Perfect!

This is not usually my favourite Hardy and it is ages since I read it but hearing Robert Hardy read not only ‘woke up’ the whole book to me but reminded me how funny it was. I shall remember Fancy being likened to a flower amongst the vegetables of the other young girls and am in pursuit of my copy of the story to see if I heard correctly and Hardy really used wombling as a verb, all those years ago…..

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1 person found this helpful

brilliant narration

this is uch an enjoyable book. best narraror i have heard. the way he navigated in and out and around the accents was genius

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A novel overdramatised

This wonderful story,so full of warmth and humour, was disappointingly read at galloping speed

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Outstanding reading of a wonderful 19th century novel

Robert Hardy’s amazing accents, timing and inflections which bring this novel outstandingly to life. A gripping rendition which keeps the reader spellbound.

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Memories from youth have rude awaking

I studied this book for English O Level way back in the 1960s. At the time I thought it was the best book I'd ever read! I love the dialogue between members of the "quire" but this was one of Hardy's earlier works and he improved immensely and when he got to "Far From The Madding Crowd" I find the two stories very similar, but the latter work being better. However, Hardy has a superb way of commenting upon nature and people's mood and that is superb. Surprisingly I found Robert Hardy's narration disappointing - I've no idea what accent the inhabitants of this Dorset village might have used, but surely not the one used by Robert Hardy. Having said all of that I enjoyed it, but it is no longer the best book I've ever read.

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6 people found this helpful

Not his best. A rather pedestrian story.

Newcomers to Hardy will realise fast that the beginning of almost all of his novels contain a sudden array of disposable characters with strange nicknames and strange dialects that will leave you totally confused and baffled as to who's who and what's going on.

invariably however, the early characters are mostly subordinate to the plot, so you have to persevere until he settles down on the main protagonists and those around them.

it's not really necessary to try to remember everyone from the first chapter or so.

Unfortunately being a short novel it is well into the story before you get your bearings with this one which doesn't have the dark subterfuges of his greater texts.

This is far from Tess, Jude and the madding crowd.

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The perfect pairing

A gorgeous story beautifully told and acted...Robert and Thomas Hardy are the perfect pairing

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Fantastic reading from Robert Hardy

I loved the characters and way of life depicted. Left me wanting to follow the new couples story.

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Loved it

It took a while to get into the narrator’s way of speaking particularly the country accents but I loved the story. Found it funny so unlike Hardy’s other stories I’ve listened to.

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Brought the story to life

Robert Hardy was a brilliant narrator. The characters became people you knew and we loved it from start to finish.

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