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Tess of the D'Urbervilles
- Narrated by: Peter Firth
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Exclusively from Audible
When John Durbeyfield discovers a family connection to the ancient Norman family, the D'Urbervilles, the fate of daughter Tess is transformed.
Sent by her ambitious parents to visit her wealthy D'Urberville cousins, Tess attracts the attention of the unscrupulous Alec. Seduced and discarded by him and alone in the world, she finds work as a milkmaid and the love of Angel Clare. Yet his love cannot accept the truth about Tess's past.
Considered Hardy's masterwork it presents a major departure from conventional Victorian fiction, causing controversy and mixed reviews on first publication due to it challenging Victorian sexual morals. The work was subtitled 'A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented' as Hardy felt that its heroine was a virtuous victim of a rigid Victorian moral code.
Hardy considered it his finest book and due to his enlightened and forward thinking, the story has captivated audiences since it was first released.
Thomas Hardy was an English writer and poet in the Romantic era who was greatly influenced by Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth.
Narrator Biography
Having started his career as a leading child actor, Peter Firth received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Peter Shaffer's play Equus (1973) at only 21. He later starred with Richard Burton in its film adaption earning him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. His other film work has included roles in Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005). He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks (2002-2011) appearing in every episode of the show's 10 series. Recent roles have included Jacob Marley in the BBC's Dickensian series (2015) and Ernest Augustus in ITV's drama series Victoria (2016). He has narrated several audiobooks and starred in Audible's multicast drama Amok.
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What listeners say about Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Julie
- 2023-03-21
I Enjoyed It.
I've read some of Thomas Hardy's other works, years ago. I enjoyed listening to this performance of poor Tess. What women had to endure at the hands of men.
I have to admit, I sped it up to x1.20 for most of it.
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-01-28
Test of the d'urbervilles
very well read and captivated till end of book. I would recommend this book for others to read as well
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- SuperDucky
- 2024-03-15
Good…
…but, not as good as Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd. The production was flawless and one cannot ask for better narration.
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-12-10
A classic that never gets old
Tess, I love you!
Peerless narration. It's incredible how succinctly these characters communicate. Just brilliant.
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- XmasMom
- 2022-02-28
Weirdly Wow!
I tried this book just because of the time/year it came out originally.
I did like it. Very credible plot.
But boy what an ending!
Gave only 3 to the narrator cause of his sapping/swallowing noises throughout.
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- Cake
- 2020-11-20
Not for me
Didn’t love the narration or the story very much. I would go for it if I were a fan of Jane Austin
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- Christine Surina
- 2021-12-23
Slow
I love period piece novels but struggled to finish this one … it certainly gives a sense of what women’s life was like in this time period. Descriptive about surroundings and life.
But slow at times .. performance was very good
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