THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE

In future times, when people want to know what life was like before the Industrial Revolution--what it was to truly see the stars at night, to live within the pulse of Nature’s rhythms--they will read Thomas Hardy, or they may listen to Alan Rickman’s superb presentation of Hardy’s tragic novel. 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. Hearing it sent me to the library for another Wessex novel. E.J.M. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR 93]