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Jude the Obscure
Jude the Obscure
Nov 22, 2025 9:08 PM

Author:Thomas Hardy,Samuel West

Jude the Obscure

Penguin Classics presents Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, adapted for audio and available as a digital download as part of the Penguin English Library series. Read by Samuel West.

'As you got older, ... you were seized with a sort of shuddering, he perceived. All around you there seemed to be something glaring, garish, rattling, and the noises and glares hit upon the little cell called your life, and shook it, and scorched it.

If he could only prevent himself growing up! He did not want to be a man'

Jude Fawley, the stonemason excluded not by his wits but by poverty from the world of Christminster privilege, finds fulfilment in his relationship with Sue Bridehead. Both have left earlier marriages. Ironically, when tragedy tests their union it is Sue, the modern emancipated woman, who proves unequal to the challenge. Hardy's fearless exploration of sexual and social relationships and his prophetic critique of marriage scandalised the late Victorian establishment and marked the end of his career as a novelist.

Part of a series of vintage recordings taken from the Penguin Archives. Affordable, collectable, quality productions - perfect for on-the-go listening.

Reviews

Here, once again, is the mark of a great writer . . . we are captivated by ingenious word-building on every page . . . As Dodger's triumphant path ultimately brings him honour from the very highest rank of society, we cannot help but cheer not only for his success, but also for the success of this ebullient, funny and delightful novel.

—— Guardian

Wonderful.

—— Daily Mail

Dodger feels fresh, vibrant and full of energy, a triumph that should be celebrated as yet another glorious gift from Narrativia.

—— SFX

[A] superb novel . . . full of eccentric characters and carefully detailed London scenes, the tale embodies both Dickens's love for the common man and a fierce desire for social justice.

—— Publishers Weekly

It's a masterwork from a treasure and hero of a writer, and it will delight you.

—— Cory Doctorow

Historical fiction in the hands of the inimitable Sir Terry brings the sights and the smells (most certainly the smells) of Old London wonderfully to life . . . Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don't miss it.

—— Kirkus Reviews

Interwoven with historical figures such as Charles Dickens, Robert Peel and Disraeli, Dodger is convincing proof of [Pratchett's] still galloping imagination.

—— Daily Telegraph

Masterly and entertaining

—— Nicolette Jones , The Sunday Times

Dodger is a book filled with kindness and wisdom. The reason I feel the need to point this out is that it is so rare. The story practically oozes kindness.

—— Ann Giles , Bookwitch

Dodger is a hero who Dickens would love . . . You can't help loving Dodger as he ducks, dives, falls in love and rises in the Victorian world. This is a hero I can't wait to meet again.

—— Amanda Craig , The Times

Much as I love the Discworld series I also enjoy it when Terry Pratchett takes a break and gives his readers something else . . . Pratchett has the ambience of 1840s London spot on

—— Rachel Hyde , www.myshelf.com

Fine plot, excellent characters, and fun to read.

—— Irish Inn Book Club blog

Dodger is an amazing book . . . It creates a great display of historical London, contrasting the above ground cleanliness against the below ground filthy and often-times rotten sewers. Add in a lively set of support characters, funny dialogue, great action, and finish it all off with Dodger, one of the most lovable characters that I have read about.

—— Fantasybookreview.co.uk

Compulsively readable

—— Washington Post

Escape into Pratchett’s humorous and mysterious world and follow Dodger’s infamous trail through a tale where history and fantasy are entwined.

—— Independent School Parent Magazine

Terry Pratchett fans should not miss Dodger, his sassy take on Oliver Twist

—— The Sunday Times

A rollicking good yarn

—— Magpies Magazine

Dodger’s descriptions of the capital, from its slums and sewers to the homes of the middle classes and the bolt holes of the elite, paint a vivid, immersive picture. The attention to detail in both the break-neck storytelling and historical veracity are mightily impressive . . . characters remain as compelling and three dimensional as ever . . . Dodger feels fresh, vibrant and full of energy, a triumph that should be celebrated as yet another glorious gift from Narrativia.

—— SFX
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