The Mayor of Casterbridge
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Buy for $24.30
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Peter Newcombe Joyce
About this listen
In a fit of drunken bitterness, a young hay trusser, Michael Henchard, sells his wife, Susan, to Mr. Newson, a sailor, at a country fair. The transaction also includes their daughter, Elizabeth Jane.
When sober the next day, he regrets his action but looks for them in vain and is eventually told they may have emigrated. Eighteen years later Henchard is the Mayor of Casterbridge, and the people of the town believe him to be a widower. In recent times he has had an affair with a young woman in Jersey, Lucetta, while travelling there on business. She inherits a fortune and comes to Casterbridge to persuade Henchard to make 'an honest woman' of her. However, Susan, having lost her husband at sea, returns with the now grown Elizabeth Jane.
The Mayor, wishing to atone for his crime of years before, remarries her. To complicate matters further, a young ambitious Scot, Donald Farfrae, has settled in the town at Henchard's instigation. Despite their rapidly worsening business relationship, Donald initially casts a glad eye at Elizabeth Jane but then falls in love with Lucetta.
What follows will destroy Henchard and cause all the main protagonists an immeasurable amount of emotional pain as betrayal, death and fate play their parts in a tale full of suspense.
Public Domain (P)2015 Assembled StoriesListeners also enjoyed...
-
Jude the Obscure
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 114
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 114
Sexually innocent Jude Fawley is trapped into marriage by seductive Arabella Donn, but their union is an unhappy one and Arabella leaves him. Jude's welcome freedom allows him to pursue his obsession with his pretty cousin Sue Bridehead, a brilliant, charismatic free-thinker who would be his ideal soul-mate if not for her aversion to physical love. When Jude and Sue decide to lead their lives outside marriage they bring down on themselves all the force of a repressive society.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Left reeling
- By Tad Davis on 03-03-14
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
When peddler John Durbeyfield learns that he may be a descendant of a noble family, he sends his oldest child, Tess, to “claim kin.” Blindly ushered into harm’s way, the strong-willed yet untinctured peasant girl is not prepared for the blighted course her life will take. Nor for those whose destructive desires will determine her fate, and force Tess to make only the most desperate of choices. From her tragic loss of innocence through betrayal and revenge, Tess’s struggle for survival challenged the era’s mores and the cruel indifference shown women in Victorian society.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic narration, compassion inducing tale
- By Susan G. on 09-27-20
By: Thomas Hardy
-
The Hand of Ethelberta
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4
Opportunistic, shrewd and beautiful, Ethelberta resolves to disguise her humble beginnings and elevate her position in society. Crafting her career as a society poet and staging her family as her servants, she proves admirably adept at sustaining her own web of deceit as she reinvents herself and navigates the attentions of four different suitors. The wealthiest is not the one she loves... what will she do? This is a light-hearted urban tale, offering a different side of Thomas Hardy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good Read
- By D Martin on 09-18-24
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Far from the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 194
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 154
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 155
Gabriel Oak is only one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Bathsheba Everdene. He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy and the respectable, middle-aged Farmer Boldwood. And while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes, she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Another Classic!
- By 🌸DARA on 06-07-13
By: Thomas Hardy
-
The Woodlanders
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
The Woodlanders is vintage Hardy. The story revolves around the young woman Grace Melbury, who returns to the leafy world of Little Hintock and soon finds herself at the center of a number of tragic events. In penetrating, incisive, and beautiful prose, Hardy tells a moving tale of unrequited love as fate and the constraints of society thwart the happiness of our heroine. The leafy world of Blackmoor Vale and the hamlet of Little Hintock are all lovingly described by Hardy, who named The Woodlanders as the favorite of all his novels.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Masterpiece of writing and narration!
- By Kathi on 05-17-14
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Under the Greenwood Tree
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 265
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 223
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 223
The story delicately balances the concerns of the Mellstock parish choir with a romance between Dick Dewy, a member of the choir, and Fancy Day, the village schoolmistress. While the choir battles for its survival against the new vicar's mechanical church organ, personal conflicts arise over the anachronistic customs of tradition.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A Lighter Hardy
- By Cariola on 01-02-12
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Jude the Obscure
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 114
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 114
Sexually innocent Jude Fawley is trapped into marriage by seductive Arabella Donn, but their union is an unhappy one and Arabella leaves him. Jude's welcome freedom allows him to pursue his obsession with his pretty cousin Sue Bridehead, a brilliant, charismatic free-thinker who would be his ideal soul-mate if not for her aversion to physical love. When Jude and Sue decide to lead their lives outside marriage they bring down on themselves all the force of a repressive society.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Left reeling
- By Tad Davis on 03-03-14
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
When peddler John Durbeyfield learns that he may be a descendant of a noble family, he sends his oldest child, Tess, to “claim kin.” Blindly ushered into harm’s way, the strong-willed yet untinctured peasant girl is not prepared for the blighted course her life will take. Nor for those whose destructive desires will determine her fate, and force Tess to make only the most desperate of choices. From her tragic loss of innocence through betrayal and revenge, Tess’s struggle for survival challenged the era’s mores and the cruel indifference shown women in Victorian society.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic narration, compassion inducing tale
- By Susan G. on 09-27-20
By: Thomas Hardy
-
The Hand of Ethelberta
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4
Opportunistic, shrewd and beautiful, Ethelberta resolves to disguise her humble beginnings and elevate her position in society. Crafting her career as a society poet and staging her family as her servants, she proves admirably adept at sustaining her own web of deceit as she reinvents herself and navigates the attentions of four different suitors. The wealthiest is not the one she loves... what will she do? This is a light-hearted urban tale, offering a different side of Thomas Hardy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good Read
- By D Martin on 09-18-24
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Far from the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 194
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 154
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 155
Gabriel Oak is only one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Bathsheba Everdene. He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy and the respectable, middle-aged Farmer Boldwood. And while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes, she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Another Classic!
- By 🌸DARA on 06-07-13
By: Thomas Hardy
-
The Woodlanders
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
The Woodlanders is vintage Hardy. The story revolves around the young woman Grace Melbury, who returns to the leafy world of Little Hintock and soon finds herself at the center of a number of tragic events. In penetrating, incisive, and beautiful prose, Hardy tells a moving tale of unrequited love as fate and the constraints of society thwart the happiness of our heroine. The leafy world of Blackmoor Vale and the hamlet of Little Hintock are all lovingly described by Hardy, who named The Woodlanders as the favorite of all his novels.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Masterpiece of writing and narration!
- By Kathi on 05-17-14
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Under the Greenwood Tree
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 265
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 223
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 223
The story delicately balances the concerns of the Mellstock parish choir with a romance between Dick Dewy, a member of the choir, and Fancy Day, the village schoolmistress. While the choir battles for its survival against the new vicar's mechanical church organ, personal conflicts arise over the anachronistic customs of tradition.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A Lighter Hardy
- By Cariola on 01-02-12
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Desperate Remedies
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Melody Grove
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Real Hardy, not his best but very good.
- By F Shaw on 03-21-23
By: Thomas Hardy
-
The Return of the Native
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Alan Rickman
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,687
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,519
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,489
Set on Egdon Heath, a fictional barren moor in Wessex, Eustacia Vye longs for the excitement of city life but is cut off from the world in her grandfather's lonely cottage. Clym Yeobright who has returned to the area to become a schoolmaster seems to offer everything she dreams of: passion, excitement and the opportunity to escape. However, Clym's ambitions are quite different, and marriage only increases Eustacia's destructive restlessness, drawing others into a tangled web of deceit and unhappiness.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Perfect Pairing
- By Mel on 11-04-12
By: Thomas Hardy
-
A Pair of Blue Eyes
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
Hardy's third novel, A Pair of Blue Eyes, follows the story of Elfride Swancourt. The daughter of the rector of Endelstow, a sparse, sea-swept parish in Cornwall, Elfride is caught between two suitors of very different backgrounds: Stephen Smith, a young architect restoring the old parish church; and the respectable, older man of London society, Henry Knight. The blue-eyed and high-spirited protagonist must untangle the conflicting messages of her heart and her mind.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Depressing story & unbelievable central character
- By Molly R. on 08-14-17
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Our Mutual Friend
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 593
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 422
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 416
A sinister masterpiece, Our Mutual Friend was Dickens' last completed novel. It is perhaps his ultimate vision of a dark, macabre London and the corrupting power of money.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worth six stars
- By Erez on 07-05-08
By: Charles Dickens
-
Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,147
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,666
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,629
Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon’s mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Audible book ever
- By Molly-o on 12-25-11
By: George Eliot
-
Little Dorrit
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 31 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 521
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 479
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 474
Little Dorrit is Amy, born in debtor’s prison, the youngest child of debtor William Dorrit, an inmate of the Marshalsea. The two are befriended by a man whose wife hires Little Dorrit as a seamstress. When William Dorrit inherits a fortune, he escapes the Marshalsea. The family, assuming a station befitting their wealth, travel to Italy.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping
- By eva on 09-17-12
By: Charles Dickens
-
Jane Eyre
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Thandiwe Newton
- Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 20,499
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 18,748
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 18,669
Following Jane from her childhood as an orphan in Northern England through her experience as a governess at Thornfield Hall, Charlotte Brontë's Gothic classic is an early exploration of women's independence in the mid-19th century and the pervasive societal challenges women had to endure. At Thornfield, Jane meets the complex and mysterious Mr. Rochester, with whom she shares a complicated relationship that ultimately forces her to reconcile the conflicting passions of romantic love and religious piety.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect!!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-21-16
By: Charlotte Brontë
-
The Mill on the Floss
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Fiona Shaw
- Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 168
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 150
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 149
The Mill on the Floss is one of the great works of English literature. It is perhaps the most autobiographical of all Eliot's novels. The relationship between its heroine, Maggie Tulliver, and her brother, Tom, closely resembles that of George Eliot and her own brother, Isaac. The subject of sibling affection was clearly a deeply poignant one for George Eliot - she also wrote a series of beautiful and evocative sonnets entitled 'Brother and Sister'.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fiona Shaw makes George Eliot endurable
- By Starr on 04-21-16
By: George Eliot
-
Swann's Way
- By: Marcel Proust, Scott Moncrieff - translator
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
Swann’s Way is the first and best-known part of Proust’s monumental work, Remembrance of Things Past. Often compared to a symphony, this complex masterpiece is ideally suited for audio. Listening lets you appreciate anew the incredible beauty of Proust’s language and the uniqueness of his style. The novel’s narrator, Marcel, finds the true meaning of experience in memories stimulated by some random object or event.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful, BUT
- By Michael on 02-04-13
By: Marcel Proust, and others
-
Northanger Abbey
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,820
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,324
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,320
When Catherine Morland, a country clergyman's daughter, is invited to spend a season in Bath with the fashionable high society, little does she imagine the delights and perils that await her. Captivated and disconcerted by what she finds, and introduced to the joys of "Gothic novels" by her new friend, Isabella, Catherine longs for mystery and romance. When she is invited to stay with the beguiling Henry Tilney and his family at Northanger Abbey, she expects mystery and intrigue at every turn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome
- By Johnny on 08-01-09
By: Jane Austen
-
Barnaby Rudge
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 26 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 158
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 146
For the background to this historical novel, a tale of mystery, suspense and unsolved murder, Dickens chose the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780. Mayhem reigns in the streets of London, vividly described by Dickens, and the innocent Barnaby Rudge is drawn into the thick of it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful
- By Tad Davis on 12-23-13
By: Charles Dickens
-
Oliver Twist
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,731
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,443
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,444
After escaping from the dark and dismal workhouse where he was born, Oliver finds himself on the mean streets of Victorian-era London and is unwittingly recruited into a scabrous gang of scheming urchins. In this band of petty thieves, Oliver encounters the extraordinary and vibrant characters who have captured audiences' imaginations for more than 150 years.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing narration!
- By Karen on 12-11-08
By: Charles Dickens
Related to this topic
-
Far From the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Jamie Parker
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,592
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,430
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,430
In a remote corner of early Victorian England, where traditional practices remain untouched by time, Bathsheba Everdene stands out as a beacon of female independence and self-reliance. However, when confronted with three suitors, among them the dashing Sergeant Troy, she shows a reckless capriciousness that threatens the stability of the whole community. Published in 1874, and an immediate best seller, Far From the Madding Crowd established Thomas Hardy as one of Britain's foremost novelists.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Masterpiece of Culture and Eloquence
- By Andrew on 07-07-14
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Jude The Obscure
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 205
This is the story of a young country workman obsessed by his ambition to become an Oxford student, interwoven with his fraught relationships with two women.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Staggering
- By Tad Davis on 02-16-10
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Dombey and Son
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 123
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
In this carefully crafted novel, Dickens reveals the complexity of London society in the enterprising 1840s as he takes the listener into the business firm and home of one of its most representative patriarchs, Paul Dombey.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect pair
- By Philip on 03-25-08
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 348
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 298
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 291
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is closely modelled on the 18h-century novels that Charles Dickens loved as a child, such as Robinson Crusoe, in which the fortunes of a hero shape the plot. The likeable young Nicholas, left penniless on the death of his father, sets off in search of better prospects.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
loved it much more than expected!
- By Blue Ridge Book Lover on 05-29-12
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Shuttle
- By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by: Tabi That
- Length: 19 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50
Rosalie Vanderpoel, the daughter of an American multimillionaire marries an impoverished English baronet and goes to live in England. She all but loses contact with her family in America. Years later her younger sister Bettina, beautiful, intelligent and extremely rich, goes to England to find what has happened to her sister. She finds Rosalie shabby and dispirited, cowed by her husband's ill-treatment. Bettina sets about to rectify matters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
More than Lovely
- By jTacy67 on 01-17-18
-
Silas Marner
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,476
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,308
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,302
For 15 years the weaver Silas Marner has plied his loom near the village of Raveloe, alone and unjustly in exile, cut off from faith and human love, he cares only for his hoard of golden guineas. But two events occur that will change his life forever; his gold disappears and a golden-haired baby girl appears. But where did she come from and who really stole the gold? This moving tale sees Silas eventually redeemed and restored to life by the unlikely means of his love for the orphan child Eppie.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
amazing
- By Ramon on 06-04-12
By: George Eliot
-
Far From the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Jamie Parker
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,592
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,430
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,430
In a remote corner of early Victorian England, where traditional practices remain untouched by time, Bathsheba Everdene stands out as a beacon of female independence and self-reliance. However, when confronted with three suitors, among them the dashing Sergeant Troy, she shows a reckless capriciousness that threatens the stability of the whole community. Published in 1874, and an immediate best seller, Far From the Madding Crowd established Thomas Hardy as one of Britain's foremost novelists.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Masterpiece of Culture and Eloquence
- By Andrew on 07-07-14
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Jude The Obscure
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 205
This is the story of a young country workman obsessed by his ambition to become an Oxford student, interwoven with his fraught relationships with two women.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Staggering
- By Tad Davis on 02-16-10
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Dombey and Son
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 123
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
In this carefully crafted novel, Dickens reveals the complexity of London society in the enterprising 1840s as he takes the listener into the business firm and home of one of its most representative patriarchs, Paul Dombey.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect pair
- By Philip on 03-25-08
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 348
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 298
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 291
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is closely modelled on the 18h-century novels that Charles Dickens loved as a child, such as Robinson Crusoe, in which the fortunes of a hero shape the plot. The likeable young Nicholas, left penniless on the death of his father, sets off in search of better prospects.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
loved it much more than expected!
- By Blue Ridge Book Lover on 05-29-12
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Shuttle
- By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by: Tabi That
- Length: 19 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50
Rosalie Vanderpoel, the daughter of an American multimillionaire marries an impoverished English baronet and goes to live in England. She all but loses contact with her family in America. Years later her younger sister Bettina, beautiful, intelligent and extremely rich, goes to England to find what has happened to her sister. She finds Rosalie shabby and dispirited, cowed by her husband's ill-treatment. Bettina sets about to rectify matters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
More than Lovely
- By jTacy67 on 01-17-18
-
Silas Marner
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,476
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,308
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,302
For 15 years the weaver Silas Marner has plied his loom near the village of Raveloe, alone and unjustly in exile, cut off from faith and human love, he cares only for his hoard of golden guineas. But two events occur that will change his life forever; his gold disappears and a golden-haired baby girl appears. But where did she come from and who really stole the gold? This moving tale sees Silas eventually redeemed and restored to life by the unlikely means of his love for the orphan child Eppie.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
amazing
- By Ramon on 06-04-12
By: George Eliot
-
Adam Bede
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Jill Tanner
- Length: 23 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 41
Adam Bede (1859), George Eliot's first full-length novel, marked the emergence of an artist to rank with Scott and Dickens. Set in the English Midlands of farmers and village craftsmen at the turn of the 18th century, the book relates a story of seduction issuing in "the inward suffering which is the worst form of Nemesis". But it is also a rich and pioneering record - drawing on intimate knowledge and affectionate memory - of a rural world that we have lost.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very good book
- By Terri Tinkham on 03-11-19
By: George Eliot
-
Cousin Phillis
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Joe Marsh
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 83
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 67
Cousin Phillis – a miniature masterpiece – is set in the 1840s, when the coming of the railway was changing the face of England, and quiet rural communities, coming into contact with the outside world, were changed forever. The story focuses on the effect these changes have on a naïve country girl, Phillis, as she encounters love, with all its pains and pleasures, for the first time.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Delicate Story
- By Mama C on 01-08-11
-
North and South
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,373
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6,562
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,566
Written at the request of Charles Dickens, North and South is a book about rebellion that poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience. Gaskell expertly blends individual feeling with social concern and her heroine, Margaret Hale, is one of the most original creations of Victorian literature. When Margaret Hale's father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience she is forced to leave her comfortable home in the tranquil countryside of Hampshire....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Delightful
- By Sally on 01-04-10
-
The Woman in White
- By: Wilkie Collins
- Narrated by: Andrea Giordani
- Length: 25 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 38
Through a series of calculated moves that involve death and a large inheritance, a small community is rocked and shrouded in mystery at the hands of the conniving Sir Percival Glyde, who is interested only in making himself wealthy at the hands of others.... Celebrated as one of the first popular mystery novels, The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins, skillfully incorporates the twisting and turning of more than a few plot lines that all manage to converge beautifully at the end of the work.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
horrible technically - echoes at most of the words
- By James D. Coburn on 12-30-15
By: Wilkie Collins
-
Lady Audley's Secret
- By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 104
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 86
A fast-paced Victorian thriller that will delight audiences today as it did 100 years ago, Lady Audley's Secret has subterfuge, kidnapping, jealousy, and fraud, all thrown into the mix and shaken up for good measure.
A mystery which keeps a listener guessing until the last moments, this production is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys playing detective.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator creates the listen
- By connie on 02-06-12
-
Ethan Frome
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 343
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 260
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 264
Ethan Frome, a poor, downtrodden New England farmer, is trapped in a loveless marriage to his invalid wife, Zeena.When Zeena's young cousin Mattie arrives to help care for her, Ethan is immediately taken by Mattie's warm, vivacious personality. They fall desperately in love as he realizes how much is missing from his life and marriage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Slow is smooth and smooth is Fast until it isn't
- By Darwin8u on 05-29-13
By: Edith Wharton
-
The Best Ghost Stories Ever Told
- Best Stories Ever Told
- By: Stephen Brennan - editor
- Narrated by: J. M. Badger, Imelda Pot
- Length: 24 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 224
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 200
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 199
A big, brilliant, spooky collection of classic and contemporary ghost stories that will make you hesitate before turning off that light.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A very mixed review
- By Michael Mayer on 08-05-15
-
Jane Eyre
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Thandiwe Newton
- Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 20,499
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 18,748
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 18,669
Following Jane from her childhood as an orphan in Northern England through her experience as a governess at Thornfield Hall, Charlotte Brontë's Gothic classic is an early exploration of women's independence in the mid-19th century and the pervasive societal challenges women had to endure. At Thornfield, Jane meets the complex and mysterious Mr. Rochester, with whom she shares a complicated relationship that ultimately forces her to reconcile the conflicting passions of romantic love and religious piety.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect!!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-21-16
By: Charlotte Brontë
-
Anna of the Five Towns
- By: Arnold Bennett
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
Set in stifled, industrial Staffordshire in the late 19th century, against a strong evangelical background, Anna of the Five Towns tells of the courting of hard businessman Ephraim Tellright's daughter by prosperous and accomplished Henry Mynors. As her father's fortune grows, so does Anna understanding. She realises her legacy and responsibility for the possible ruination of her father's tenants, Titus Price and his son, Willie, who also loves her.
By: Arnold Bennett
-
The Woman in White
- By: Wilkie Collins
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey, Simon Prebble
- Length: 25 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,347
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,995
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,008
One of the greatest mystery thrillers ever written, Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White was a phenomenal best seller in the 1860s, achieving even greater success than works by Charles Dickens. Full of surprise, intrigue, and suspense, this vastly entertaining novel continues to enthrall audiences today.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping novel, excellent production
- By David on 01-18-11
By: Wilkie Collins
-
Lady Audley's Secret
- By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Narrated by: Olivia Poulet
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,975
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,825
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,815
From the author of The Christmas Hirelings comes this Audible Exclusive production of Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s classic sensation novel Lady Audley’s Secret. English actress Olivia Poulet gives an assured and captivating narration; a cornerstone of the genre and a scandal at the time of its publication, Lady Audley’s Secret is an entertaining and shocking tale of high drama and shifting perceptions.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Classic 19th Century “sensation novel”
- By Susan on 08-20-19
-
A Room with a View
- By: E. M. Forster
- Narrated by: Rebecca Hall
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,364
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,134
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,134
In this rich new audio production, acclaimed British American actress Rebecca Hall brings one of E. M. Forster's most admired works to life in this classic tale of human struggle. A charming young Englishwoman, Lucy Honeychurch, is wooed by both free-spirited George Emerson and wealthy Cecil Vyse while vacationing in Italy. Though attracted to George, Lucy becomes engaged to Cecil despite twice turning down his proposals. On hearing of the news, George confesses his love, leaving Lucy torn between marrying the more socially acceptable Cecil or George, the man she knows would bring her true happiness. Should Lucy choose social acceptance or true love?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A lovely performance, and a wonderful story
- By Robert on 01-19-19
By: E. M. Forster