{"product_id":"book-gln2","title":"The Thomas Hardy BBC Radio Drama Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA definitive, fully-dramatised collection of the best-known works of Thomas Hardy \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRenowned novelist and poet Thomas Hardy is best known for his fatalistic, often tragic novels set in the 'realistic dream-country' of Wessex, in south and south-west England. Drawing on his own life, he created some of the most memorable characters and stories in Victorian literature - many of which are included here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn five dramas taken from Radio 4's 'Hardy's Women' season, we meet a few of Thomas Hardy's most compelling female protagonists. \u003ci\u003eThe Hand of Ethelberta\u003c\/i\u003e centres around an infamous poet who's not the lady everyone thinks she is; while \u003ci\u003eTwo on a Tower\u003c\/i\u003e is the star-crossed love story of Lady Viviette Constantine and handsome young astronomer Swithin St Cleeve. \u003ci\u003eThe Woodlanders\u003c\/i\u003e tells Hardy's tale of ambition, money and missed chances from the perspective of its unsung heroine, Marty South; unhappy Tess Durbeyfield recounts her life story in \u003ci\u003eTess of the d'Urbervilles\u003c\/i\u003e; and in \u003ci\u003eJude the Obscure\u003c\/i\u003e, Sue Bridehead relates the tale of stonemason Jude and his dreams of being a scholar. Among the stars of these irresistible adaptations are \u003cb\u003eRebecca Humphries, Olivia Poulet, Callum Scott Howells, Katy Sobey, Sacha Dhawan, Faye Marsay, Kirsty Oswald\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eRobert Emms\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso featured are dramatisations of three of Hardy's other masterpieces. \u003ci\u003eFar from the Madding Crowd\u003c\/i\u003e sees the beautiful, independent Bathsheba Everdene (\u003cb\u003eAlex Tregear\u003c\/b\u003e) pursued by three suitors: Gabriel Oak (\u003cb\u003eShaun Dooley\u003c\/b\u003e), William Boldwood (\u003cb\u003eToby Jones\u003c\/b\u003e) and Sergeant Troy (\u003cb\u003ePatrick Kennedy\u003c\/b\u003e). In \u003ci\u003eThe Return of the Native\u003c\/i\u003e, Hardy's poignant tale of love and longing is brought to life by an ensemble cast including \u003cb\u003eDavid Calder, Emma Fielding\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eAdam Godley\u003c\/b\u003e. And in \u003ci\u003eThe Mayor of Casterbridge\u003c\/i\u003e, starring \u003cb\u003eJohn Lynch\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eRuth Wilson\u003c\/b\u003e, a man spends his life trying to atone for his terrible past - but however hard he tries to conceal it, it will not be buried.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRounding off our collection we have a pair of classic short stories - 'The Withered Arm' and 'The Fiddler of the Reels', starring \u003cb\u003eVictoria Hamilton, Susan Jameson, Janet Dale, Stephen Tomlin\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eStruan Rodger\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003eContents\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFar from the Madding Crowd\u003cbr\u003eThe Hand of Ethelberta\u003cbr\u003eThe Return of the Native\u003cbr\u003eTwo on a Tower\u003cbr\u003eThe Mayor of Casterbridge\u003cbr\u003eThe Woodlanders\u003cbr\u003eTess of the d'Urbervilles\u003cbr\u003eJude the Obscure\u003cbr\u003e'The Withered Arm'\u003cbr\u003e'The Fiddler of the Reels'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published 1874 (\u003ci\u003eFar from the Madding Crowd\u003c\/i\u003e), 1876 (\u003ci\u003eThe Hand of Ethelberta\u003c\/i\u003e), 1878 (\u003ci\u003eThe Return of the Native\u003c\/i\u003e), 1882 (\u003ci\u003eTwo on a Tower\u003c\/i\u003e), 1886 (\u003ci\u003eThe Mayor of Casterbridge\u003c\/i\u003e), 1887 (\u003ci\u003eThe Woodlanders\u003c\/i\u003e), 1888 ('The Withered Arm'), 1891-2 (\u003ci\u003eTess of the d'Urbervilles\u003c\/i\u003e), 1893 ('The Fiddler of the Reels'), 1895 (\u003ci\u003eJude the Obscure\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49356214894896,"sku":"BDgln2","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/350401-gln2-Square.jpg?v=1734404889","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-gln2","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}