Adam Bede

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

George Eliot's first full-length novel is the moving, realistic portrait of three people troubled by unwise love.

Adam Bede is a hardy young carpenter who cares for his aging mother. His one weakness is the woman he loves blindly: the trifling town beauty, Hetty Sorrel, delights only in her baubles - and the delusion that the careless Captain Donnithorne may ask for her hand.

Betrayed by their innocence, both Adam and Hetty allow their foolish hearts to trap them in a triangle of seduction, murder, and retribution. Only in the lovely Dinah Morris, a preacher, does Adam find his redemption.

Public Domain (P)1995 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Warren S

I have heard it said that it is easier for novelist to write about vicious characters than it is to create a virtuous character who is believable. George Elliot has created in Adam Bede and Dinah Morris two virtuous characters who are also complex. Thus, George Eliot, like her fellow, Victorian novelist, uses this novel as an occasion for the reader’s reflection and moral improvement of his character. Nadia May’s Nelly masters the heavy northern dialect that George Elliot commits to print. Therefore, this is one of the finest performances I have listened to. if you like, Victorian novels, this one is not to be missed.

Amazing Narration

Maybe not surprisingly because this was Eliot's first novel, I had a few complaints about the pacing and about the resolution of some plot lines. But the prose was always beautiful and it was overall an interesting enough story to be worth the time. And, oh my god, Nadia May's narration! So good. All the voices were very distinct, all the accents and verbal mannerisms wonderfully captured. May also was always right on the mark with tone, hitting everything from the sometimes droly ironic narration or humorous dialog to the most tense scenes with just the right inflection. If you're thinking of reading Adam Bede, definitely give this audiobook a shot. Way better than slogging through the phonetically written dialect of the original text.

Captivating

Nadia has a beautiful reading voice
The representation of Dinah is encouraging and inspiring
Love for those tempted is masterfully brought about and redemption and forgiveness are key themes

Great Book. Beautifully Narrated.

Another classic George Eliot work, Adam Bede did not disappoint. As in her other works, Ms. Eliot demonstrates through her characters and commentary the most penetrating and incisive understanding of human nature I’ve encountered. Nadia May’s performance as narrator is shockingly good considering the large number of characters and dialects she successfully mastered. A fantastic listen all around.

Story well read

How times have changed. This story was well read and helped to tell a story of faith, love, loss, tragedy and hope. Great characters.

Outstanding Character Development.

Adam Bede is one of my all time favorite books. Great male character development.

Worth a credit, wow

George Eliot was such an amazing writer, and Nadia May is one of my very favorite narrators. I’ll definitely listen to this again

a perceptible writer

George Eliot certainly gets "into the bones " of her characters . As the first of her books it is a tantalising taste to what subsequently follows.

beautifully written

george eliots descriptive writing is unsurpassed. the narrator was good besides the clicking sound in her voice which was annoying.

Long, Descriptive, and Satisfying

This book will make you slow down. It’s not from this century or even the last century. Written in the 1800s Victorian Era, Adam Bede is filled with vivid descriptions, rich characters, and little action. It took me a minute to slow down. But once I did, I grew some patience, savored in the words and dialects, and enjoyed each movement of the story. We’ve lost this art in contemporary literature and would be better off revisiting it and bringing some slowness and steadiness back into the 21st century. George Eliot is a genius with dialect and characters and is quite visionary for her day and age.