Desperate Remedies

De: Thomas Hardy

Narrado por: Melody Grove

Cytherea has taken a position as lady's maid to the eccentric Miss Aldclyffe. On discovering that the man she loves is already engaged to his cousin, Cytherea comes under the influence of Miss Aldclyffe's fascinating, manipulative steward Manston.

Desperate Remedies contains sensational ingredients of blackmail, murder and romance, but with its insight into psychology and sexuality it already bears the unmistakable imprint of Hardy’s future genius. This compelling story also raises the great questions underlying Hardy's major novels, which relate to the injustice of the class system, the treatment of women, probability and causality. Thomas Hardy described Desperate Remedies, his first novel, as a tale of "mystery, entanglement, surprise and moral obliquity."

Public Domain (P)2013 W F Howes Ltd

Hsrdy at his Best

classic Hardy great twists and turns intimacy love excellent narration joy to read or listen

Absorbing early Hardy

I could not put this down—I.e., could not turn it off. Though only Hardy’s second novel, it displays some of his strengths as a writer: compassionate depictions of women’s in 19th century society, finely drawn descriptions of place and everyday activities, depth of characterization. The narrator, Melody Grove, is one of the best I have ever heard.

Romance with substance

Hardy knows how to blend romanticism with mystery, suspense, and homey humor. His heroes and heroines lean precariously close to tragedy only to survive and live out a rationally happy conclusion. Villains are even dealt a fair hand as their humanity glimmers from under the ashes of villainous choices. While Cyrethia (what a name!) isn’t just an unsurprisingly beautiful and young girl, she’s a mixture of weakness and strength which makes her a little more endearing than many romantic heroines. All of the characters are flawed, to one degree or another, which is an essential element of Hardy’s genius.

Real Hardy, not his best but very good.

I was very engrossed in this book but as it got near the end I couldn't stand the tension and had to find out the ending
on Wikipedia. It is a true Victorian story, with a critical fact being wether or not the young lady in question did, or did not, have sex, which we have to accept as important. I thought the reader had a very appropriate voice.

Just okay

The main character, Cytherea, grates on the reader’s nerves as presented: an immature, ineffectual, child-woman always on the verge of swooning. The plot is a bit far fetched. Not Hardy’s best. No complaints about the narration.