Wonderful

Beautiful lyrical writing and a fantastic performance. Kept me awake several nights wanting to hear more.

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Very enjoyable escapism

Wonderful storytelling, transporting. Beautifully observed characters and a poignant story. The aphorisms of Mrs Poyser are hilarious. Narrator did a wonderful job with such consistent characterisation across a range of personalities. Sometimes a strong accent can grate over time but not this one. Easy listening.

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Fall in Love with Adam Bede

What did you like most about Adam Bede?

I loved the narration, which made all the characters wonderfully sympathetic. I liked the exposition of spiritual dialogue, and that the story did NOT leave me feeling dissatisfied, the way Hardy's similar novel: Jude the Obscure does.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Adam Bede?

The annoying mother Lisbeth, yet a very sweet scene of her enjoying the company of her son, stroking his hair and such.

What about Nadia May’s performance did you like?

Wonderful accent and tone which brought the characters into my field of likeability.

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A story with a lot of depth

I am sure I probably should have been familiar with the story of Adam Bede in advance and I am thinking I might have seen some film or TV adaptation of it as it felt familiar. I didn't remember the details though and I thoroughly enjoyed the depiction of farmers and craftsmen and that it wasn't about the glitz and glam of the upper classes. The witty observations of the quirks of human nature made me laugh out loud in places because of their accuracy and how they still apply today.

It really is worth listening.

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A wonderful rendition

A wonderful unabridged version with enjoyable narration by Nadia May (except for Tottie who is a pain anyway!) the whole saga is slow to set up, but George Elliot needs this to establish the background and develop a fascinating listen.

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A must read classic

I really enjoyed this book. On the whole the narrator read well, though I did find the over long pauses after each sentence spoilt the flow of the book.

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Beautifully written but very slow. Well read

About halfway into this 19 hour audiobook almost nothing has happened! We know the characters pretty well by now and we know that Adam Bede loves Hetty - but as listeners we also know that she is not a good match for him and we hope he will realise his mistake! There has been no action as yet, and no scheming, just the interplay of characters in a rural community.

The book is beautifully written and the best approach to it is to let yourself slip into the rural fantasy. If you want a pacey plot this may not be the book for you - but let such concerns go and revel in the community the author creates. There's quite a lot of dry humour too.

At about the 10 hour mark there is drama and the pace quickens (a little) after that. Later the story takes an unexpected turn and becomes surprisingly tense. How will it all end? You'll have to keep listening for that.

I used to like books with pace and plot but, since I have discovered nineteen century literature, I realise there can be much more to a book. Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Anthony Trollope, Elizabeth Gaskell and George Elliot can make long slow books a delight to relax into with the quality of the writing and the characters and scenarios they create. This may not be the book to start your journey into the nineteenth century - prepare for that journey with Silas Marner and maybe some Thomas Hardy, but once you get into the way of these books, this is a delight.

Nadia May gives a splendid reading and handles all the dialect well. There is a lot of dialect in the book and listeners for whom English is not a first language may struggle with the meaning of much of it (I struggled in places), but the precise meaning is not important if you can get the drift.

Adam Bede is a special book that gets more absorbing as you proceed. Hold your patience through the first half and enjoy the writing because the second half becomes really quite powerful.

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Flawed but Rewarding

Eliot’s first novel has its faults, overly long and overly sentimental, but it’s a great story for all that. A genuinely shocking insight into the customs and beliefs of our forefathers.

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Wonderful story

Would you consider the audio edition of Adam Bede to be better than the print version?

No, they each have their place.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved Eliot's characterisations and beautiful descriptions.

Which character – as performed by Nadia May – was your favourite?

They were all outstanding, Nadia May is a brilliant mimic and has an amazing voice range.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole book is profoundly moving, everything links together, you are aware that anything not understood early on will certainly be explained or developed later.

Any additional comments?

I think George Eliot would have been very pleased with Nadia May's work. A great choice.

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Remarkable

Written 1859 but apart from the language used is so relatable to today. Narration was fantastic. All characters distinct and with their native accents was so good. My only criticism was how the story suddenly changed and was truly sad. I don’t know if I missed something somewhere. Not that it was unbelievable but somewhat a surprise with little backing from the writing. Maybe you will agree when you hear it. And little explanation after. Never the less I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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