Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet born on June 2, 1840, in Dorset, England. He is best known for his keen observations of rural life and his complex characters, often set against the backdrop of the changing social landscape of the Victorian era. Hardy's works, including classics like "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure," explore themes of fate, love, and the struggles of the individual against societal norms. His writing style is marked by its vivid descriptions and an underlying sense of melancholy, reflecting the challenges of the human condition.
Although Hardy initially gained fame as a novelist, he later turned his talents to poetry, producing a substantial body of work that resonates with readers even today. His insightful commentary on life, nature, and the human experience invites listeners to reflect and ponder alongside his characters. If you’re curious about Hardy’s exploration of life's complexities, we invite you to delve into his books available in the app and discover the beauty of his storytelling for yourself.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Thomas Hardy
One of the greatest English tragic novels, TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES (1891) is the story of a “pure woman” who is victimized both by convent…
Far From The Madding Crowd, version 2
Read by Tadhg Hynes
Thomas Hardy
Far From The Madding Crowd is Hardy's fourth novel. It centres on the lives of five characters: Gabriel Oak, Bathsheba Everdene, Mr Boldwood…
Far from the Madding Crowd
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Thomas Hardy
Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and offers in ample measure the details of English rural life that Hardy so…
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (version 2)
Read by Alisson Veldhuis
Thomas Hardy
Tess of the d'Urbervilles subtitled, "A Pure Woman," is the story of a young working woman named Tess Durbeyfield who is sent by h…
The Mayor of Casterbridge (version 2)
Read by Bruce Pirie
Thomas Hardy
Irritated and drunken, an itinerant farm-worker sells his wife and child to a stranger. Thus begins The Mayor of Casterbridge, set in rural …
Jude the Obscure (Version 2)
Read by Tadhg Hynes
Thomas Hardy
Eleven-year-old Jude Fawley, inspired by his teacher Mr. Phillotson, who leaves Marygreen for Christminster to take a university degree, dec…
The Woodlanders (version 2)
Read by Tadhg Hynes
Thomas Hardy
The Woodlanders is one of Hardy's later novels, although he originally intended it as a successor to Far From The Madding Crowd. It concerns…
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Read by Tadhg Hynes
Thomas Hardy
The book describes the love triangle between a young woman, Elfride Swancourt, and her two suitors from very different backgrounds. Stephen …
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Read by Debra Lynn
Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) is a tragic novel by English author Thomas Hardy subtitled, "The Life and Death of a Man of Character&…
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (version 3)
Read by Bob Neufeld
Thomas Hardy
"Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented" is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. It initially …
The Return of the Native
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Thomas Hardy
Like all of Hardy's work, The Return of the Native (1878) is passionate and controversial, with themes and sympathies beyond what a good Vic…
The Hand of Ethelberta
Read by Simon Evers
Thomas Hardy
Ethelberta was raised in humble circumstances but became a governess and consequently, at the age of 18, married well. However, her husband …
Under the Greenwood Tree
Read by Rachel Lintern
Thomas Hardy
This novel is subtitled The Mellstock Quire, A Rural Painting of the Dutch School. The Quire is the group of musicians who accompany the hym…
Jude the Obscure
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Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure is the last of Thomas Hardy's novels, begun as a magazine serial and first published in book form in 1895. Its hero Jude Fa…
Wessex Tales
Read by Tadhg Hynes
Thomas Hardy
Wessex Tales is a collection of six short stories written by Hardy in the 1880’s. If you’ve never read Hardy they’ll serve as a good introdu…
Life's Little Ironies; A Set Of Tales With Some Colloquial Sketches Entitled A Few Crusted Characters
Read by David Wales
Thomas Hardy
Eighteen short stories by a master story teller. - Summary by david wales
A Laodicean
Read by Simon Evers
Thomas Hardy
The Laodicean (someone whose religious beliefs are “lukewarm”) of the title is Paula Power who bought the ancient castle De Stancy which she…
Two On A Tower
Read by Tadhg Hynes
Thomas Hardy
The plot concerns two – literally star-crossed – lovers: Swithin St. Cleeve, a very young amateur astronomer, and Viviette Constantine, an u…
The Well-Beloved
Read by Simon Evers
Thomas Hardy
'The Well-Beloved' tells the story of Jocelyn Pierston and his love for three generations of women - the grandmother, her daughter and grand…
The Return of the Native (version 2 dramatic reading)
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Thomas Hardy
Clym Yeobright returns home to Egdon Heath, a scattered collection of houses on the isolated Wessex moors, and is caught up in a "love …