Tess of the D'Urbervilles

By: Thomas Hardy

Narrated by: Peter Firth

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's 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.

Loved it.

I felt bad for poor tess, punished for being naive and so I'll prepared for life yet made to endure such a hard one.

A tearful love story

This story was about a young lady’s struggles in life and love. This poor soul had so bear so many hardships. I would recommend this story to any romantic who doesn’t mind the suffering along the way.

Beautifully Written Classic

A classic piece of English Literature giving a glimpse of the Victorian social expectations on young women and the societal struggles of the day. Gorgeous use of language.

Wonderful narrator

Heartbreaking story beautifully narrated. I will see out more by Hardy & narrated by Firth. I consumed this story in a single weekend. I might even listen again after getting through Hardy’s other books.

Abridged version

I remembered loving this book 25+ years ago when originally read - but I was confused about clear gaps and missing things I remembered. Nothing noted this being abridged, but I was able to confirm same, after a search for other versions. Still good, but takes away meaningful sections that provide more context for the remainder of the story.

What Tess needed was...

What can go wrong in an idyllic country town with three psychotic main characters? A love tragedy. Perhaps a counseling center sponsored by the local Grange association would have smoothed things out.

Incredible

Tess of the D’Urbervilles is a beautiful tragedy. Thomas Hardy’s descriptive writing style paints a wonderful, yet heartbreaking image of the life of Tess. It is a rare story which has such an effect on my mind as does Tess’s, but it is wonderfully told. My singular issue with the recording is not in its content, but in the narration. I thought Firth did a tremendous job, however, his voice for Tess is almost dim witted at times, which is a stark contrast to the theme of the novel, especially when read on paper. I felt somewhat annoyed at times from his portrayal of her dialogue, but I suppose such is often the case when a male narrates a female voice. If I could give the performance 4.5 stars, I would, as the rest of the performance was sublime.

Most poignant tale

I love Thomas Hardy and this is another excellent piece to enjoy on indoor days.

excellent performance

Wonderful performance. Couldn’t be a better performance.
The book is devastating, almost too painful to listen to in last hours of it.

Ripples of either holding or releasing a grudge

Well written and artistically read, this book illustrates in story form the ever-enlarging circles of refusing to forgive a wrong. The beautiful contrast is seen in Tess.