48 pages 1 hour read

Thomas Hardy

The Woodlanders

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1887

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

The Woodlanders is a novel by Thomas Hardy in which Grace Melbury, after returning from boarding school, navigates the complexities of love and social expectations in her village of Little Hintock, involving her childhood sweetheart, Giles Winterborne, and the charming Dr. Fitzpiers, revealing the destructive impact of rigid social classes. Themes include infidelity, illness, and death.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy is acclaimed for its vivid portrayal of rural life and the complex interplay of social class and personal desire. Its rich descriptions and deep emotional intensity resonate well with readers. However, some find the pacing slow and the characters' fates somewhat bleak. Still, it remains an evocative and thought-provoking novel.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Woodlanders?

A reader who enjoys The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy is likely drawn to pastoral settings, complex character studies, and themes of social class and unrequited love. Fans of George Eliot's Middlemarch or Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South will appreciate Hardy's intricate storytelling and vivid depiction of rural life.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Classic Fiction

Romance

British Literature

Topics

Class

Love / Sexuality

History: World

Period

Victorian Period

Victorian Literature / Period

Themes

Relationships: Marriage

Identity: Sexuality