The Return of the Native (dramatic reading): Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Return of the Native (dramatic reading), credited to Thomas Hardy, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Return of the Native (dramatic reading) by Thomas Hardy. Read by LibriVox Volunteers Clym Yeobright returns home to Egdon Heath, a scattered collection of houses on the isolated Wessex moors, and is caught up in a "love pentagon" which includes: his cousin, Thomasin Yeobright; the shadowy inn-keeper, Damon Wildeve; the controversial and romantic Eustacia Vye; and the mysterious reddleman, Diggory Venn, whose skin is stained completely red from his work. This work has all the well-known marks of Thomas Hardy: the Wessex landscape a choice of lovers, a wedding gone wrong, a particularly shy 30-something man, and a woman with an independent spirit. But, The Return of the Native is unique in its pagan undertones - the first five books take place over a year and a day, starting on All Hallow's Eve, and hints of magic and witchcraft. (Summary by Libby Gohn) Characters: Narrator: Bob Neufeld Clym Yeobright: Tadhg Eustacia Vye: Amanda Friday Damon Wildeve: Chris Cartwright Thomasin Yeobright: Rapunzelina Diggory Venn: Chuck Williamson Mrs. Yeobright: Michele Eaton Grandfer Cantle and "Saint George": alanmapstone Timothy Fairway: tovarisch Humphrey, Bonfire Boy, Party Guest, Raffle Woman, Inn Girl and Rachel: Elizabeth Klett Olly Dowden and Charley: Charlotte Duckett Susan Nunsuch: Beth Thomas Christian Cantle: TriciaG Sam: ToddHW Captain Vye,"Doctor", Driver, and Pedlar: Patti Cunningham Johnny Nunsuch: CaprishaPage Vye Servant and"Saracen": Libby Gohn "Father Christmas": David Olson "Valiant Soldier": Kristingj Chapman and Surgeon: Karen Savage Nurse: Availle

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Return of the Native (dramatic reading)
• Author credits: Thomas Hardy
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 49
• Listed recording duration: 15:02:34

Opening tracks: first 24 of 49

1. 01 - Dramatis Personae and Preface — 3:53
2. 02 - Book 1, chapter 1 — 10:38
3. 03 - Book 1, chapter 2 — 14:32
4. 04 - Book 1, chapter 3 — 49:00
5. 05 - Book 1, chapter 4 — 11:54
6. 06 - Book 1, chapter 5 — 29:07
7. 07 - Book 1, chapter 6 — 32:08
8. 08 - Book 1, chapter 7 — 16:35
9. 09 - Book 1, chapter 8 — 12:07
10. 10 - Book 1, chapter 9 — 23:14
11. 11 - Book 1, chapter 10 — 22:05
12. 12 - Book 1, chapter 11 — 19:15
13. 13 - Book 2, chapter 1 — 10:54
14. 14 - Book 2, chapter 2 — 9:45
15. 15 - Book 2, chapter 3 — 10:38
16. 16 - Book 2, chapter 4 — 21:04
17. 17 - Book 2, chapter 5 — 15:24
18. 18 - Book 2, chapter 6 — 25:01
19. 19 - Book 2, chapter 7 — 20:22
20. 20 - Book 2, chapter 8 — 21:31
21. 21 - Book 3, chapter 1 — 11:11
22. 22 - Book 3, chapter 2 — 18:23
23. 23 - Book 3, chapter 3 — 29:06
24. 24 - Book 3, chapter 4 — 16:56

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.