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.

The Woodlanders (version 2)

Read by Tadhg 4.8
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…

Far From The Madding Crowd, version 2

Read by Tadhg 4.8
Far From The Madding Crowd is Hardy's fourth novel. It centres on the lives of five characters: Gabriel Oak, Bathsheba Everdene, Mr Boldwood…

The Mayor of Casterbridge (version 2)

Read by Bruce Pirie 4.7
Irritated and drunken, an itinerant farm-worker sells his wife and child to a stranger. Thus begins The Mayor of Casterbridge, set in rural …

The Hand of Ethelberta

Read by Simon Evers 4.4
Ethelberta was raised in humble circumstances but became a governess and consequently, at the age of 18, married well. However, her husband …

Wessex Tales

Read by Tadhg 4.7
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…

A Laodicean

Read by Simon Evers 4.5
The Laodicean (someone whose religious beliefs are “lukewarm”) of the title is Paula Power who bought the ancient castle De Stancy which she…

Jude the Obscure (Version 2)

Read by Tadhg 4.6
Eleven-year-old Jude Fawley, inspired by his teacher Mr. Phillotson, who leaves Marygreen for Christminster to take a university degree, dec…

The Well-Beloved

Read by Simon Evers 4.5
'The Well-Beloved' tells the story of Jocelyn Pierston and his love for three generations of women - the grandmother, her daughter and grand…

A Pair of Blue Eyes

Read by Tadhg 4.6
The book describes the love triangle between a young woman, Elfride Swancourt, and her two suitors from very different backgrounds. Stephen …

Under the Greenwood Tree

Read by Rachel Lintern 4.4
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…

Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Read by Adrian Praetzellis 4.7
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…

Life's Little Ironies; A Set Of Tales With Some Colloquial Sketches Entitled A Few Crusted Characters

Read by David Wales 4.6
Life's Little Ironies is a collection of eighteen short stories by renowned author Thomas Hardy, exploring the complexities of human nature …

Two On A Tower

Read by Tadhg 4.4
The plot concerns two – literally star-crossed – lovers: Swithin St. Cleeve, a very young amateur astronomer, and Viviette Constantine, an u…

Desperate Remedies

Read by LibriVox Volunteers 4.5
Cytherea Graye is poor, but accepts a post as lady's maid to the eccentric Miss Aldclyffe, the woman whom her father had loved but had not b…

Tess of the d'Urbervilles (version 3)

Read by Bob Neufeld 4.8
Tess of the d'Urbervilles follows the life of Tess, a young woman of humble origins who discovers her connection to a noble lineage. Set aga…

Far from the Madding Crowd

Read by LibriVox Volunteers 4.5
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…

Great Ghost Stories

Read by PhyllisV 4.1
A great collection of 12 classic stories about ghosts and the supernatural. Included are stories by Thomas Hardy, Fitz-James O'Brien, and Ma…

A Changed Man And Other Tales

Read by David Wales 4.3
Eleven short stories. - Summary by david wales

Tess of the d'Urbervilles (version 2)

Read by Alisson Veldhuis 4.7
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 Trumpet-Major

Read by LibriVox Volunteers 4.5
Our heroine, Anne Garland, lives quietly in a rural community deep in the English countryside. However, the arrival of several regiments pr…

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