Far From the Madding Crowd

By: Thomas Hardy

Narrated by: Jill Masters

Thomas Hardy brings us an England that once existed but no more. It is rural, traditional, pastoral - a society of mannered conduct that flows like a deep river where powerful currents eddy and swirl. In this powerful novel of love and disillusion, Hardy's heroine is torn between the three men in her life. Passionate but capricious, her romantic involvements have fascinated generations of readers.

It was as a poet that Hardy wished to be remembered, but today critics regard his novels as an even more memorable contribution to English literature for their psychological insight, their instinctive delineation of English character, and their profound presentation of great tragedy.

Public Domain (P)1984 Jimcin Recordings

Not quite Madding Enough..

Conflicted on this one. Initially I thought -- Thomas Hardy absolutely does not like women. Then I thought -- this writer isn't simply a misogynist, he's a misanthrope. Then I thought, he's a romantic. Then I thought...it's probably a good sign that I'm thinking so much. The book is an odd mix of melodrama, character study, and study of morality. Certainly provocative, yet at the end perhaps a bit too much infliction of morality to be comfortable. Ending is flawed, too tidy and happy for what came before. Some wonderful character moments but just as many...questionable such moments. Worth a listen, a bit disconcerting to hear the opener "Children's audible" as this is not a book any child I know would enjoy!

Enjoyable

Well, to try out audiobooks I ended up with this one and Frederick Davidson's War and Peace. Granted it's hardly a fair comparison, but I recommend War and Peace. Note I gave this work four stars though, and not without reason.

I don't feel I'm experienced enough with these things to critique the narrator, but I can say I took no issue with her; indeed, her part was aptly undertaken.

Now, I chose this, a book I'd never heard of, despite the long list of books I'm "getting around to" because Thomas Hardy wrote it. I enjoyed his style through a (normal sense) reading of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and several other authors later I am enjoying it for a third time with (audiobook) Jude the Obscure. If it were not for Hardy's endearment, I very much doubt I'd have considered this book at all, because it does smack of the soap opera, though of course my comparison is once again unfair, being anachronistic.

But in that frame, where Jude the Obscure is notedly darker than Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Far From the Madding Crowd is notedly lighter; this made for both a morbid disappointment and a pleasant surprise. The pleasant feeling overrode the morbid, for my perspective, so three point five stars for the rest of the audiobook and another half-star for the surprise.

Eh

Recording isn't good. Audio volume changes throughout and even is muffled at several points.
Story is interesting, but abridged version might flow better. Lots of extra details that made the plot drag.

Poor recording quality

I enjoyed the story. I selected this version because it has a female narrator. Unfortunately, the recording quality was quite poor. The volume fluctuated as did the tone of the recording. It was a distraction. Great story--poor recording.

Still current!

The story of a woman's will in a man's world. She learns that not all choices at 20 are those one would make at 40