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A Pair of Blue Eyes

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A Pair of Blue Eyes

By: Thomas Hardy
Narrated by: Peter Wickham
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A Pair of Blue Eyes was Thomas Hardy's third published novel.

Written in 1873 it was autobiographical and the heroine Elfride Swancourt is based on Hardy's first wife Emma Gifford. The novel tells the tail of a the love triangle between a young woman, Elfride Swancourt, and her two suitors from very different backgrounds.

Elfride finds herself caught in a battle between her heart, her mind and the expectations of those around her - her parents and society.

Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928) was an English novelist and poet of the naturalist movement.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Public Domain (P)2009 RNIB Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Heartfelt
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Not his best but beautifully written and showing his insight into class and gender issues in the 19th century with echoes for today.

Classic Hardy

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The scene is set for A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy, it was suggested I read/listen to this by a good friend, so I did. It was a good call because a) I had not heard of this and nay of missed it and b) I really enjoyed it. It did not end as I had expected and is a nice nieve version of a love triangle. Hardy really paints vivid pictures in your mind and the whole story comes alive.

Blue Eyes X 2

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Excellent narration. Sad tale. Same old tale of woman misunderstood. Wonderful descriptions of Wessex. Unexpected ending but a satisfying listen.

Thwarted love

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I thought of this as like ‘toffee’. Nice at first but as it went on almost too sweet and sickly. It got a bit more interesting later with some twists at the end.
I kept thinking it was going to get deeper but it never did. It seems to that lack that certain something, maybe that depth of character, to keep it from being a better, more complete novel.

A bit slushy, but not bad.

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Would you try another book written by Thomas Hardy or narrated by Peter Wickham?

Yes by Thomas Hardy and no, I would not try another book narrated by Peter Wickham.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elfrida as she's delineated with sympathy, depth and care.

What didn’t you like about Peter Wickham’s performance?

Although his diction is clear - almost over-pronounced, his manner is arch and affected. His voice for Elfrida was simpering and fussy, his rural Dorset accent was terrible; it ended up as something from the American deep south.

Could you see A Pair of Blue Eyes being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

The book would make a dramatic movie or TV series. Heaven knows who the stars would be....!

Any additional comments?

I just love the sense of landscape in Hardy's novels. He is always strong on plot.

A Hardy novel which deserves wider recognition

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