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Desperate Remedies Audiobook
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(3.01) - 549 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A young woman named Cytherea Graye becomes entangled in a web of mystery and intrigue while working as a lady’s maid for the enigmatic Miss Aldclyffe. As secrets unravel, themes of love, deception, and obsession drive the plot forward. Cytherea faces moral dilemmas and societal pressures, torn between her loyalty to Miss Aldclyffe and her growing affection for architect Edward Springrove. Hardy crafts a tale blending suspense with romance, exploring human frailty and the consequences of impulsive choices. Set against Victorian England’s rigid class structures, the novel delves into themes of identity, ambition, and sacrifice, showcasing Hardy’s early experimentation with psychological depth and dramatic tension.
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"I suppose this is generally thought less of, in Hardy's oeuvre, since it's a "sensation novel," but it has much of the strength of his later work, and has a fun, if sometimes a bit unbelievable, plot. I quite enjoyed it. Manslaughter, possible bigamy, hidden identities: what's not to like?"
— Cooper (4 out of 5 stars)
Desperate Remedies Listener Reviews
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" I've heard this was Hardy's first book, so I can forgive him some pointless meandering and trumped up writing style and say that I really enjoyed this book. "
— Jen, 2/16/2014 -
" riotous victorian potboiler! hardy's first-and it shows, but in a good, sweet way. "
— Tezeta, 12/27/2013 -
" Desperate Remedies provides a good insights into the young Thomas Hardy who worked as architect. The storyline is predictible and a little cliched however it is a good effort for a young architect in his early thirties who has many great novels to come! "
— Maureen, 12/11/2013 -
" The ebook copy I downloaded was classified as a mystery/detective. It was an interesting read but not quite fitting the modern expectations of a mystery. But the book has interesting characters and good mysterious elements. Worth reading. "
— Rebecca, 11/23/2013 -
" A soap opera. It's like Real Housewives of Victorian England. "
— Jess, 11/16/2013 -
" I know I read this, and I think I liked it, but I remember nothing about it. Something of a potboiler, I think. "
— Kristen, 7/6/2013 -
" Wonderfully Hardy. I pick this up by chance, but turned out to be a wonderful and engaging story. As with Hardy's other books, this is a romance novel with an intrigue filled with lovable characters and great scenery. Highly recommend. "
— David, 6/27/2013 -
" Not the place to start if you haven't read Hardy, but of more than just completists interest; this is a rattling good read in places, and there are glimpses of some of Hardy's classic tropes, not least the place of fate and coincidence. "
— Michael, 5/27/2013 -
" there's a reason no one reads this thomas hardy book. "
— Leslie, 4/1/2013 -
" I don't know how I missed Hardy so completely up to this point, it was an impulsive purchase of a $4 paperback and I could not put it down. Highly recommend. "
— Ida, 3/31/2013 -
" i liked Edward springroves dad. a bit of a slog til the fire & then a great yarn. "
— Suz, 10/8/2012 -
" Really enjoyed this book, different to other Hardy novels I have read but just as good. This one had a lot more mystery in it which kept you guessing till the end. Would definitely recommend it. "
— Claire, 1/5/2011 -
" T Hardy never lets you down "
— Sonja, 4/14/2010 -
" Not bad at all. It did drag a bit toward the end with the slow reveals of the various bits of mystery. I much prefer simple tragedy from Hardy to this more Dickensian stuff. That's no slight to Dickens--I just like Hardy as Hardy, not Dickens. "
— Kevin, 3/20/2010 -
" Frankly, I thought it was kind of awful; stiff, preachy and bitter. And I wanted to punch Cytherea (CYTHEREA!). It did make me want to reread Jude though. "
— Didotwite, 2/22/2010 -
" A little bit gothic, but a good read. "
— Eve, 1/29/2010 -
" Aeneus Manston is made of love and awesome too bad it bottoms out for him. Both of the Cythereas bothered me it seemed like they were oposite to eachother but int he end they were so much alike. "
— K', 1/10/2010
About Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), English poet, dramatist, and novelist, was born on the Egdon Heath in Dorset. He studied in Dorchester and apprenticed to an architect before leaving for London, where he began to write. Unable to find a public for his poetry, which idealized the rural life, he turned to the novel and met with success as well as controversy. The strong public reaction against some of his darker themes turned him back to writing verse. Today several of his novels are considered masterpieces of tragedy.