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Far from the Madding Crowd cover art

Far from the Madding Crowd

By: Thomas Hardy
Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

Hardy's first major literary success, here brought to life by narrator Nathaniel Parker, is the story of the independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene, who inherits her uncle's farm, the largest estate in the area. She surprises the villagers of Weatherbury by deciding to run it herself rather than hire a manager. Attracted to this bold young woman are three very different suitors all vying for her affections. They include the lonely gentleman-farmer Boldwood, the young and handsome but inconsiderate Sergeant Troy and the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak. Serving to unsettle and complicate her life, the three contrasting men show the many facets of love. But Bathsheba's indecision and inability to commit leads to some disastrous consequences.

The first of Hardy's works set in Wessex (south-west England), Far from the Madding Crowd presents evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes.

Thomas Hardy was an English writer and poet in the Romantic era who was greatly influenced by Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth.

Narrator Biography

Screen and stage actor Nathaniel Parker, trained with LAMDA before becoming a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. On stage, he has co-starred alongside actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Dame Helen Mirren. In 2014 he played King Henry VIII in Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies for the Royal Shakespeare Company. This earned him an Olivier Award for the London production and a Tony Award nomination when the show moved on to Broadway.

On screen, Nathaniel Parker is widely known for starring in period dramas but is best known for playing Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley (2001-2007). Most recently he has appeared in the TV series Of Kings and Prophets (2016), and The Outcast (2015). Over the years he has lent his voice to a large number of classic and contemporary audiobooks including John Wyndham’s The Midwich Cuckoos in 2016.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Far from the Madding Crowd

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Riveting Story, Superb Reading

This compelling classic could not be better served than it is in this reading by Nathaniel Parker. He makes vivid Hardy's majestically poetic narrative and uses subtle yet distinct inflexion to indicate which character is speaking. I did not listen to this book as much as dwell within it.

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24 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Far From The Madding Crowd

A well known story thanks to a great film. The film, though, omits many of the great details of Hardy's classic tale. Here is love, commitment, passion, desire and the terrible resut of unfulfilled love. Beautifully read, all the passion is is here. Classic.

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23 people found this helpful

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Beautiful

Would you consider the audio edition of Far From The Madding Crowd to be better than the print version?

I would because the tone and accent of the narrator communicated the story's milieu. Also I think Nathaniel Parker keeps up the momentum of the book and kept it enjoyable from start to finish.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would never change a story! But if I was the editor I may have cut out a few of the sheep scenes, one too many for my taste.

Have you listened to any of Nathaniel Parker’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No I have not, however I was very impressed and I would definitely listen to another of his recordings.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Love and sheep in the time of feminism.

Any additional comments?

This is not one of my favourite Hardy books but I really enjoyed listening to another one of this works. I would definitely recommend it to any Hardy fans.

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15 people found this helpful

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A Pastoral Tale of Love and Loss Read Beautifully

I had read Far From the Madding Crowd several times in my teens when going through a Hardy phase, and though I appreciate that Hardy's later novels often pushed the boundaries far more in challenging society's notions of love and respectability, this has always been my favourite. Although there is no absence of hardship and tragedy for many of the characters in this tale, there is a happy ending; at least for the male protagonist Gabriel Oak if not entirely for Bathsheba who has had to endure many terrible twists and turns in her young womanhood (some admittedly brought on by her own folly) before she finds that what she was looking for was right under her nose.
Hardy has a way of writing even very flawed characters so that we at least partly understand and empathise with them. These are real people, vividly drawn, and when they despair, we despair (in Hardy's last novel Jude the Obscure I was so moved at one point that I was in floods of tears and had to put the book down for weeks to get over it!).
In this audio performance I found myself appreciating the cast of rural workpeople far more than I had when reading the novel. I don't know if this is due to age - I felt I got a lot more from the novel this time around in all regards, perhaps due to the wisdom of experience - or because of the excellent narration. Nathaniel Parker gives each character his own voice, his accents sound authentic and his Gabriel Oak was so good I was prompted to seek out the 1998 television series in which he starred as the character (very well worth a watch too if you get the chance, I have now watched it twice).
Overall, well worth my credit, I know I will be listening to this many times.

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12 people found this helpful

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Compelling and Beautiful!!

Nathanial Parker's reading of Far From the Madding Crowd is absolutely flawless! I was completely enthralled by this book. Whilst Hardy's language is a little stilted and hard to follow in places, the prose is truly magnificent and the reader makes this story very accessible indeed. This is a tremendous way to experience the classics.

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10 people found this helpful

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  • 06-12-15

Brilliant

It took a while for me to get into the story and more densely descriptive English prose, however I persevered and it was so amazing , I loved every minute and learnt a lot about Harry's England . it's a masterpiece .

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7 people found this helpful

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  • 23-08-15

Loved it from start to finish!

This had become one of my favourites. Very enjoyable. I expect that I will be playing this again and again.

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6 people found this helpful

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Superb reading by Nathaniel Parker

I'm not a huge fan of Hardy, it has to be said. His opinion and depictions of women leave a lot to be desired. However, Nathaniel Parker brought such life and vitality to the story in his reading that I couldn't help but be captivated and engaged in the story.
Exceptionally well done!

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My lovely revisit of a classic

Where does Far From The Madding Crowd rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As fas the classics go, this is in the upper half of my list of favourites.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Far From The Madding Crowd?

I appreciated the overall listening experience, but I was moved by Gabriel Oak's loyalty, strength and honour despite his personal setbacks.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I appreciated much more now than when I first read it decades ago what an extraordinary position and status Bathsheba had for those times and how hard it was for her to use her status fully. I also appreciated how Hardy, a male author in the second half of the 19th century, captured the essence of that difficulty with sensitivity in a time when women were still very much treated as chattels and had very few rights.

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Excellent

This is one of my favourite books, and it is beautifully read here. The characterisations are excellent, and very atmospheric.

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