Two on a Tower

by Thomas Hardy, Sally Shuttleworth (Editor), Sally Shuttleworth (Introduction), Patricia Ingham (Preface by)

Overview

TWO ON A TOWER (1882) is a tale of star-crossed love in which Hardy sets the emotional lives of his two lovers against the background of the stellar universe. The unhappily married Lady Constantine breaks all the rules of social decorum when she falls in love with Swithin St. Cleeve, an astronomer who is ten years her junior. Her husband's death leaves the lovers free to marry, but the discovery of a legacy forces them apart. This is Hardy's most complete treatment of the theme of love across the class and age divide and the fullest expression of his fascination with science and astronomy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141925448
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	11/30/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was born and educated in Dorchester. He embarked on a career in architecture which he was able to give up with the increasing success of his novels. He published sixteen novels, as well as many short stories and poems. After the hostile reaction to JUDE THE OBSCURE in 1895, he stopped writing fiction to concentrate on poetry. Sally Shuttleworth is a Lecturer in English at the University of Sheffield. She has written a book on George Eliot and 19th-century science.

Date of Birth:

June 2, 1840

Date of Death:

January 11, 1928

Place of Birth:

Higher Brockhampon, Dorset, England

Place of Death:

Max Gate, Dorchester, England

Education:

Served as apprentice to architect James Hicks

Editorial Reviews

Although Two on a Tower is a minor Thomas Hardy work, minor Thomas Hardy is much worth a listener’s time…A truly fine novel.”

AudioFile

Swithin St. Cleeve and Lady Constantine have a challenging relationship. Because of social pressure, neither party is free to commit to the other. Leighton Pugh’s focused narration keeps the listener’s attention fixed on the events of the story. He captures the somber tones of Hardy’s prose without becoming monotonous. Through his vocal characterizations, Pugh aptly builds the characters’ personalities. Young Swithin, an aspiring astronomer, is passionate and earnest; his slight rural accent immediately contrasts his social standing with Lady Constantine’s. Pugh renders Lady Constantine’s ambivalence by making her sound nervous at times and forceful at others. His attention to dialogue adds insight into the characters’ motivations. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2020 - AudioFile

Swithin St. Cleeve and Lady Constantine have a challenging relationship. Because of social pressure, neither party is free to commit to the other. Leighton Pugh’s focused narration keeps the listener’s attention fixed on the events of the story. He captures the somber tones of Hardy’s prose without becoming monotonous. Through his vocal characterizations, Pugh aptly builds the characters’ personalities. Young Swithin, an aspiring astronomer, is passionate and earnest; his slight rural accent immediately contrasts his social standing with Lady Constantine’s. Pugh renders Lady Constantine’s ambivalence by making her sound nervous at times and forceful at others. His attention to dialogue adds insight into the characters’ motivations. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2020 - AudioFile