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  • The Return of the Native

  • By: Thomas Hardy
  • Narrated by: Alan Rickman
  • Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,072 ratings)
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The Return of the Native cover art

The Return of the Native

By: Thomas Hardy
Narrated by: Alan Rickman
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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). 

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Rickman's voice is masculine and seductive; yet by altering tempo, modulating tone, he becomes Hardy's women and children, utterly compelling as he projects all ranges of emotion. His individualizing dialogue of the human-sized characters, that country chorus who form the backdrop of normality for Hardy's titanic lovers, is brilliant." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Return of the Native

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Marvellous.

I could listen to Alan Rickman read the blurb off a tin of paint, but he is wonderful reading this, and the story itself is a gem of plotting and pathos to rival any moden storyline, and the touches of humour are typical Hardy. As soon as I'd finished it, I listened to it again.

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95 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Has made me love Hardy

To be honest I only chose this because I wanted to wallow in Alan Rickman's mellifluous tones, and reviews said it was not as depressing as some other Hardy (I had bad school memories of Tess & Jude). I am so glad I chose this. Not only is the Rickman reading highly skilled, a great pleasure to listen to and one which makes meaning crystal clear, but the plot (love, betrayal, gambling) is gripping. I had not realised how well Hardy understood human feelings, nor had I appreciated his true sympathy for a threatened environment. A great discovery.

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82 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Rickman revelation

Any additional comments?

Alan Rickman gives a stunning 'reading' of Hardy's Return of the Native. I know he's a great actor but his range of voices and emotions is entirely unexpected and of course like a true pro diction and delivery is faultless throughout. Definitely the best reading of a novel I've heard on Audible. If you're not a Hardy follower then be prepared for a slower pace than modern writing, but all the richer and more truthful for that. It's not my favourite Hardy (they're Tess and Casterbridge) hence the 4 stars for story, but nevertheless it approaches genius.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

That was a surprise

As ever Thomas Hardy uses the English language with beauty and restraint. Alan Rickman reads well, with confidence and within the limits of characterisation.
Surprisingly the end of the story did not leave me feeling that fate was bound to leave everyone in complete desparation.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

New to Hardy

What did you like most about The Return of the Native?

I have always found Hardy difficult to read but listening to the mellow tones of Alan Rickman read this beautiful narrative, I feel inspired to listen to more of Hardy's books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Whereas the main characters were well drawn, I found myself getting cross with them, especially Clym. Why was he always waiting for others to do something when he could have acted upon it himself? I waited for the reappearance of Diggory Venn who, like a superhero, seemed to show up when needed most.
I did enjoy this book but, in truth, the story is a soap opera! As I suspect all of Hardy's books are but I'll listen to more because of his beautifully descriptive writing.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Rickman reveals a great Hardy story

What made the experience of listening to The Return of the Native the most enjoyable?

I have always found reading Hardy's novels difficult listening to Alan Rickman's reading revealed for me what a great writer of prose Hardy can be with profound insights into relationships between men and women.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A great writer and a great performer = pure magic

Would you consider the audio edition of The Return of the Native to be better than the print version?

I would never have read the printed version as there are too many long, descriptive passages. I would have been bored and put the book down before the end of chapter one. However, Alan Rickman raises my interest with his consumate performance.

What did you like best about this story?

The story has many overly romantic characters. I find them interesting to try and decifer. Ultimately it is a tragic tale. I am still pondering the book after several weeks. The quality of the writing is exquisite. Hardy obviously loves the countryside and makes me understand how beautiful and timeless it can be.

What does Alan Rickman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Alan Rickman switches between characters expertly. He has a different voice for each and you can easily tell their social standing and personality. That makes it easier for me to understand.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Clem finds his mother dying on the heath. Later when he finds out she died thinking he had forsaken her.

Any additional comments?

No. Thank you

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A haunting story

Where does The Return of the Native rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This story is read by Alan Rickman who is perfect, this is a sad yet fascinating book. The narration is transportive. I will listen to this audio book again.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A MASTERPIECE

So glad I chose this performance which was perfect. This novel has stirred my appetite for more Hardy, highly recommended
.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic Hardy love story

Would you listen to The Return of the Native again? Why?

Yes. I enjoyed the story and particularly Alan Rickman's interpretation.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Diggery Venn because he has such a great name, is a good and 'colourful' character.

What does Alan Rickman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Wonderful regional accents and singing!

Any additional comments?

Wonderful descriptions of the heath throughout the year and the local people brought to life by Alan Rickman's narration.

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9 people found this helpful