The Woodlanders

· Courier Dover Publications
Ebook
480
Pages
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

Before Grace Melbury went away to school, she was in love with Giles Winterborne, a simple woodsman in the forests of Blackmoore Vale. But Grace's schooling has given her a taste for refinement, and upon her return she finds herself drawn to a dashing newcomer, Dr. Edred Fitzpiers. This romantic triangle is the focus of Thomas Hardy's novel of betrayal, disillusionment, and moral compromise. The story unfolds in a lavishly evoked landscape that becomes as central to the plot as any of the characters.
In this tale, which Hardy regarded as his best story, the great Victorian novelist returns to his fictional setting of Wessex to explore a characteristic subject: sexual relationships in an unsophisticated society. He also addresses issues directly affecting rural England during the early nineteenth century, when traditional societies underwent pressure from a changing world. A splendid introduction to the physical and psychological world of Wessex, The Woodlanders is also an intriguing forerunner of Hardy's later masterpieces.

About the author

Tragedy haunts the works of Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), whose fiction abounds in star-crossed lovers and other characters thwarted by fate or their own shortcomings. Hardy's outspoken criticism of Victorian society excited such profound controversy that the author abandoned fiction and in the 20th century published only poetry. His other novels include Far from the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure, all of which are available in Dover Thrift Editions.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.