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A Pair of Blue Eyes
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
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A Pair of Blue Eyes
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Summary
Written in 1873 it was autobiographical and the heroine Elfride Swancourt is based on Hardy's first wife Emma Gifford. The novel tells the tail of a the love triangle between a young woman, Elfride Swancourt, and her two suitors from very different backgrounds.
Elfride finds herself caught in a battle between her heart, her mind and the expectations of those around her - her parents and society.
Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928) was an English novelist and poet of the naturalist movement.
Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.
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What listeners say about A Pair of Blue Eyes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nicola
- 20-03-22
Classic Hardy
Not his best but beautifully written and showing his insight into class and gender issues in the 19th century with echoes for today.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- edward botheras
- 10-09-22
A bit slushy, but not bad.
I thought of this as like ‘toffee’. Nice at first but as it went on almost too sweet and sickly. It got a bit more interesting later with some twists at the end.
I kept thinking it was going to get deeper but it never did. It seems to that lack that certain something, maybe that depth of character, to keep it from being a better, more complete novel.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacki
- 13-08-20
Surprising end
Another great Hardy book with a sad but surprising end. The narration, has to be said, was generally good apart from Peter Wickham's attempt at the accent - abysmal! Thank goodness, speech was quite limited in this book compared to others. I ready Hardy in school and not read him since, but having found him on Audible, am completely obsessed by his descriptive, emotive writing. Onto the next one.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kate Hunloke
- 28-02-15
Thwarted love
Excellent narration. Sad tale. Same old tale of woman misunderstood. Wonderful descriptions of Wessex. Unexpected ending but a satisfying listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claire
- 16-07-18
Blue Eyes X 2
The scene is set for A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy, it was suggested I read/listen to this by a good friend, so I did. It was a good call because a) I had not heard of this and nay of missed it and b) I really enjoyed it. It did not end as I had expected and is a nice nieve version of a love triangle. Hardy really paints vivid pictures in your mind and the whole story comes alive.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- InkSplasher
- 12-03-14
A Hardy novel which deserves wider recognition
Would you try another book written by Thomas Hardy or narrated by Peter Wickham?
Yes by Thomas Hardy and no, I would not try another book narrated by Peter Wickham.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Elfrida as she's delineated with sympathy, depth and care.
What didn’t you like about Peter Wickham’s performance?
Although his diction is clear - almost over-pronounced, his manner is arch and affected. His voice for Elfrida was simpering and fussy, his rural Dorset accent was terrible; it ended up as something from the American deep south.
Could you see A Pair of Blue Eyes being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
The book would make a dramatic movie or TV series. Heaven knows who the stars would be....!
Any additional comments?
I just love the sense of landscape in Hardy's novels. He is always strong on plot.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Skye Townsley
- 22-02-22
I liked it
Mr Wickham is a great narrator, he does different voices and such. The book is great, I was reading along as I would get too bored with a classic without an audiobook too.
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