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The Hand of Ethelberta
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 16 hrs
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The Hand of Ethelberta
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Summary
Opportunistic, shrewd and beautiful, Ethelberta resolves to disguise her humble beginnings and elevate her position in society. Crafting her career as a society poet and staging her family as her servants, she proves admirably adept at sustaining her own web of deceit as she reinvents herself and navigates the attentions of four different suitors. The wealthiest is not the one she loves... what will she do? This is a light-hearted urban tale, offering a different side of Thomas Hardy. The master of pastoral realist novels was presenting a "somewhat frivolous narrative", which nevertheless displayed his acute consciousness of class divisions and continues to delight those who discover it within his better-known works.
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Critic reviews
"Fenella Woolgar gives an exemplary performance of this gentle comic novel, which skews the English class system.... Woolgar provides Ethelberta with a youthful, light tone that belies her resolute nature. Woolgar expertly distinguishes the many characters with individualized vocal expression. Her pacing is relaxed, and her vivid depictions of rural and city settings add atmosphere. This novel is an easy listen and can serve as an introduction to Hardy's works." (AudioFile)
What listeners say about The Hand of Ethelberta
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- J. Speakman
- 30-07-24
Mixed feelings
The book was obviously dated in its attitudes and probably over-long. I couldn't endear myself to Ethelberta although I appreciate one of her life's objectives was to assist her family, but she was overbearing and autocratic in doing this. It's always a challenge for any author, even a talented one like Hardy, to get a listener on the side of a heroine when she puts position and money before all else. I did like the ending though and it was an enjoyable listen.
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