"The Hand of Ethelberta is … a portrait of two artists – Ethelberta Petherwin and Thomas Hardy …"
—Tim Dolin

06/10/2024

Hardy's (1840–1928) lighthearted novel, first published serially in The Cornhill Magazine in 1876, follows an ambitious daughter of a serving-class family in England. With a melodious voice, narrator Fenella Woolgar portrays Ethelberta, who is determined to raise herself and her family out of poverty. At the age of 17, she marries into an upper-class household but is widowed less than a year later. She then crafts a new identity for herself as a poet and storyteller and seeks out another well-heeled husband, all the while disguising her humble origins. Ethelberta balances on a knife's edge, keeping multiple suitors waiting, and eventually settles on an older "peer of the realm" with secrets of his own. This story is not typical of its author, who is known for tragedies such as Jude the Obscure and Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Here, Hardy creates a story full of humor, wry wit, and irony, couched in the flowery Victorian prose of the time. Woolgar's narration is perfectly attuned to Hardy's words, capturing his sly deprecation of the English class system, including the silly pretenses of people of all classes in the novel. VERDICT An excellent addition to any audio classics collection.—Joanna M. Burkhardt

Fenella Woolgar gives an exemplary performance of this gentle comic novel, which skews the English class system. Ethelberta is a beautiful and clever young widow who is struggling to provide financial support for her nine siblings and invalid mother. When her efforts as a poet fail, her practicality impels her to consider marriage to one of her many tenacious suitors. Woolgar provides Ethelberta with a youthful, light tone that belies her resolute nature. Woolgar expertly distinguishes the many characters with individualized vocal expression. Her pacing is relaxed, and her vivid depictions of rural and city settings add atmosphere. This novel is an easy listen and can serve as an introduction to Hardy's works. M.J. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine