008 Saland Publishing (P)2008 Saland Publishing
The Richard Burton Poetry Collection
Summary
Richard Burton reads from Hardy and Donne, and performs a wonderful unabridged version of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (along with Robert Hardy and John Neville).
©2010 Saland Publishing (P)2010 Saland Publishing
Far from the Madding Crowd (AmazonClassics Edition)
Summary
In rural Victorian England, the willful Bathsheba Everdene is courted by three men: her repressed neighbor, a devoted shepherd, and a thriftless soldier. They cross and clash again and again in tragedy, grief, betrayal, misguided affections, and the follies of romantic love. Though far from the fury of the city, the drama they engender is equal to the whole of the universe in madness and passion. Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, his first literary success, is one of the great love stories of English literature. AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature’s most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds. Revised edition: Previously published as Far From the Madding Crowd, this edition of Far From the Madding Crowd (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.
Public Domain (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.