Jude the Obscure

Written by Thomas Hardy

Narrated by Geoffrey Giuliano and The Arc

A powerful critique of Victorian society's social constraints and the crushing weight of expectations. The story revolves around Jude Fawley, a working-class dreamer with aspirations of becoming a scholar at the prestigious university in Christminster. Hindered by societal norms, Jude's ambitions are thwarted at every turn, leading him into complicated relationships and heart-wrenching decisions. The novel explores themes of love, marriage, class divisions, and the limitations imposed by a rigid society. Hardy's unflinching portrayal of human struggles and the hardships of fate leaves a profound impact on readers, earning "Jude the Obscure" a reputation as one of the author's most powerful and controversial works.

Thomas Hardy, an English novelist and poet, is celebrated for his poignant and often tragic depictions of rural life in England during the 19th century. His works, including "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," "Far from the Madding Crowd," and "Jude the Obscure," explored themes of fate, society's constraints, and the complexities of human relationships, making him one of the significant figures of English literature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Icon Audio Arts
• Release date: Aug 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781998231065

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in Dorchester, Dorset. He enrolled as a student in King’s College, London, but never felt at ease there, seeing himself as socially inferior. This preoccupation with society, particularly the declining rural society, featured heavily in Hardy’s novels, with many of his stories set in the fictional county of Wessex. Since his death in 1928, Hardy has been recognised as a significant poet, influencing The Movement poets in the 1950s and 1960s.