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Lorna Doone Audiobook
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(3.00) - 5,571 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
First published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones, a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon. Seized by curiosity and a sense of adventure, he makes his way to the valley of the Doones, where he is discovered by the beautiful Lorna. In time their childish fantasies blossom into mature love-a bond that will inspire John to rescue his beloved from the ravages of a stormy winter, rekindling a conflict with his archrival, Carver Doone, that climaxes in heartrending violence. Beloved for its portrait of star-crossed lovers and its surpassing descriptions of the English countryside, Lorna Doone is R. D. Blackmore's enduring masterpiece.
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"Loved the Audiobook so much I've listened twice and purchased it. It is the life story of the son of a landowner-farmer killed by the Doone-clan, poltical outlaws in 17th Century rural England. The novel is realistic, not in the modern vulgar sense, but in its vivid description of pastoral western England, of agricultural practices and difficulties, and of political and religious conflicts of the times. It is also romantic, not only in the hero's pursuit of Lorna Doone, a member of the clan who murderd his father, but also in the classic struggle between good and evil. Lots of intrigue and plot twists. Like Dickens and Tolstoy, every character and event is significant, but not obvious and often not understood until much later in the novel. The first-person narative by our hero John Rid shows modest self-awareness and confidence, with plain-speaking humility and humor...so much so that the notorious hanging judge, Jefferies (a real historic figure) is won over when Rid is summoned to Court. It's long! No sex. No modern foul-mouth foolishness. And only occassional and relevant (but vivid) violence. But there is plenty of tension, intrigue, and intricate plot twists. Loved it, just as I love War and Peace, and Atlas Shrugged. Great books that fill heart and mind."
— John Trueschler (5 out of 5 stars)
Lorna Doone Listener Reviews
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" It was amusing, but unfortunately, I couldn't keep reading. It just got boring after awhile. I barely made it through Volume I of the three volumes that make up the book. "
— Laurel, 2/16/2014 -
" This book was really okay....good enough I kept reading, but not a gripping classic like others I have read. "
— Carlotta, 2/13/2014 -
" It's a long book, but it is good. Okay, I finally made it through. This book has a little of everything... love, intrigue, family values, murder... it's a classic, and is worth the effort to read it. I will now have to see the movie. :) "
— Nalene, 2/6/2014 -
" I read the 1967 edition, can't find it in the listings. "
— Francie, 2/2/2014 -
" I love Victorian lit but I could not get into this book at all. I have read a vast variety of this time period and know and understand the style, but this book just didn't do it for me. I was really disappointed after the good reviews I read. "
— Melissa, 1/21/2014 -
" I read the abridged version in fourth or fifth grade and loved it. After wading through the first seven chapters of the unabridged edition, I've decided that this book is better abridged. "
— Arwen, 1/15/2014 -
" It is a wonderfully written book and has every thing needed in a good book the main character John Ridd is troubled from the start to the end but it ends like all fairy tales with a happy ever arfter "
— Liam, 1/4/2014 -
" You will have more fun watching paint dry. Magnolia paint at that. "
— Ashleigh, 1/1/2014 -
" One of my all-time favorites. I read it as a boy, fell in love with Lorna, and have been looking for her ever since. Not really; I'm happily married. Great boy's book and not a bad adult read. In fact, I am amazed that I was ever able to read it those many years ago. "
— Frank, 12/20/2013 -
" the story is long but I really enjoyed the detail and the old english history. I am a sucker for a good romance with some good old fighting of good vs. evil. Fun summer read. "
— SueDella, 12/17/2013 -
" It was a good book but very long. It kind of took a while to get into but I liked it overall "
— Rayline, 12/8/2013 -
" Possibly the most exciting novel I have ever read. Palpitation-inducing. "
— Alexandra, 12/8/2013 -
" I'm not sure why this book isn't more widely read today. I often forgot I was reading a novel- it seemed like I truly had discovered the memoirs of the main character. "
— Colleen, 12/3/2013 -
" No, not the cookie, the book. This is a romance, and the book from which Harlequin Romances sprung. This however is well written, and carries you along from adventure to adventure, all with the backdrop of the late 1600's in England. "
— Rob, 11/20/2013 -
" Retold by Joan Collins "
— Yunisa, 11/11/2013 -
" Inscribed: Presented to Pearl Shook by the W. C. T. U. (Women's Christian Temperance Union) Sherwood, O. Sept. 16th, 1894[return][return]Surely, with all the drinking and carousing in the book, an odd choice for a prize given by the WCTU!! "
— Wyyknot, 1/4/2013 -
" The imagery is amazing in the book! "
— Jen, 9/23/2012 -
" I like this book more than I can say, and if pressed, I don't think I could say exactly why. I think the band of evil gypsys plays a big part in my enjoyment of it. "
— Jenna, 9/20/2012 -
" Initially I found it hard to get into, the language can be a bit daunting at times. However once I did get into it, I couldn't put it down. Basically the story of a forbidden undying love. Very dramatic ending, love it! "
— Roslyn, 12/1/2011 -
" Although interesting as a read I really really did not like the main characters and was dissatisfied with the story as a whole. Unexpectedly so. "
— Sarah, 11/25/2011 -
" Overall good. But in these times, I think the chivalry, the romance seemed a bit suffocating. "
— Abhinav, 10/1/2011 -
" I loved this book in 8th grade. It was SOOOOOOO romantic.I read it three times in a row, still remember the whole story. next chapter of the romance novels was the Scarlet Pimpernel, over and over again. "
— Leslie, 6/10/2011 -
" simply wonderful and captivating "
— Kyle, 5/23/2011
About R. D. Blackmore
Richard Doddridge Blackmore (1825–1900) was one of the most famous writers of the latter nineteenth century. He wrote more than a dozen novels, five books of poetry, and translated Virgil’s Georgics.
About Tim Gerard Reynolds
Tim Gerard Reynolds is an established audiobook narrator who has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards and was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Fantasy Narration. He trained for the stage at the Samuel Beckett Center at Trinity College in Dublin and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in New London, Connecticut.