The Vicar of Wakefield cover art

The Vicar of Wakefield

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The Vicar of Wakefield

By: Oliver Goldsmith
Narrated by: Nicholas Farrell
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About this listen

First published in 1766 and a perennial favorite since then, The Vicar of Wakefield is built around the naïve but loveable figure of Dr Primrose. He and his family live in rural bliss until disaster threatens to destroy their happiness: abduction, impoverishment, and betrayal combine to lay them low, but a surprising figure brings hope when all seems lost.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2014 Naxos AudioBooks Linguistics Social Sciences

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All stars
Most relevant  
I found the story, enjoyable, and interesting, as well as entertaining. Being set some considerable time in the past, it took me to another world and gave insight into that.
A good story for dark winter evenings, sitting by cosy fire. 

Nice story with great narration

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a wonderful book, with a very timely perspective (it's 2020) on fortune and adversity. absolutely brilliantly read by RSC stalwart Nick Farrell.

a classic for our times

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BEWARE plot spoilers.

This book is at times very funny, and at others very sad. The titular Vicar and his family descend from good standing and wealth, to near poverty. They lose their children's reputations to wicked seducers, other children to death, nearly all perish when their house is burned to the ground, get swindled regularly by tricksters, and end up in a debtors prison. However at the end, all is restored, and more, with even a dead child coming back to life! The vicar 'narrates' the book, so all opinions are given via him, showing his thoughts about his wife, his situation etc with a slightly skewed but funny view point. One sentence which made me laugh out loud - when they want to get rid of a guest they don't like "I ever took care to lend him a riding coat, or a pair of boots, or sometimes an horse of small value, and I always had the satisfaction of finding he never came back to return them." It may be the way Nicholas Farrell narrates.

Genuine feel good story

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A lively account of the trials and tribulations of the good-meaning Vicar of Wakefield, Dr. Primrose, and his adorable family, as narrated by the protagonist himself, often comical, at times sentimental or even moralising but never tedious. The plot has it all, deception, abduction, the fall from grace of one of its heroines, match-making with unintended consequences, the machinations of an aristocratic villain ... A real romp. Highly recommended if you enjoy 18th century literature. The audiobook is of equally excellent quality, as is to be expected from Naxos.

18th century story-telling at its best

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This is an unexpected treat. Was not too sure if I should buy it, now very glad I did. I like stories of the past, anything from 12th C to 19th C. They give you a sense of how people thought, morals, & society in general.

Too many areas of the story to pin down to one specific moment. So much of interest happening in this.

Nicholas Farrell's calm melodious narration is why this book works for me. He takes you through the story in a good clear voice , with enough variation in tone to smoothly keep you interested to the very end.

Excellant Audiobook

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The start was promising, but it soon became like listening to a diary being read, rather than a story; & quite a boring diary.
For someone who loves Jane Austin, I was interested to read what she had read, & had influenced her.
Sadly it just couldn’t hold my attention, so I returned the title.

A disappointment.

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