Jude the Obscure

Some indigestible novels should be delivered orally by the best possible narrator; they're too painful to read otherwise. This is definitely the case with Hardy's Jude the Obscure. Hardy's prose style is preachy, Jude and Sue's troubles are simply beyond the pale, and the reader's sympathy can be exhausted early on. Narrator Stephen Thorne comes to the rescue by taking the novel seriously. He performs all characters masterfully, with helpful pacing and impressive energy. Every gasp, sob, moan, and cry is professionally delivered without a trace of irony. Upon completion, one feels gratitude towards the talented Thorne for helping us get down this bitter pill of a book. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

This is why you listen, or why you should: Because a good performance is more than an easy way to "read" a book. And a great performance enhances the original, no matter how great (or not) it may be. Jenny Sterlin animates Hardy's characters without calling attention to herself--that is without raising thoughts of "here's a woman trying to sound like a man." She encourages continued listening when continued reading might be difficult; for example, when Sue and Jude are at their most exasperating. Sterlin's performance is recommended to all listeners--not just fans of Hardy or classic British literature. After all, this is why you listen. Or why you should. T.J.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Hardy's once scandalous work is performed as a mannered and sympathetic story of youthful ambition, confusion, and lust leading to a later life of same. Michael Pennington provides warmth and curiosity measured with severity as Jude, a manual laborer with aspirations of a life of scholarship, meanders through love affairs, each one more damaging than the last and culminating in a horrific final act typical of Hardy's harsh view of the world. The production preserves the aura of the story's time and place and maintains its antique voice and structure. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Author Thomas Hardy espoused Shakespeare's dictum (from King Lear): "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport." He particularly exhibits this pessimism in Jude the Obscure, his tragedy about Jude Fawley, a stonemason torn by ambitions both intellectual and carnal, and Sue Whitehead, an early feminist whom Jude loves and who sometimes loves Jude. A compelling novel is made more so in this audio version by the outstanding work of Frederick Davidson. Always dependable, Davidson here excels in his use of measured dramatics; his consistent differentiation of a large cast of characters from varying social, educational and, therefore, dialectal groups; and his obvious personal involvement in the miseries of the two main characters. T.H. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

The most dolorous (and infamous) novel of England's most dolorous novelist recounts the short, dolorous life of a country stonemason whose spiritual longings and artistic genius fail to save him from his total want of judgment. Possessed of an uncommonly beautiful voice, Michael Pennington expertly reads a somewhat drastic abridgment, which robs the original of much of its color. If this reviewer is to endure the moroseness of Hardy's tragic characters, he wants the reward of all Hardy's brilliant prose. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Hardy's most haunting novel follows Jude's piteous loyalty to his enigmatic muse, Sue Bridehead. Narrator Neville Jason evokes Hardy's somber tone through his resonant voice and measured pace, eloquently moving the listener through the novel's descriptive prose. The story takes place in Hardy's Wessex country, among artisans and teachers. Jason captures the dialects of the region in his vocal characterizations. He is particularly effective in his emphatic performance of the continual bickering between Jude and his first wife, Arabella. Jason's attention to the intonation of Hardy's style compels the listener through this unsettling love story. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine