The Mayor of Casterbridge

Thomas Hardy's tragic stories seem to feature men and women who fall in love with the wrong person. THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE is no exception. When Michael Henchard sells his wife and daughter to an itinerant seaman in a fit of drunken bravado, he sets in motion a series of events that play out over the next 20 years. Anton Lesser's narration is noteworthy. He admirably transforms Hardy's written text into an oral one. Not only does he skillfully convey a broad range of character qualities, he also adroitly reproduces the broad country accents used by many of Hardy's characters--making them understandable without sacrificing any of their authenticity. L.X. (c) AudioFile 2011, 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