Listen free for 30 days
-
The Return of the Native
- Narrated by: Alan Rickman
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
The Return of the Native
Buy Now for $32.94
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)
Exclusively from Audible
Set on Egdon Heath, a fictional barren moor in Wessex, Eustacia Vye longs for the excitement of city life but is cut off from the world in her grandfather's lonely cottage. Clym Yeobright who has returned to the area to become a schoolmaster seems to offer everything she dreams of: passion, excitement and the opportunity to escape. However, Clym's ambitions are quite different from hers, and marriage only increases Eustacia's destructive restlessness, drawing others into a tangled web of deceit and unhappiness.
Considered a truly modern story due to its sexual politics and hindered desires it still holds relevance to audiences today. There is a tension between the symbolic setting of the heath and the modernity of the characters that makes the listener question our freedom to shape our lives as we wish. Are we always able to live our dreams?
Like George Eliot, Hardy was a Victorian realist whose novels and poetry were greatly influenced by Romanticism, especially the poet William Wordsworth. His critical thoughts on Victorian society can be seen throughout much of his work.
Narrator Biography
Multi-award winning actor and director Alan Rickman, famous for roles such as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films and the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), had a varied career that included performing on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company in modern and classical theatre productions. In America, he gained recognition for his Broadway appearance in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1985) and later his role in Die Hard (1988) made him internationally famous. Other notable performances included his 2001 return to the West End and Broadway in Noël Coward's Private Lives and Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman in 2010. Rickman is most remembered for his roles in films such as Love Actually (2003) and Sweeney Todd (2007) as well as voicing Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and Absalom the Caterpillar in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010).
What the critics say
What listeners say about The Return of the Native
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-10-18
Thomas Hardy AND Alan Rickman!
I have recently been revisiting TH via audible having read most of his books many years ago. His writing is so beautiful and when you combine the tones of Alan Rickman then you really do have a first class experience. This is not my favorite TH but AR’s narration definitely enhances my enjoyment of the book and kept me engaged. I feel I did get more from the book through AR’s narration than had I read the book (weird I know!).
RIP to two brilliant men. And thank you.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-07-29
Marvelous Rickman
Loved revisiting this classic read by the marvelous Alan Rickman. Wish there were more Rickman audio books, but, sadly, too late.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- melanie
- 2021-01-23
Performance makes it
Just not a fan of Tragedy. But Alan Rickman's performance is truly worth it. I kept listening just to keep hearing his voice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-09-16
Wonderful book and wonderful performance by Alan Rickman
It was an absolute joy to not only listen to a classic by one of the best writers ever, but also to hear the marvellous voice of Alan Rickman bringing all the characters to life. Most memorable!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claire M.
- 2022-07-15
an elegaic tragedy
Hardy's painterly words set the stage for a tale of misunderstanding and pagan despair. Rickman reads well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-05-19
Wonderful performance of a classic story
Alan Rickman’s narration of this engaging story is really wonderful. I absolutely loved it and would recommend to all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Larisa J. Strobel
- 2022-01-20
Just what a story telling ought to be; engaging, remarkable, forever committed to memory!
I felt a return, in my mind, to the entirely memorable experiences of my childhood when I listened in rapt attention to my mom reading stories to me and my siblings. We could not ever wait for the next chapter and the next to be read to us. This performance from the great Alan Rickman, which was nothing short of perfection, drew this childlike desire out of me! I couldn’t wait to hear more. His tone and diction of every word held my attention for the entirety of the book. I wanted it to go on and not come to the end.
The story, in and of itself, was not one that I would recommend to other readers, as the language and plot are severely outdated and rather shallow. But to hear it read in Alan Rickman’s voice elevates the story to such a place that from this point on, I will always recall the minute details as well as the characters names and lives due to the sheer enjoyment of his narration. It was Alan Rickman that turned this Victorian drivel into warm syrup on pancakes!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mel
- 2012-11-04
A Perfect Pairing
One of the most satisfying audio productions I've listened to--a case where the audio version was more enjoyable to me than the text because of the pefect pairing of 2 artists. Rickman's voice added a rich shading and emphasis to Hardy's already beautiful lyricism; it was almost hypnotic. I remember long passages (especially describing Egdon Heath) that challenged my attention when I first read this book, but with Rickman's reading, it all went by like beautiful scenery. One to sit down and experience leisurely.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
149 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Doggy Bird
- 2011-12-04
Might Be My Favorite Audiobook of All Time!
I love Thomas Hardy, and can't recommend his books highly enough, but this reading stands out because Rickman's enunciation is so perfect and his expression so dramatic. It perfectly suits the story in a way that is almost musical. The beginning of the book is like a painting in words and is so beautiful to hear. (but I think I could enjoy Alan Rickman reading the telephone book). It's wonderful to listen a book with so much poetry read so carefully. This is the story of Eustacia Vye, the most beautifully named character in all of fiction. I highly recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
103 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Wallen
- 2011-04-20
Always Hardy
In this book Hardy proves he is one the really great writers that the English language has. Hardy's literary style is clearly 19th century, but it is really readable today. I thought that his style would be a little too heavy for an audiobook, but I found that the opposite is true - just like Dickens', his style lends itself well to the audiobook format.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
78 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cariola
- 2012-09-02
Two Words: Alan Rickman!
While this isn't my favorite Hardy novel (and I do love Hardy), what could be better than having the voice of Alan Rickman in your ears for more than 15 hours? The man has the sexiest voice on the planet, AND he's a great narrator for this rather melancholy story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
65 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Marlène
- 2011-01-14
A piece of culture and history
Alan Rickman's voice... his deep and powerful voice did make me buy this one and I discovered local life in late 19th century and an unknown workman : the reddleman which must have scared many children in thosed days in isolated places.
Great read, tragic moments and a good ending.I recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gillian
- 2016-02-10
Good-Bye, Alan Rickman
"The Return of the Native," I believe, is Thomas Hardy at his best, and with Alan Rickman at the helm, turning in a perfect performance, it's a near perfect work. We follow fully flesh-out characters as Hardy guides them through small-town life and the passions and dramas of unrequited love here and doomed love there. The only problem I have with Hardy and which makes this and his other works juuuuust less than flawless is his use of contrived devices: a teeny, tiny something happens that starts an AVALANCHE whereby tragedy ensues. Still and all, wonderful reading, and Hardy is a poet where starlight settles on the brows of maidens and such. And always, always, always, the oh so beautiful tones of Alan Rickman carrying the story, the poetry, making it soothe, making it soar.
Oh, boy, Alan. You will be sorely missed!
Of all the versions of "The Return of the Native" out there, I strongly suggest this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
36 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lili
- 2012-01-12
Fabulous!!!
What did you love best about The Return of the Native?
Thomas Hardy's beautiful prose and Alan Rickman's rich voice makes this an absolutely fabulous experience. One of the best narrations I have ever heard. Highly highly recommended!!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
32 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amy B.
- 2012-10-02
Dark and beautiful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Fro the writing, and the incredible narration by Alan Rickman.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Diggory Venn, of course, because he takes things to heart in an honest way, works things out in his mind, and persists in his beliefs and his love.
What does Alan Rickman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He can drip with irony, and this is a book where such ironic depth brings out the author's intent.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A fire that kindles hotly burns out quickly.
Any additional comments?
Egdon Heath is a full character in The Return of the Native, which is a dark and brooding book. From page one, Hardy draws us in: "A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching the time of twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Edgon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment. Overhead the hollow stretch of whitish cloud shutting out the sky was as a tent which had the whole heath for its floor.The heaven being spread with this pallid screen and the earth with the darkest vegetation, their meeting-line at the horizon was clearly marked. In such contrast the heath wore the appearance of an installment of night which had taken up its place before its astronomical hour was come: darkness had to a great extent arrived hereon, while day stood distinct in the sky….The somber stretch of rounds and hollows seemed to rise and meet the evening gloom in pure sympathy, the heath exhaling darkness as rapidly as the heavens precipitated it. And so the obscurity in the air and the obscurity in the land closed together in a black fraternization towards which each advanced half-way."Just wait till you hear Alan Rickman read that.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
22 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- HardyBoy64
- 2015-05-08
The perfect union: Hardy and Rickman
Would you consider the audio edition of The Return of the Native to be better than the print version?
YES. I'm a huge fan of Hardy's writing but Alan Rickman makes Hardy's poetic language sink into your soul. He narrates with such passion and emotion and he chortles, sings, moans and despairs, thus reviving Hardy's memorable characters into full life, off of the dead pages of a novel nearly 150 years old.
What other book might you compare The Return of the Native to and why?
Honestly, in my opinion, no other writer of the English language can or could write like Hardy. Perhaps George Eliot is the closest in poetic expression and tone.
Which character – as performed by Alan Rickman – was your favorite?
I completely loved the Reddleman in the novel. Rickman does an amazing job with the female characters but he really excels at the country folk.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I didn't cry but I do feel like Hardy's ethereal poetic prose and Rickman's sultry and sad sounding voice combine to make the absolute perfect union imaginable. I only wish that Rickman would record all of Hardy's novels.
Any additional comments?
This is the audiobook that got me hooked on the format and while I've enjoyed many, many other audiobooks, this is my favorite one so far because I love the novel and I love Rickman's performance. The best of the best!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sf303
- 2015-06-24
Alan Rickman is divine!
Rickman's narration is truly incredible. I wish there were more books narrated by him. This story is lovely as well. ❤️
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- eburrone
- 2022-05-07
Equisite example of Victorian literature
Hardy’s description of nature and the people who live in it so vivid and poetic that on feels like having beautiful paintings in front of one’s eyes. Beautiful writing indeed.
The characters are complex and tragic and readers can also see in them so many people we already know.
The combination of Hardy’s text and Alan Rickman’s voice is magical. I will miss both now that I finished listening...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!