Nobody listens to these eight tales for a joyous uplift: they are Hardy distilled, tales set in rural Wessex in which ordinary human beings are powerless before the ironies, disappointments, unfulfilled promises and tragedies of life. They have a timeless, mythic quality, enhanced by Neville Jason’s subtle narration. Only Hardy can sweep from skies and ancient heathland to focus on something minutely observed, such as the weal left by the hangman’s noose ‘like an unripe blackberry’ – and his empathy with women is remarkable.

Hardy’s collection of stories takes place in an imaginative locale, Wessex, based on the area around the author’s home in Dorchester, England. Combining the real with the imagined, Hardy unfurls the ironies of everyday life; his introduction gives the listener an appreciation of what is to come. Neville Jason, an experienced actor and reader, is virtually flawless in rendering these vignettes. His diction, pacing, and inflection are spot-on, glorifying these tales of love, death, and the seeming supernatural and presenting the listener with a veritable audio Masterpiece Theatre. The dialogue is rendered as ably as the narrative.
VERDICT: Academic libraries will want to include this one; public libraries should definitely consider.

Originally published in 1888, Hardy’s classic collection of short tales set in early 19th-century Southwest England examines the lives of everyday folk, many of whom go through otherworldly occurrences. Neville Jason deftly narrates this audio edition. With only minor shifts in tone, Jason lends each character a distinct voice that is easily recognisable to listeners. Additionally, Jason’s narration possesses an eloquence that will delight listeners and transport them to another time and place where the magical was indeed possible. While the book’s language may seem dated to some listeners, Jason does his best to incorporate a slightly modern approach into his performance, and this brings a sense of immediacy to the stories. An enjoyable listen from start to finish and a must for Hardy fans.

In Hardy’s first collection of short stories, he presents the region of Dorset in the 1880s – the lives of its people, as well as their beliefs and superstitions. Narrator Neville Jason beautifully conveys the rich descriptions of people and place, including regional and historical speech patterns, and characters of varying ages and stations. Romance and family life are often Hardy’s focus. Many of the men fall in love with and propose to many women or the same one often, only to be repeatedly rebuffed. In one standout story, a married woman falls in love with a poet she’s never met: a situation that ends in a double tragedy. In another story, the celebration of a baby’s birth is so well rendered that listeners will feel they’re there.