Far From The Madding Crowd, version 2

sootfoot5

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

Reader has a delightful accent that pairs well with Thomas Hardy's work. He brings Hardy to life - yet he also sometimes lulls me to sleep with his beautiful speech. I don't mind - that is what rewind is for. Thank you, kind sit, for all the time you have put into these readings. It is much appreciated.

Great reading by any standards

(5 stars)

aposiopesis

One test of a good reader-aloud is that they can make you go on listening to a story that would not hold your interest if you took up the book yourself. I'm no fan of Hardy, but as soon as I began hearing this intelligent Irish voice emerging from the gloom of Wessex I was hooked. Mr Hynes is a born storyteller. It would be even more enthralling to hear him in something from the great literary tradition of Ireland, or in poetry that he could make vibrant with his sensitive and nuanced gift of interpretation.

my favorite Tomas Hardy

(5 stars)

LL

This is an excellent book very well read. It follows proud independent and beautiful Bathsheba and her three lovers, contrasting the different course that love of one woman takes three very different men. The steadfast and quietly devoted Gabriel Oake, the sober but darkly passionate farmer Boldwood and the dashing and superficial Sargent Troy each pursue their idol against a backdrop of an otherwise ordinary and peaceful rural life. Passion leads the weak and the unbending to tragedy in true Hardy style, while strength of character withstands the trials of the tale.

A classic, beautifully read

(4 stars)

Sara

One of my favourite readers makes this a thoroughly enjoyable piece of literary entertainment. The strengths to me were the storyline and writing style - the weakness being character development, particularly with the main female character. She was irritatingly manipulative and vaguely self-pitying but fascinating to see how the three men in her life reacted to that. The bottom line: I was entertained.

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

Another brilliant reading by Tadgh of a classic Thomas Hardy novel...ive listened to a lot of books on librivox and he is by a mile the best reader I've heard..ive also read nearly all of Thomas Hardy' s novels and this is up there with The Mayor of Casterbridge and Tess of the Durbevilles as one of his best

amazing reader

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

thank you, you brought the band of "neighbours" to life! Hardy was writing about a primarily oral culture and writing to reflect how people spoke, not how they wrote so it's only fitting to listen to the story.

a romance women will enjoy

(4 stars)

jaded_grl

this is a romance novel that women will enjoy. few men will be able to suffer through it probably. the reader has a VERY strong Irish accent so i had to rewind several times to understand what was said, but he is still a wonderful reader. a story of long enduring love that will have you furious at the leading lady at times, women can be so cruel LoL.

Ken Lunstrum

(5 stars)

ken

This book is an amazing example of Thomas Hardy’s genius in describing England and its people in the early 19th century besides being a very wonderful love story. Mr. Hynes adds so much flavor and character in the story. His accent adds a very distinctive feel to the tale. He is an extremely wonderful narrator.