The Distracted Preacher

by Thomas Hardy

From the master of Victorian tragedy, the surprisingly comic adventures of a man caught between romance and religion.   When young Mr. Stockdale arrives in a small village to fill in for the Methodist minister, he finds himself pining for his comely new landlady. But she leads a mysterious life, keeping odd hours and speaking in hushed tones. As his love for her grows, he’s soon at the center of a hilarious high-stakes adventure, complete with slapstick, hijinks, and a marauding band of cross-dressers. And he’s forced to follow his heart or his higher purpose?***This is a Hybrid Book.Melville House HybridBooks combine print and digital media into an enhanced reading experience by including with each title additional curated material called Illuminations — maps, photographs, illustrations, and further writing about the author and the book.The Melville House Illuminations are free with the purchase of any title in the HybridBook series, no matter the format.Purchasers of the print version can obtain the Illuminations for a given title simply by scanning the QR code found in the back of each book, or by following the url also given in the back of the print book, then downloading the Illumination in whatever format works best for you.Purchasers of the digital version receive the appropriate Illuminations automatically as part of the ebook edition.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Novella, 19th Century, Humor, Literature

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1879

About the author

Thomas Hardy, OM, was an English author of the naturalist movement, although in several poems he displays elements of the previous romantic and enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural. He regarded himself primarily as a poet and composed novels mainly for financial gain.

The bulk of his work, set mainly in the semi-fictional land of Wessex, delineates characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. Hardy's poetry, first published in his 50s, has come to be as well regarded as his novels, especially after The Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

The term cliffhanger is considered to have originated with Thomas Hardy's serial novel A Pair of Blue Eyes in 1873. In the novel, Hardy chose to leave one of his protagonists, Knight, literally hanging off a cliff staring into the stony eyes of a trilobite embedded in the rock that has been dead for millions of years. This became the archetypal — and literal — cliff-hanger of Victorian prose.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Hardy's best re-creations of Wessex's past is his lengthy story "The Distracted Preacher." The preacher of the title is Mr Stockdale, a Wesleyan minister living in the 1830s during King William IV's reign. Being new to town, he takes lodgings and discovers his new landlady, Lizzy Newberry, as a beautiful young widow. The two are almost immediately attracted to each other and soon fall in love. Stockdale soon discovers, however, that Lizzy is not as respectable as she appears. First, she obtains some illegal smuggled liquor to cure the preacher's cold; next, Stockdale notices that she seems to sleep late until he eventually realizes that she is often out of the house all night. Gradually, he realizes, and she reveals to him that she is working with a group of smugglers who help to support the town during the winter and that, in fact, she, with her cousin Jim Owlett, is a leader of the smugglers. Naturally, the minister is shocked and disapproves of such activities, but his concern for Lizzy eventually overcomes his inhibitions. He accompanies her on several missions and does not betray her when the king's men search the town for the hidden liquor. In the end, however, Stockdale cannot live with both Lizzy and his conscience, and he leaves the city to take a church elsewhere in England.

To this point, Hardy's story is entertaining, humorous, and revealing. The preacher's dilemma between his strict view of morality and obedience to the state and his love for Lizzy is presented comically. Stockdale appears naïve and innocent, yet he is tempted to become Lizzy's partner in crime and life. The ending, however, is anticlimactic and disappointing. Two years after Stockdale left the village, he returned and met Lizzy again, learning that she had been forced to give up smuggling after a raid in which Owlett had been caught and wounded. This time, the two marry, and she writes a religious tract based on her experience: Stockdale got it printed after making some corrections and putting in a few powerful sentences. The couple distributed many hundreds of copies in the course of their married life.

Although this ending also has humorous overtones, Hardy does not care for it. In a later note accompanying the story, he explains that the marriage and "happy ending" "was almost de rigueur in an English magazine at the time of writing." The ending that Hardy would have preferred corresponded to the end of the "true incidents of which the tale is a vague and flickering shadow." Lizzy and her cousin Jim marry and eventually go to America while the preacher is left alone in those incidents. "The Distracted Preacher," in addition to being an excellent example of Hardy's storytelling ability, also illustrates the problems writers can have because of the commercial demands placed on their art.

Source: https://www.enotes.com/topics/thomas-...

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Ele não gostaria de repetir a sua parte na aventura; porém, por mais que fingisse, o desconforto que sentia por causa dela ia aumentando com o declinar do dia. Se lhe acontecesse algum acidente, jamais se desculparia não ter estado lá para a ajudar, por muito que lhe desagradasse a ideia de parecer estar a encorajar tais escapadelas ilícitas.»

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The usual with Hardy:delightful.

[Marieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun tale and like other readers, I wish Hardy had written more like this. It is humorous but not silly. It is a morality tale but not heavy. I thought it was perfectly paced with nice use of mystery and crime. I also enjoyed the socio-religious element. I wish I had managed to read it in one sitting, though. I have mixed feelings about the ending after getting acquainted with such a strong, independent female lead, but I don't think Hardy could have written any other ending. 4.5 stars, really.

[Laura]

4* Tess of the D'Urbervilles
3* The Mayor of Casterbridge
4* Far from the Madding Crowd
3* The Three Strangers
4* An Imaginative Woman and Other Stories
4* The Woodlanders
5* A Pair of Blue Eyes
4* Under the Greenwood Tree
4* The Return of the Native
4* Jude the Obscure
4* Two on a Tower
4* The Hand of Ethelberta
3* Desperate Remedies
3* The Withered Arm
4* Short Stories
TR Wessex Tales
Tr The Distracted Preacher
TR A Laodicean: A Story of Today
TR The Trumpet-Major

About Thomas Hardy:
TR Thomas Hardy: The Time Torn Man
TR Portraits from life;: Memories and criticisms of Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Thomas Hardy...

[Sónia Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história muito engraçada com um twist muito femininista mesmo no fim :) Grande autor!

[Tamára · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosto bastante de Thomas Hardy, mas este romance deixou-me um pouco desiludida.
Neste livro Hardy conta a história de um pregador que se apaixona (contra as suas crenças e condutas) por uma jovem, Lizzy, com uma índole duvidosa. O pregador acaba por se sentir muitas vezes, ao longo da narração, em conflito com os seus princípios devido à paixão que sente por Lizzy.
Uma leitura razoável, mas que não acrescenta muito a quem já leu “Tess” ou “Longe da Multidão”.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 98 Pages, Thomas Hardy’s The Distracted Preacher is a tightly written novella. At the risk of a left handed compliment it is less ponderous than one might expect in the writing of this period. Arriving unnoticed, young Wesleyan Minister Mr. Stockdale find lodgings with the Widows Newbury, mother and daughter. It is the younger daughter the Mrs. Lizzy Newbury who will first cure him of his cold with bootleg French brandy and later win his heart. Exactly how a young Minister is to deal with this distraction that will become the basis of a light hearted tale. Light hearted, but told in a very straight manner. If Hardy is winking at us it is all but imperceptible. Recommendation: A nicely written tale of the virtues of an inter-generational village level conspiracy. Well worth the few dollars my copy cost and the few hours it takes to read.

The general opinion is that The Distracted Preacher is not typical Thomas Hardy. I am almost sorry to know this; as this selection was intended to ease me into some of his better known works. There are some lovely turns as the lady love, Mrs. Newbury is the quicker thinking and more resourceful of the couple. The minister remains the advocate for the crown even as she maneuvers him to her purposes. I The Distracted Preacher atypical or not has me interested in coming back to Hardy for a longer visit.

[Ivone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um pequena maravilha este conto construído com uma subtil mistura de humor e tristeza. O pormenor do final "feliz", que soa realmente um pouco forçado e contraria a suave rebeldia que perpassa ao longo da história, explicado numa nota do escritor lembra-nos como este é também um 'profissional' e a sua arte é tanto maior quanto é capaz de nos fazer esquecer isso mesmo. De Thomas Hardy só tjnha lido Tess dos Ubervilles, que adorei. Sempre desejei ler mais romances deste invulgar escritor. Este pequeno conto surgiu um pouco por acaso e recordou-me essa intenção antiga que é agora determinação.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprise this book was. I found it thoroughly funny as well as heart warming and very endearing. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in reading Thomas Hardy for the first time. I've wanted to read him for some time, but "Far From the Madding Crowd" always felt like a daunting task. I assume that these two works are very different in subject, but given that Hardy's writing style was easy to get used to, I feel much more confident in reading more of his larger works.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

O final desejado por Thomas Hardy teria sido mais interessante.

[Vicente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma novela que tem quase tudo no lugar certo. Thomas Hardy criou uma personagem notável. A jovem Lizzy tem uma força e uma vitalidade que a tornam uma mulher independente e autónoma, que se move no seio de uma população fortemente marcada pela masculinidade com uma desenvoltura assinalável. E se algum leitor poderia ser levado a crer que esta se deixaria dominar pela presença de Stockdale, um recém chegado cuja posição social o demarca da populaça, Lizzy depressa prova que a sua determinação e independência moral são mais fortes do que o mais forte dos amores. Numa escrita simples e concreta, Thomas Hardy consegue, ainda assim, criar a atmosfera perfeita para a novela.

[Lecturas Felices · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah leer a Hardy es un goce total. Sus mujeres de tanta fuerza, Lizzy es en definitiva lo que le da fuerza a este relato "El Predicador Desconcertado", con decisiones que no se cierran a las ideas de la época o a una vida prototipo. Creo sinceramente que Hardy era un adelantado a su época. Al ser tan corto contaré muy poco de la trama... Tranquilos yo no pongo spoilers para aquellos sensibles.

Este pequeño cuento es hermoso y tiene todo lo que recuerdo de Hardy. Ironía, sentido del humor, capacidad de sorpresa, suspense. Hardy emplea la comedia para contar una historia de amores contrariados y puntos de vista morales en conflicto.

***Me encanta que hayan explicado el final posible que Hardy hubiera deseado.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not having previously read anything by Thomas Hardy, I only know of him by reputation (and a couple film adaptations). My preconceptions ran to the dour, serious, and tragic. However this long-ish short story is rather fun and amusing, about a callow parson infatuated with his young landlady who is also a smuggler of liquor, and his ineffectual efforts to make her see the error of her ways.

Interestingly the story has a pat, damp squib of an ending, followed by an editorial note that such endings were practically mandatory for stories in English magazines of the day. The note describes Hardy's preferred ending, which indeed would have been an improvement.

[Raquel Cardoso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Que pena não puder ler o final que o autor desejava...

[Just · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse pastor é mei desviado 🤨🤨

Muito bom. Se todos os livros fossem do nível desse, ou acima, eu leria o tempo todo

[Cikita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love everything Thomas Hardy wrote, 😭 and why???? He always made sad ending? I just want to know which one of his books that had it, i am so so curious! But it's one of happy ending I supposed, kept reading the next short story 😍

[Sina Shahbaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from the ending, which I found unfulfilling and heard that it was forced on Hardy; I really enjoyed the read. One of my favorite parts is the beginning that Hardy is screwing with Christianity denominations and the people who were not sure what to choose.

[Gema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primeiro livro que li de Thomas Hardy (autor que desconhecia). Este "Pregador Atormentado" conta-nos a história de Stockdale, um ministro que vai parar por uns tempos a uma terra onde conhece Lizzy (quem o hospeda) e acaba por se apaixonar por esta mulher (viuva) e que tem muitos segredos, entre os quais o contrabando. Estas escolhas dela acabam por os separar, pois ela quer continuar a manter este tipo de vida e ele não pode casar com uma mulher que pratica este tipo de actividade ilicita. Acabam por ficar os dois, ao que parece não pela vontade do autor, mas por este romance terminar como os leitores assim o prefeririam na altura.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read with a slow start and a bit predictable. It involves a preacher and a widow who fall in love, but mariage is not possible due to lifestyle differences. ‘You dissent from Church, and I dissent from State' has got to be my favorite line from this book. I look forward to reding more from this author.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but what a bummer that the independent woman running her family bootlegging business ends up being wrong, and the parsimonious preacher who thinks liquor smuggling is immoral ends up being right.

[Leon Franklin]

After reading "judas the obscure" this litle history abouta romance in a contrabandist's small town is meaningfull

[Dand'li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Hardy continua a ser dos escritores clássicos que simplesmente adoro!
Este pequeno livro não desiludiu, representa um estilo bem diferente do que me foi possível ler em Tess de D'urberville (maioritariamente melancólico e trágico), com um lado hilariante e um toque vincadamente feminista.

O livro narra a história do jovem e bem parecido Stockdale, um ministro que vai parar temporariamente a uma pequena vila em Wessex, na qual conhece a bela e independente viúva Lizzy. Os dois apaixonam-se quase de imediato (um ponto que não gostei na história, mas entendo que assim seja, porque é um livro pequeno), mas Stockdale rapidamente descobre que a sua adorada Lizzy não é tão respeitável quanto aparenta.

Num conjunto de acasos e situações, Stockdale descobre que Lizzy está ligada ao contrabando de álcool. No entanto, não sei se cego pelo amor ou apenas inocente de espírito e de experiência de vida, Stockdale pensa que Lizzy é uma vítima das circunstâncias, seja pelo último casamento ou por obrigação à família, o que é de veras caricato e hilariante de ler, porque é obvio para o leitor que Lizzy faz contrabando porque assim o deseja e gosta.

Pobre Stockdale, tem uma ideia completamente erronia de quem é Lizzy. Lizzy é uma mulher independente, que gosta de aventura e da excitação do perigo, gosta de ter o seu próprio negócio, gosta de desafiar as leis de um rei que nada dá e tudo tira. Já Stockdale, um moralista convicto, inicialmente ainda entra em conflito com a sua consciência e princípios pelo amor que nutre por Lizzy, chegando ao ponto de acompanhar Lizzy em várias situações e de se questionar se deveria de abandonar tudo por ela. Mas acaba por sucumbir à moralidade e desejo de assentar por uma mulher que se dedique a ser uma esposa respeitável de um ministro, vendo que Lizzy nega e repudia veemente desistir da sua independência e negócio.

Já disse que adoro a Lizzy?! Para uma mulher de 1830, ela é irreverente e inspiradora, chega a ser surpreendente ler a forma como se nega a desistir da sua independência e não desilude quando chega o tempo de escolher entre o amor e a independência.

No entanto, gostaria que a história tivesse ficado pela manutenção, quer de Lizzy, quer de Stockdale, dos seus princípios e ambições de vida em detrimento do amor. Mas o autor opta por um final anti-climático e dececionante, quase ofensivo tendo em conta o vertente feminista da história. Como raio é que a Lizzy se casa com ele dois anos depois, quando supostamente o negócio do contrabando corre mal, e de repente se torna uma esposa exemplar que escreve um panfleto religioso baseado na sua experiência de líder de contrabando, que Stockdale imprime, "após fazer algumas correções e colocar algumas frases suas". Que raio?!

Mas entretanto, após alguma pesquisa, descobrir que este não seria o final que o autor desejava, mas assim teve de ser, porque na época havia uma pressão para publicar histórias com "finais felizes". Na realidade, Hardy, tencionava dar um final bastante justo para Lizzy e quase um castigo à obstinação ridícula de Stockdale em submeter Lizzy à sua moralidade e vontades.
No final que Hardy teria preferido, Lizzy e seu primo Jim Owlett acabam por se casar e eventualmente vão para a América, enquanto o ministro é deixado sozinho.

Recomendo sem dúvida este pequeno livro aos amantes da escrita de Hardy, mas também e sobretudo pela vertente feminista que possui (mas ignorem aquele final).

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although not one of my favourite short stories by Hardy, it was still a very good book, beautifully descriptive, and, a very sweet ending.

This story revolves around the village of Nether-Moynton, where a new priest (Stockdale) moves too. his attention is soon turned to a local inhabitant, that of Lizzy. He begins to be distracted from his works by looking at Lizzy, her movements and soon becomes involved in her spiritual wellbeing. Is he becoming infatuated by her? Could it be love, or, is his work to God more important.

The story also covers smuggling which the priest is against to for morality. However, the undertones of smuggling is a criticism of the unfairness of taxes from the King on those who cannot or ill afford them.

Although not necessarily my cup of tea this book, and perhaps one of Hardy's weakest works, it is still very well written.

[Lectora de la tierra media · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah leer a Hardy es un goce total. Sus mujeres de tanta fuerza, Lizzy es en definitiva lo que le da fuerza a este relato "El Predicador Desconcertado", con decisiones que no se cierran a las ideas de la época o a una vida prototipo. Creo sinceramente que Hardy era un adelantado a su época. Al ser tan corto contaré muy poco de la trama... Tranquilos yo no pongo spoilers para aquellos sensibles.

Este pequeño cuento es hermoso y tiene todo lo que recuerdo de Hardy. Ironía, sentido del humor, capacidad de sorpresa, suspense. Hardy emplea la comedia para contar una historia de amores contrariados y puntos de vista morales en conflicto.

***Me encanta que hayan explicado el final posible que Hardy hubiera deseado.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main tale, a novella, is fairly interesting. A preacher is stationed in a country village and takes up lodging with a young woman whom he soon finds out is helping to smuggle illegal liquor. Against his principles, he aids and abets. The book is not so well written as Hardy's Tess or Jude, but the story is brief and easy enough to get through. There are another couple of shorter stories included, articles and tracts along with images, all related to the theme of temperance. In the end, you feel you are being preached at on the dangers of drink. I enjoyed some of this but do not recommend it as it is wholly of a different time and outlook.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

How could I not take up a book with the title "The Distracted Preacher"? The only other book I've read by Hardy was his "Under the Greenwood Tree" which I thoroughly enjoyed, though I found the dialect of conversation difficult to follow and was dependent on the notes. The areas of conversation weren't as difficult here thankfully, as there were no notes.
Poor Mr. Stockdale, a young Methodist minister has taken up an interim posting in the village of Nether-Moynton. He hasn't yet learned the frailties of human heart (his own in particular), nor the lengths people will go to make a living.

[Marnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really just chose this from a collection of short stories because the title made me laugh. Wasn’t expecting a thoroughly enjoyable story about a village with a long history of smuggling liquor. Very funny with personable characters and, as always with Hardy, beautifully set in Wessex’s rolling hills.

Also felt reminiscent of Two On A Tower in terms of the setting, which was much appreciated because I still miss that scene.

[Bárbara Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read, not only because it was easy to understand but also because it was a quick read. It's a small story and doesn't go into too much detail or description (I think it can be considered a short story).

The characters become more intense, as does the environment around them. However, I didn't feel that spark that makes me fall in love with the plot.

[João Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um curto romance em que duas personagens vão percorrendo a linha entre o amor que neles vai crescendo e os códigos morais que os separam. A tensão entre moral e amor, no seio de uma matriz metodista e anglicana, é o pano de fundo para uma narrativa estimulante e empolgante com um fim simples e quase necessário à coerência de personalidade de Lizzy e do Stockdale.