The Mayor of Casterbridge

Novelist Thomas Hardy creates one of the most fully realized characters of literature in the figure of Michael Henchard, the mayor of Casterbridge. "Selling" his wife and child while intoxicated at a county fair, Henchard sets in motion a series of events depicting the turns of fate that fill these lives with bittersweet irony. Showing extraordinary vocal range and emotional truth to dozens of complex characters is acclaimed British actress Jenny Sterlin. Listeners are treated to heartbreaking reversals of fate and accents portrayed with talent and professionalism. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine


Tragic heroes bring about their own destruction. Michael Henchard in Hardy's 1886 classic does so in spades. The novel starts with a bang: Henchard, drunk, sells his wife and baby daughter at a fair and, when sober, cannot find them. He moves to Casterbridge, where, flash-forward 18 years, he has become a successful businessman and mayor. Enter again his wife and daughter, and Henchard doesn't know quite what to do with them. Meanwhile his business is failing. Bad decisions continue, yet listeners can't help liking Henchard, despite his flaws. What adds to these feelings is the able reading by Pamela Garelick, who has a host of memorable characters firmly in her grasp. She enjoys her story, and so will her audience. T.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine