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Summary: This is LITERATURE....NOT pop culture fodder
Review: This is perhaps the most atmospheric novel in the English language, but it is about so much more than dark nights and windswept meadows. Any one who does not see the heath as a symbol for those unchanging features of human life and society should spend a little less time watching "Friends" and the WCW and become acquainted with that wonderful old artistic medium THE BOOK....or may be all of you restless 15 year olds should just pay a little more attention in English class . Return of the Native is a book about pain, disappointment, loss, and relations between the classes.....about societal conventions and the frustrated longings they produce. The story would work just as well in a modern and/or American setting. Diggory could be a taxi driver, Eustacia a prostitute, and Clem an attorney....it would be splendid.
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Summary: What a Delight
Review: First, I must confess to being an avid Alan Rickman admirer. The man could read the local phone book and I'd gladly pay to hear it. Thusly, when I found he had done an unabridged set of audio tapes of one of my favorite books -- "The Return of the Native" -- I was thrilled."The Return of the Native" is a compelling and beautifully written story. I especially like the way Hardy makes Egdon Heath itself as much a character in the story as the human denizens of the area, breathing life into it through his wonderful word pictures and his special talent for creating moods. Hardy's vivid descriptions and excellent character development make this an enchanting adventure. Add to this the velvet-smooth voice of Rickman, and you have a treat for the imagination and the ears. Rickman gives each of the characters his (or her) own separate voice, and manages to do so without forgetting how each should sound. How he kept it straight, I'll never know (I, myself, record books on tape for an educational company and know how complicated that can be!)...what with the many inhabitants of Egdon Heath he had to work with...but, he did. Rickman also actually sang the songs from the book (and not badly, either), adding another dimension. "The Return of the Native" (unabridged) is a must for anyone who loves good literature on tape, and for anyone who is a fan of Alan Rickman. This is a stunning production and well worth the investment!
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Summary: a classic that lives up to its rep
Review: Eustacia Vye is a witchy woman- she has an aura about her that is all consuming for some. This was a dramatic novel, one I saved for years to read on cold, solitary nights with the wind blowing outside. It is a bleak tale of intermingled love stories. Eustacia isn't easy to love but she is far more determined and interesting than other characters in the classic lit canon. Clym is compelling in a different way. This is a novel, for me, of the human capacity to misunderstand and blame rather than try to communicate the heart's true desires. Very, very moving.
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Summary: Don't bother with the book - cassettes are the way to go!
Review: I admit, I bought this so I could listen to Alan Rickman for hours on end. However, when listening to that first chapter, I was wondering if I was going to be able to endure the following cassettes... To my suprise, after that dreadful, long-winded, over-descriptive first chapter, the story line really picked up and I actually quite enjoyed the entire story! Not being a literature-buff, this book becomes a fascinating history lesson as well, with words and situations appearing that I thought were only pertinent to the 20th century, not 19th. There were also, the obligatory words that we no longer use (but only a bare handful...). This (for me) all added an extra richness to the story that Hardy tells. Alan Rickman's reading was delightful, with him displaying consistency throughout in portraying all the characters. Like other reviewers before me, to listen to Mr Rickman singing the fench song Tape 8 is worth a listen in itself! All in all, listening to this story unfold by cassette probably makes it more enjoyable than trying to read the book, where I am sure most would give up before finishing the first chapter...
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Summary: The book paints a picture
Review: When I began reading the book, I could not see the point of long descriptions of everyone and everything but as I kept on reading, I understood its' significance. The vivid description unconsciously painted the picture of the heath and the people living there. It took me some time to understand the character of Eustacia but her thoughts, passions and feelings seemed real and felt as if such a person actually existed. The edition of the book I read, after the tragic ending, had another chapter which Thomas Hardy added later, on the readers' demand (because when this book was originally published, some people considered it too tragic). But I think that howsoever tragic, the ending was a suitable one and left an impression for the reader to always remember the story. The later addition of another chapter was unnecessary and side tracked from the original essence of the story. Still, its a great work and worth reading.
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Summary: Rickman's inspired reading brings this book to life
Review: I don't know how many times I've given up on Hardy novels - I pick them up with the best of intentions, but his language is just too ponderous for my taste. His works are undeniably masterpieces, but one must work agonizingly hard to pry the story out of the book. However, under Mr. Rickman's masterful interpretation, Egdon heath and its tragic inhabitants leapt from the book (or, as it were, the car speakers) and into my imagination, and I found myself eagerly anticipating my next road trip. I'll leave it to the other reviewers to describe the book itself, and say only that Mr. Rickman's rich voice makes Hardy's words not only tolerable but a mesmerizing (no pun intended, Rickmaniacs) sensual feast. If you're a Hardy fan or a Rickmaniac, this collection of tapes is not to be missed.
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Summary: Melancholy book- "Return of the Native"
Review: This book, with its rich descriptions of the heath and its characters, is a masterpiece of writing skill. However it does tend to drag on, which creates a drab, rather melancholy, tone. Hardy seems to explore the twists and turns of human passion, and creates a quite childish picture of love with the character of Eustacia, who 'decides' to love Clym, but keeps her true attachment to Wildeve. Hardy could have resolved this well-written story rather nicely, but instead he paints a rather bleak picture of love and its effects on people. He must have been going though a rather trying period of his life while writing this book.
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Summary: Velvet At Its Absolute Best
Review: After listening to Return of the Native, I was simply amazed. The story was so good and I really enjoyed it. But what really took my breath away was the sensational reading of the very talented and very sexy, Alan Rickman. He just owned those characters. He gave each character a unique voice and personality. I just cannot get over how good he was. Oh, and did I mention he sings in french!!!! After listening to that part, I was speechless. I feel like I had just melted it was so beautiful!! I recommend this to ANY Rickmaniac!:)
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Summary: When English was a beautiful, evocative language
Review: This is one of the great ones. Give yourself time and space to enjoy sentences of poetic beauty, read by one of the greatest voices of our time. Other reviewers have covered the plot, which is engaging enough, but my chief enjoyment was in the style of writing. Hardy's words paint landscapes of the soul as well as the countryside, and intertwine them within unforgetable characters of depth and spirit. The book is long, yet there is great economy of style. Hardy arranges his phrases with the care of a classical composer, and evokes richer feelings with more grace and fewer words than most of our glib and pithy authors today. I found myself wanting to buy a thesaurus for most modern authors, and wishing that Alan Rickman would record another Thomas Hardy novel.
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Summary: I wish I could write like this dude
Review: Set on the dull but beautiful English heath, this 1830s story of love and loss is not for those who like quick reads. This relatively slow-moving novel is saturated with loving descriptions of the indelicate terrain, the weather, and character's moods. Those characters include the colorfully named Eustacia Vye and Clym Yeobright, a tragically linked couple that graces most of the 482 pages. Not nearly as dismal as some of Hardy's other works, this detailed epic offers a bittersweet quality that will haunt the reader long after the last emotional chapter. I criiiiiiiied...
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