LibriVox

[marlodianne]

This project is complete. All files may be downloaded from the project's catalog page here:
http://librivox.org/return-of-the-native-by-thomas-hardy/



The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

Like all of Hardy's work, The Return of the Native is passionate and controversial, with themes and sympathies beyond what a good Victorian would ever admit. A modern and honest novel of chance and choice, faith and infidelities, this dark story asks what is free will and what is fate? What is the true nature of nature, and the nature of humanity, and how do we fit together? Can we fit together?

A tragedy set in the barren land of Edgon Heath. Our heroine, Eustacia, is proud, passionate, cruel, fickle, avaricious, and desperate. She burns every life she touches, never able to find the mad love and exotic world she dreams of. Our supposed hero, Clym, is modest, steady, plain, moral, and dutiful. He is satisfied returning from Paris to the simple comfort of home.

When they come together, the Heath will come apart.

Originally released as five books, in classic tragic form, a sixth, tacking on a 'happy ending', was added by editor and public pressure.

NOTES:

The chapters are fairly short. Most are 2000 words or less (~15 minutes or less recording time).

How to say EUSTACIA:
http://librivox.greenkri.com/marlodianne/eustacia.mp3

How to say EGDON:
http://librivox.greenkri.com/marlodianne/egdon.mp3

1. How to claim a part, and 'how it all works' here
   To find a section to record, simply look at point 4. below at the sections. All the ones without names beside them are “up for grabs.” Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which section you’d like to read. Read points 5. to 7. below for what to do before, during and after your recording.
   
   
2. New to recording?
   Please read our Newbie Guide to Recording!
   
   
3. Is there a deadline?
   Yes. May 4, 2006. Update: extended to May 18. Update II: for orphans, reluctantly extended again to June 30.
   
   Try to send your recordings as soon as you can. If spit happens, and you know you can't make it, just drop me a note, so the orphan can go up for a loving adoption.
   
   
4. What happens if I ignore the deadline, dragging my feet until I trip on them?
   Something nasty will eat your eyeballs. Slowly. Also, if there are other readers available, you may lose your section, which is far worse.
   
   
5. Where do I find the text?
   Gutenberg e-text: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/122
   
   
6. Please claim sections by the book and section numbers.
   
   Reader list last updated: 06/30/06, 4:23 AM AT
   Chapters claimed: 49 of 49 (100%)
   Chapters done: 48 of 49 (100%)
   
   
   *DONE* PREFACE - marlodianne (claimed 03/04, complete 03/12)
   
   Book One
   THE THREE WOMEN
   
   *DONE* 01 - A Face on Which Time Makes but Little Impression - marlodianne (claimed 03/04, complete 03/12)
   *DONE* 02 - Humanity Appears upon the Scene, Hand in Hand with Trouble - marlodianne (claimed 03/04, complete 03/27)
   *DONE* 03 - The Custom of the Country - ChipDoc (claimed 03/30, complete 04/04)
   *DONE* 04 - The Halt on the Turnpike Road Country - ChipDoc (claimed 03/30, complete 04/04)
   *DONE* 05 - Perplexity Among Honest People Country - ChipDoc (claimed 03/30, complete 04/05)
   *DONE* 06 - The Figure Against the Sky Country - ChipDoc (claimed 03/30, complete 04/13)
   *DONE* 07 - Queen of Night - thistlechick (claimed 03/07, complete 04/23)
   *DONE* 08 - Those Who Are Found Where There Is Said to Be Nobody - ChipDoc (claimed 04/06, complete 04/09)
   *DONE* 09 - Love Leads a Shrewd Man into Strategy - ChipDoc (claimed 04/06, complete 04/09)
   *DONE* 10 - A Desperate Attempt at Persuasion - Plum Hill (claimed 06/27/06, complete 06/27/06)
   *DONE* 11 - The Dishonesty of an Honest Woman - Plum Hill (claimed 06/28/06, complete 06/28/06)
   
   Book Two
   THE ARRIVAL
   
   *DONE* 01 - Tidings of the Comer - Plum Hill (claimed 04/07, complete 04/09)
   *DONE* 02 - The People at Blooms-End Make Ready - Plum Hill (claimed 04/07, complete 04/11)
   *DONE* 03 - How a Little Sound Produced a Great Dream - Plum Hill (claimed 04/07, complete 04/11)
   *DONE* 04 - Eustacia Is Led on to an Adventure - Plum Hill (claimed 04/07, complete 04/12)
   *DONE* 05 - Through the Moonlight - earthcalling (claimed 04/09, complete 04/10)
   *DONE* 06 - The Two Stand Face to Face - earthcalling (claimed 04/10, complete 04/15)
   *DONE* 07 - A Coalition Between Beauty and Oddness - earthcalling (claimed 04/10, complete 04/26)
   *DONE* 08 - Firmness Is Discovered in a Gentle Heart - Plum Hill (claimed 03/06, complete 03/06)
   
   Book Three
   THE FASCINATION
   
   *DONE* 01 - "My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is" - Plum Hill (claimed 04/12, complete 04/12)
   *DONE* 02 - The New Course Causes Disappointment - Plum Hill (claimed 04/12, complete 04/14)
   *DONE* 03 - The First Act in a Timeworn Drama - Plum Hill (claimed 04/12, complete 04/16)
   *DONE* 04 - An Hour of Bliss and Many Hours of Sadness - Plum Hill (claimed 04/12, complete 04/18 )
   *DONE* 05 - Sharp Words Are Spoken, and a Crisis Ensues - katypreston (claimed 04/15, complete 05/04)
   *DONE* 06 - Yeobright Goes, and the Breach Is Complete - Plum Hill (claimed 05/13, complete 05/13)
   *DONE* 07 - The Morning and the Evening of a Day - Plum Hill (claimed 05/13, complete 05/13)
   *DONE* 08 - A New Force Disturbs the Current - Plum Hill (claimed 05/13, complete 05/15)
   
   Book Four
   THE CLOSED DOOR
   
   *DONE* 01 - The Rencounter by the Pool - Plum Hill (claimed 04/19, complete 04/24)
   *DONE* 02 - He Is Set upon by Adversities but He Sings a Song - Plum Hill (claimed 04/19, complete 04/24)
   *DONE* 03 - She Goes Out to Battle Against Depression - Plum Hill (claimed 04/19, complete 04/30)
   *DONE* 04 - Rough Coercion Is Employed - Plum Hill (claimed 04/19, complete 04/30)
   *DONE* 05 - The Journey Across the Heath - Plum Hill (claimed 06/10, complete 06/16)
   *DONE* 06 - A Conjuncture, and Its Result upon the Pedestrian - Plum Hill (claimed 05/18, complete 05/19)
   *DONE* 07 - The Tragic Meeting of Two Old Friends - Plum Hill (claimed 05/18, complete 05/21)
   *DONE* 08 - Eustacia Hears of Good Fortune, and Beholds Evil - Plum Hill (claimed 05/18, complete 05/21)
   
   Book Five
   THE DISCOVERY
   
   *DONE* 01 - "Wherefore Is Light Given to Him That Is in Misery" - Plum Hill (claimed 05/01, complete 05/04)
   *DONE* 02 - A Lurid Light Breaks in Upon a Darkened Understanding - Plum Hill (claimed 05/01, complete 05/04)
   *DONE* 03 - Eustacia Dresses Herself on a Black Morning - Plum Hill (claimed 05/01, complete 05/04)
   *DONE* 04 - The Ministrations of a Half-forgotten One - Plum Hill (claimed 05/01, complete 05/04)
   *DONE* 05 - An Old Move Inadvertently Repeated - Plum Hill (claimed 05/05, complete 05/09)
   *DONE* 06 - Thomasin Argues with Her Cousin, and He Writes a Letter - Plum Hill (claimed 05/05, complete 05/11)
   *DONE* 07 - The Night of the Sixth of November - Plum Hill (claimed 05/05, complete 05/12)
   *DONE* 08 - Rain, Darkness, and Anxious Wanderers - Plum Hill (claimed 05/05, complete 05/12)
   *DONE* 09 - Sights and Sounds Draw the Wanderers Together - marlodianne (claimed 03/04, complete 03/30)
   
   Book Six
   AFTERCOURSES
   
   *DONE* 01 - The Inevitable Movement Onward - Gesine (claimed 05/18, complete 05/20)
   *DONE* 02 - Thomasin Walks in a Green Place by the Roman Road - Plum Hill (claimed 05/22, complete 05/22)
   *DONE* 03 - The Serious Discourse of Clym with His Cousin - Plum Hill (claimed 05/22, complete 05/22)
   *DONE* 04 - Cheerfulness Again Asserts Itself at Blooms-End, and Clym Finds His Vocation - marlodianne (claimed 03/04, complete 04/06)
   
   
   
7. BEFORE recording:
   Please check the Recording Notes:
   http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6427#6430
   If this is your first recording, you'll also find this useful:
   http://librivox.org/about-recording/
   
   Sample rate
   128 bit
   Stereo
   44.1KHz
   16 bit audio
   
   
8. DURING recording:
   Make sure you add this to the beginning and end of your recording:
   Start of recording (Intro)
   • "This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
     
     
   • If you wish, say:
     "Recording by [your name], [your blog, podcast, or web address]"
     
     
   • Say:
     "The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy. Book [X] (where X is the book number): [Title of Book]. [Y] (Where Y is the section number): [Name of Y]". Example: "The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy. Book Two: THE ARRIVAL. Four: Eustacia Is Led on to an Adventure.
   
   
   End of recording
   
   
   
   • At the end of a section, say:
     “End of [section number]. Recorded by [your name, date, geo-location]. "
     
     
   • At the end of a Book, instead say:
     "End of Book [X]. Recorded by [your name, date, geo-location]."
     
     
   • At the end of the book, say:
     "End of Book [X]. End of The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy. Recorded by [your name, date, geo-location]."
   
   
   Please leave a couple of seconds silence at the beginning and end of your recording.
   
   Also, remember to check this thread frequently for updates!
   
   
9. AFTER recording:
   Save files as
   128 kbps MP3
   returnofthenative_x-yy_hardy.mp3 , all lower-case, where x is your book number, and y is the section number.
   Example: returnofthenative_1-04_hardy.mp3
   
   ID3 V2 tags
   (To find out more about ID3 tags, go to our wiki: http://librivox.org/wiki/moin.cgi/WhatIsID3)
   Add the following tags to your .mp3 file (how you do this depends on which software you use – if you are unsure about ID3 tags, send me a
   message). Please mind upper and lower case!
   
   Title: ROTN - Book X - YY
   Artist: Thomas Hardy
   Album: The Return of the Native
   Genre: Speech
   Comment: Recorded by Your Name
   
   Transfer of files (completed recordings)
   Files can be posted here in the forum (linked to your webspace). If you do not have server space, PM me to make other arrangements. Whatever method you use *must* be able to resume, but even if you only have a glass bottle and some restless sea currents, we'll try to make it work.
   
   I'll need the following information from you when you submit a recording:
   - your name as you want it to appear in the LibriVox catalog,
   - your webpage URL (if applicable)

Any questions? Hopelessly confused?
Please post below or PM me.
_________________
Marlo Dianne
Writer, Artist, Wondergeek
forbiddendragon.blogspot.com

"We live as though the world was as it should be, to show it what it can be." --Angel

[thistlechick]

WhooHoo! Good choice Marlo Dianne.

I'll be your Metadata Coordinator for this project. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact me. You may want to consider numbering the chapters consecutively throughout the books so that there will not be any confusion about the order of the files. An example of this can be seen in Tale of Two Cities: http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728

I also have to let you in on a little secret about this book... it was assigned reading in my British Literature class in 11th grade... even though I was a voracious reader there was something about this book (or perhaps it was pure rebellion against the teacher) that made me resist reading this book. I somehow managed to listen in class enough during the review for the test, and still pulled off an 'A' without actually reading the book (or even the Cliff's Notes as my classmates did). Sooooo... I feel I owe it to Thomas Hardy to give this book a fair chance now that I'm a grown up.
_________________
Multiple projects lead to multiple successes!
Betsie's LV Projects: Solo ; Group

[deadwhitemales]

This book is GREAT! I love it! I'm already on several lists for chapters/sections as it is, but I'll be watching the thread and if I think I can free up enough time to read even just one chapter - I'm your man!

I particularly like the description of Clym - described in terms of classical Greek periods of sculpture - and the Descriptions of Eustacia Vye - as a displaced Pagan goddess.

edit: Oh and the descriptions of the heath itself in the first three chapters of the book was, for me, awesome! I know many people find that start to be something of a drag, but that's where he really sets down the character of the place as a living, breathing, entity which is halfway between heaven and hell... ove the imagery!

great book!
_________________
Eric Jean

60 more credits to go... 60 more credits to go...

[marlodianne]

Betsie, you really missed out not reading this!

I read it in my final year of high school. We all loved it. My class actually talked about it during break time. We were in serious Eustacia thrall, and used to quote it all the time. Of course, we studied Macbeth the same year, and we quoted that liberally too. We were an enriched class, so we were a...unique group

I've never understood why Dickens is worshiped as the great Victorian writer. I thought I'd never survive Oliver Twist, but Hardy was pure joy.

As for dropping the books, Hardy went to some effort to evoke the classics, and he wanted five contained books, like the five classical acts of Greek tragedy. To ignore that would be disrespectful to author intent, I believe. Bad enough he was bullied into Book Six, but at least he wrote that, so we won't leave it out.
_________________
Marlo Dianne
Writer, Artist, Wondergeek
forbiddendragon.blogspot.com

"We live as though the world was as it should be, to show it what it can be." --Angel

[marlodianne]

Yes, Eric, I share your enthusiasm. That's why I picked this as my first project to coordinate. Hardy is so adept with imagery, always simple, yet striking and unique.

When we studied rotn, we treated the Heath as a character, not a setting.
_________________
Marlo Dianne
Writer, Artist, Wondergeek
forbiddendragon.blogspot.com

"We live as though the world was as it should be, to show it what it can be." --Angel

[thistlechick]

[deadwhitemales]

[deadwhitemales]

on a side note: I recorded a podcast about ROTN back in august 2005... I can't remember what I talk about, but any who find this book interesting might like the show.

(Much to my shame, I haven't recorded shows - or updated my blog, for that matter, in a while... though now that I have a new mic and have sort of found librivox and book lovers, maybe... maybe I can try and get a few show notes together... hmmm...)

Anyway, the link to my blog/show: http://deadwhitemales.net

if you just want the specific file: http://www.deadwhitemales.net/podcasts/DWM-11.mp3

please don't mind the recording quality... or the bad intro music.
_________________
Eric Jean

60 more credits to go... 60 more credits to go...

[thistlechick]

Ok... Marlo Dianne, sign me up for a chapter... if you can find a chapter for me that is low on dialogue better yet... otherwise, pick one for me please =)
_________________
Multiple projects lead to multiple successes!
Betsie's LV Projects: Solo ; Group

[marlodianne]

[thistlechick]

Sounds good to me... how do we pronounce Eustacia?
_________________
Multiple projects lead to multiple successes!
Betsie's LV Projects: Solo ; Group

[marlodianne]

[thistlechick]

Ooooh... you mean we're actually supposed to READ that introductory post! hehehe

sorry, i've been a bit of a slacker grrl lately
_________________
Multiple projects lead to multiple successes!
Betsie's LV Projects: Solo ; Group

[marlodianne]

[marlodianne]