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The Woodlanders
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A Pair of Blue Eyes
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Hardy's third novel, A Pair of Blue Eyes, follows the story of Elfride Swancourt. The daughter of the rector of Endelstow, a sparse, sea-swept parish in Cornwall, Elfride is caught between two suitors of very different backgrounds: Stephen Smith, a young architect restoring the old parish church; and the respectable, older man of London society, Henry Knight. The blue-eyed and high-spirited protagonist must untangle the conflicting messages of her heart and her mind.
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Jude The Obscure
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The Return of the Native
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Set on Egdon Heath, a fictional barren moor in Wessex, Eustacia Vye longs for the excitement of city life but is cut off from the world in her grandfather's lonely cottage. Clym Yeobright who has returned to the area to become a schoolmaster seems to offer everything she dreams of: passion, excitement and the opportunity to escape. However, Clym's ambitions are quite different, and marriage only increases Eustacia's destructive restlessness, drawing others into a tangled web of deceit and unhappiness.
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Marvellous.
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Under the Greenwood Tree
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The four seasons of the Wessex year form the backdrop for the delightful romance of Dick Dewy and Fancy Day. The ups and downs of their courtship are set alongside the story of the rustics who form the church choir.
-
Hardy: The Mayor of Casterbridge
- By: Thomas Hardy
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- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Michael Henchard, drunk at a country fair, sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas. The following day, in despair and remorse, he forswears alcohol and sets out to redeem himself. In time, he becomes a respected merchant and eventually the mayor of the town. But Fate is not to be so easily appeased, and Henchard finds his past actions resonate through and destroy his plans for the future.
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The Mayor of Casterbridge
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Overall
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Performance
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In a remote corner of early Victorian England, where traditional practices remain untouched by time, Bathsheba Everdene stands out as a beacon of female independence and self-reliance. However, when confronted with three suitors, among them the dashing Sergeant Troy, she shows a reckless capriciousness that threatens the stability of the whole community. Published in 1874, and an immediate best seller, Far From the Madding Crowd established Thomas Hardy as one of Britain's foremost novelists.
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- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Hardy's third novel, A Pair of Blue Eyes, follows the story of Elfride Swancourt. The daughter of the rector of Endelstow, a sparse, sea-swept parish in Cornwall, Elfride is caught between two suitors of very different backgrounds: Stephen Smith, a young architect restoring the old parish church; and the respectable, older man of London society, Henry Knight. The blue-eyed and high-spirited protagonist must untangle the conflicting messages of her heart and her mind.
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Under the Greenwood Tree
- The Mellstock Choir - A Rural Painting of the Dutch School
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Jamie Parker
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Under the Greenwood Tree is an affectionate and youthful portrait of a world Hardy knew well - village life in 'Wessex' - in which a romantic tale is set against changing circumstances. The traditional feature of local music making performed by the village band and choir is challenged by the modern innovation of organ and organist providing music in the church.
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Superbly read
- By Carpenter on 05-12-18
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Wessex Tales
- By: Thomas Hardy
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- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Wessex Tales, a collection of short stories including "The Three Strangers", "The Withered Arm", and "The Distracted Preacher", deals with a number of timeless themes seen so often in Hardy’s work: marriage, class, revenge, and disappointed love. Many of the tales have a supernatural tinge, and all are set around Hardy’s much loved homeland.
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Excellent scort stories
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles
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When John Durbeyfield discovers a family connection to the ancient Norman family, the D'Urbervilles, the fate of daughter Tess is transformed. Sent by her ambitious parents to visit her wealthy D'Urberville cousins, Tess attracts the attention of the unscrupulous Alec. Seduced and discarded by him and alone in the world, she finds work as a milkmaid and the love of Angel Clare. Yet his love cannot accept the truth about Tess's past.
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Peter Firth's narration was excellent.
- By D. J. C on 06-10-15
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The Return of the Native
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Performance
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In the remote wildness of Egdon Heath, the crossed love affairs and marriages of a small group of people are played out against the background of nature’s beauty and indifference to mankind. Through a series of vivid incidents and encounters, The Return of the Native moves in a relentless drive towards tragedy, as the plans and dreams of the lovers miscarry, defeated by chance, or destiny or self-deception. In their unhappy stories, Hardy gives us a powerful dramatization of his bleak philosophy, his belief in man’s helplessness before the malevolence of the universe.
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The best of Hardy - magical!
- By Miss Clare Weightman on 14-10-16
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Ruth
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- Unabridged
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The orphaned heroine Ruth, apprenticed to a dressmaker, is seduced by wealthy Henry Bellingham who is captivated by her simplicity and beauty. Their affair causes her to lose her home and job to which he offers her shelter, only to cruelly abandon her soon after. She is offered a chance of a new life though shamed in the eyes of society by her illegitimate son. When Henry reappears offering marriage she must choose between social acceptance and her own pride.
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The
- By Lisa on 10-02-09
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Two on a Tower
- By: Thomas Hardy
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- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Two on a Tower is Hardy's ninth novel and contains perhaps his most complete use of the theme of love across the class and age divide, to beautifully depict Hardy's reverence for science and astronomy. The unhappily married Lady Constantine breaks all the rules of social etiquette when she falls in love with young Swithin St. Cleeve, an astronomer and her social inferior. Despite their differences that society deems unacceptable, together, from an astronomical observatory, the lovers 'sweep the heavens'.
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Interesting, but not one of Hardy's best
- By Roderic on 08-06-15
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The Mill on the Floss
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- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Maggie Tulliver has two lovers: Philip Wakem, son of her father’s enemy, and Stephen Guest, already promised to her cousin. But the love she wants most in the world is that of her brother Tom. Maggie’s struggle against her passionate and sensual nature leads her to a deeper understanding and to eventual tragedy
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Captivated
- By seahorse on 14-02-15
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Wives and Daughters
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Performance
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Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor in the small provincial town of Hollingford, lost her mother when she was a child. Her father remarries wanting to give Molly the woman's presence he feels she lacks. To Molly, any stepmother would have been a shock, but the new Mrs. Gibson is a self-absorbed, petty widow, and Molly's unhappiness is compounded by the realisation that her father has come to regret his second marriage.
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Superb characterisation by a first class reader
- By Philadelphus on 01-06-07
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Thomas Hardy
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- Abridged
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Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Thomas Hardy by Claire Tomalin, read by Jill Balcon and David Shaw Parker. Paradox ruled Thomas Hardy's life. His birth was almost his death; he became one of the great Victorian novelists and reinvented himself as one of the 20th-century's greatest poets; he was an unhappy husband and a desolate widower; and he wrote bitter attacks on the English class system yet prized the friendship of aristocrats. In the hands of Whitbread Award-winning biographer Claire Tomalin, Thomas Hardy the novelist, poet, neglectful husband and mourning lover all come vividly alive.
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Plese let me introduce you to Claire Tomalin
- By Christine lee on 20-09-18
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A Laodicean
- A Story of To-day
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 17 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Subtitled 'A Story of To-day', A Laodicean occupies a unique place in the Thomas Hardy canon. Departing from pre-industrial Wessex, Hardy brings his themes of social constraint, fate, chance and miscommunication to the very modern world of the 1880s - complete with falsified telegraphs, fake photographs, and perilous train tracks. The story follows the life of Paula Power, heiress of her late father's railroad fortune and the new owner of the medieval Castle Stancy. With the castle in need of restoration, Paula employs architect George Somerset, who soon falls in love with her.
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Mary Barton
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- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Elizabeth Gaskell's remarkable first novel, Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life portrays a love that defies the rigid boundaries of class with tragic consequences.
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Lovely listen!
- By Daniel on 16-10-15
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Mark Twain. The Complete Novels
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: James Hamill
- Length: 88 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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This Audiobook contains the complete novels of Mark Twain: "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Prince and the Pauper", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", "The American Claimant", "Tom Sawyer Abroad", "The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson", "Tom Sawyer, Detective", "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc", "A Horse's Tale, The Mysterious Stranger".
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- linda
- 03-06-13
Excellent read
This is the best book I have read for a long time. I was engrossed from start to finish. Hardy so cleverly develops the characters and relationships that you feel you know them and have a connection from early on in the book.
I didn't want it to end.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
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- Nibor
- 28-05-16
Well loved Hardy novel, wonderful narration
What did you like most about The Woodlanders?
As always with Hardy, its great to immerse yourself in the problems of a bucolic community- very different from out 'issues' these days. I had to review to recommend Samuel West's sensitive narration, which made the book for me.
What other book might you compare The Woodlanders to, and why?
Any other Hardy!
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I realised that my problems are small compared to the past.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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- Christine Miskelly
- 25-01-16
Superb
Where does The Woodlanders rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I think this is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to. It certainly ranks somewhere at the top.
What did you like best about this story?
Hardy is a master of character. He paints wonderful images, portraying each person's hopes, aspirations and frailties and you find yourself sharing their pain and longing for a happy resolution to their predicaments. You see so clearly how behaviour was, and perhaps still is, constrained by protocol and the rules and norms of society. I also loved his descriptions of the woodlands and the natural world. It was surprisingly gripping.
What does Samuel West bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
The book was beautifully narrated. Samuel West has a delightful voice and the accents given to the various characters were totally credible. I will look for other books read by him. Excellent.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Redemption
Any additional comments?
I just wonder how I can follow this. There is a loss now that it is ended.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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- Chris Bird
- Clacton Essex
- 23-12-16
Superb.
Great, a brilliant story with all drawn characters. A much overlooked Hardy novel. Nicely read. I really loved it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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- Mrs. L. A. Caulfield
- Leeds West Yorkshire
- 25-04-16
Fantastic
My favourite Book. Love Thomas Hardy.
Narrator brings all the characters to life, and brings so much atmosphere to the Woodland.
Loved every moment.
Highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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- S. Keane
- Dublin Ireland
- 12-01-19
Very sad this book had to end.
Very sad this book had to end. A master storyteller and a master narrator .
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- Miss Je Cooke
- London
- 13-11-18
Hardy's Hidden Gem
This is a highly underrated novel by Hardy that has wonderful characters brilliantly brought to life by the narrator. Really successfully creates a country feel with the accents used. Just brilliant.
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- Christopher Inwood
- 09-11-17
Wonderful<br />
I read or listen to this book every couple of years. Descriptive, and so beautiful. Read the first chapter,
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-05-17
A slow burner, with masterful characterisations
What made the experience of listening to The Woodlanders the most enjoyable?
Thomas Hardy is one of the best British authors of all time. His pace, his language, his flawed characters - he paints a deep and abiding picture. A surprisingly modern tale in beautiful prose.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Woodlanders?
The summer solstice nighttime party. And the hair.
Have you listened to any of Samuel West’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No, but he is great.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, I prefer to digest it as I go along, there is so much to take in.
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- susan
- 01-03-17
woodlanders
wonderful story and wonderful voice.
sure Giles Winterbourne would have sounded like that - powerful, gentle
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- Molly Aultz
- 12-06-08
Thomas Hardy lesser known work
I have never heard of this book until searching on this website. I found the story to be classic Thomas Hardy, even more lyrical and poetic then some of his other more famous works. As always, many twists and turns in the characters and experiences and a surprising ending. He introduces people and places through words, you can form an image of - the doctor, the yeoman, and his famous oral depiction of beautiful places, customs, and a common amiable village culture now lost in the mists of time. If you like Thomas Hardy, this is a definate listen.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful
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- onelucent
- 21-01-11
A mature, unforced Hardy.
One of my favorite Hardy novels. Maybe, his best. Less preaching and display of erudition; more of a natural flow; wonderful characters, even when they are fulfilling "types;" great rustics.. Interesting, what I would call modern ending-but I won't spoil it. This is a mature writer who doesn't have to show-off or try too hard.
The narrator is outstanding. Great pacing and vocal quality. Avoids overly affected female voices. Captures the poetry in Hardy's writing.
Finally, why is Hardy still read when so many of the novels are sad or tragic-it's in the beauty of the language and the wisdom/truth of the speech. A book one can listen to repeatedly.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
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- Bonny
- 31-01-16
Mesmerizing narration
This is one of Hardy's later novels (and #5 in my reading of Hardy), and in it he seems to revisit earlier themes and plot situations . . . as a result it didn't have the freshness for me that the others did. The characters felt more like archetypes and less like individuals, and I never felt particularly strongly about any of them. It seemed to me that Hardy set out the plot and started in on it without our really knowing the characters or having a chance to become invested in them.
That said, still I was mesmerized by this audiobook, and I attribute that to Samuel West's narration and Hardy's writing. The writing is as skillful and beautiful as ever, and I floated along on its waves. West's narration is just marvelous. He gives mere suggestions of vocal character, rather than the fully-fleshed vocal portraits given by other narrators. I like both types of narration, and it was a nice change to listen to. His voice is simply gorgeous, very pleasant to listen to, and he gives an extremely nuanced and intelligent reading.
The book did not resonate with me emotionally in the way that other Hardy novels have, but it's great writing, and well worth it.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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- Deborah
- 02-01-12
Your Typical Hardy Novel
This was a fairly typical Hardy novel: misplaced affections, broken hearts, overindulgent parents, class divisions, long lost lovers reunited, hints of scandal, etc. There's a bit of Gabriel Oak in Giles Winterborne (and, for that matter, a bit of Bathsheba Everdene in Grace Melbury). Still, I enjoyed the novel, which I listened to on audio, read by the wonderful Samuel West. The secondary female characters--particularly the spunky and loyal Marty South, but also Felice Charmond and Suke Damson--give the novel an added charm, but the conflicted, rather immature, manipulating and rather easily manipulated Grace Melbury really just needed a good smack.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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- Teresa S Meyerer
- 15-05-15
Words like fine lace
The intricacy of woven words described scenes and characters and were strung into the rope of a memorable story, I loved it. It should never end but continue for centuries. I want more.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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- Jennifer
- 16-04-14
Amazing Story!
What did you love best about The Woodlanders?
The Woodlanders is an amazing story with so many thought provoking situations and issues concerning honor, honesty and forgiveness. How love can be selfish and selfless. The narration was excellent and the story hooked me from the beginning and I did not want to leave it until it finished.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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- Ms. G
- 16-01-18
Excellent!
Gripping story. Beautiful & poetic language from Hardy.Samuel West was fabulous! Loved this audio book so much!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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- Essence45
- 02-08-16
Beautifully narrated
A vivid, perfectly balanced narration of a beautiful & underrated story. I'd like to hear more classics by Samuel West.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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- Merlin
- 21-01-19
One of the great novels of the 19th century
This is one of Hardy's finest novels–which means it is very fine indeed. The narration by Samuel West is just perfect. His measured approach captures the pace of old country life and of Hardy's ruminations. There is so much to relish here: the descriptions of nature; the subtle psychology; the excellent cast of characters. One virtue of the book that I especially noticed (and I've read it twice before, a long time ago) was the excellent plotting.
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- Sarah Irene
- 03-08-18
Thomas Hardy is wonderful
One main thing I love about Thomas Hardy's books is that so much of the story happens outside - on the heath, in the woods, on the farm. The stories are very connected with the landscape, which is described beautifully. This is my first time reading this novel, which seems to be less famous than some, and I greatly enjoyed it. Thank you.