Desperate Remedies

by Thomas Hardy Narrated by Laura Sears

Overview

Desperate Remedies is a chilling tale of love, betrayal, and the destructive power of obsession. Set against the backdrop of the desolate Wessex countryside, the story centers around Elizabeth Jane Fawley, a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage. Elizabeth yearns for a life of passion and freedom, finding solace in the company of her childhood friend, Edward Spring. However, Edward's dark secrets and obsessive love for Elizabeth quickly spiral out of control.

When a mysterious stranger arrives in the village, claiming to be Elizabeth's long-lost brother, the fragile balance of their lives is shattered. As the truth about the stranger's identity unravels, Edward's jealousy and desperation reach a fever pitch. His obsession with Elizabeth leads him down a dark path of deception.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Hardy launched his writing career with this 1871 novel, which actually was published anonymously. Its sexuality, including lesbianism, was apparently too much of a Victorian eyebrow-raiser for him to attach his name. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

DECEMBER 2018 - AudioFile

Anna Bentinck valiantly works to keep Thomas Hardy's early story of love and deception consistently compelling. An unconventional narrator, Bentinck takes pauses in unusual places, injecting a note of spontaneity into Hardy's occasionally hard-going descriptive passages. Hardy's story is highly character driven, and while Bentinck's style doesn't quite make the most of the variation in character, her dignified portrayal of each of the cast proves empathetic and humanizing, thereby grounding the drama in realistic emotion. Though she occasionally resorts to slightly hammy accents, her sensitivity to the mental state of the characters is charming and engaging, and drives the listener through the stodgier sections of Hardy's prose. This proves all the more rewarding once the plot picks up and the book itself becomes irresistibly interesting. Z.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2018 - AudioFile

Anna Bentinck valiantly works to keep Thomas Hardy's early story of love and deception consistently compelling. An unconventional narrator, Bentinck takes pauses in unusual places, injecting a note of spontaneity into Hardy's occasionally hard-going descriptive passages. Hardy's story is highly character driven, and while Bentinck's style doesn't quite make the most of the variation in character, her dignified portrayal of each of the cast proves empathetic and humanizing, thereby grounding the drama in realistic emotion. Though she occasionally resorts to slightly hammy accents, her sensitivity to the mental state of the characters is charming and engaging, and drives the listener through the stodgier sections of Hardy's prose. This proves all the more rewarding once the plot picks up and the book itself becomes irresistibly interesting. Z.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940190996715
Publisher:	Robert Larson
Publication date:	08/22/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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