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The Woodlanders
Passion and money, beauty and ambition, these are the opening themes in The Woodlanders, a novel revolving around a small village community coming to terms with a radically changing world.
Plain Marty South, a young country girl mature beyond her years, endures her love for Giles Winterbourne in silence. He works in partnership with George Melbury, the local timber-merchant and chief man of business in the area. Giles has deep unspoken feelings for Mr Melbury's daughter Grace who has been away at boarding school and now returns to Little Hintock an educated young woman with modern ideas. Giles belongs to a past she no longer wants to be a part of and she is soon attracted to the new, handsome young doctor in the village, Edred Fitzpiers. As they all follow their lonely course, their lives become inextricably intertwined.
First published in 1887, The Woodlanders, which in later years Hardy came to regard as his favourite story, reflects Hardy's own changing attitude to the past and recognition of the dawn of a modern, dramatically different age.
Plain Marty South, a young country girl mature beyond her years, endures her love for Giles Winterbourne in silence. He works in partnership with George Melbury, the local timber-merchant and chief man of business in the area. Giles has deep unspoken feelings for Mr Melbury's daughter Grace who has been away at boarding school and now returns to Little Hintock an educated young woman with modern ideas. Giles belongs to a past she no longer wants to be a part of and she is soon attracted to the new, handsome young doctor in the village, Edred Fitzpiers. As they all follow their lonely course, their lives become inextricably intertwined.
First published in 1887, The Woodlanders, which in later years Hardy came to regard as his favourite story, reflects Hardy's own changing attitude to the past and recognition of the dawn of a modern, dramatically different age.
444 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1887
704 people are currently reading
22648 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Hardy
2,269 books6,739 followersThomas 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.
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.
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April 14, 2024
“..let her take him back to her bed if she will!... but let me bear in mind that the woman walks and laughs somewhere at this very moment whose neck he’ll be coling next year as he does hers tonight… It’s a forlorn hope for her”
The Woodlanders, one of my most treasured reads, is an remarkable and somewhat dramatic story where self-interest, pleasure, infidelity, and ambition clash voraciously with the rural simplicity of the woodlands of Little Hintock and its modest inhabitants, and where social custom is to once again cage people to the lives they were bound to accept but not desire. In marriage and in class.
Whilst a sad tale of unrequited love, betrayal and buried emotions what we get in return is one of Hardy’s least known, but in my opinion one of Hardy’s most intense and accomplished novels. A deeply profound novel where love and nature play leading roles with such power and poignancy that the reader is left touched, mournful, and quite literally heart broken. As one of the books most powerful phrases becomes implanted in your mind
“You can't tell the heart. The heart hopes. Most of all where it's hopeless.”
The Plot
Melbury, a local timber merchant, who once wronged a man by seducing his fiancé away from him, has now promised his daughter Grace to his surviving son, Giles Winterborne. Yet his ambitions for his daughter’s marriage to someone of social standing and wealth stand in stark contrast to the man who, in the end, by error of paperwork and not understanding the full terms of his holdings, is to lose his properties and wealth.
Grace herself, a delicately feminine character is now the social hope of the family and becomes the books focal point for morality and duty, as she struggles with her obligation to Giles and her fascination with Edred, the local doctor.
However, Edred, a philanderer and serial womaniser is to make his declarations of marriage at the yearly Midsummer eve event when the village girls attempt some spell or enchantment which could afford them a glance of their partners for life, at which point Giles is to lose his love. All observed by Marty South, a local girl, desperately and passionately in love with Giles, who is to play her part when she is forced to sell her beautiful hair to adorn the head of the woman Edred is to abscond with.
However, in this intense story of nature and love, there are more heartaches and twists as Hardy completes his rich tapestry, and love appears hopeless.
Review and Comments
I read this book at school for English Literature classes and loved it despite having what I thought was quite a complex writing style. However, it caught me then as it caught me now. Here's why!!!
A perfect combination of vivid prose, deeply drawn characters and the use of nature to write such a heart breaking and soulful story that was so representative of living standards, class structures and attitudes of the period.
Hardy’s painstaking portrayal of the countryside and nature is not lost to the reader, and becomes an almost invisible character, plot, and theme, central to the story. Little Hintock, despite the images created of boundless freedom, beauty and serenity was to be the place that harboured such uncompromising ties to a rigid social structure, and with converging destinies, would deny many of the characters love. A place that would breathe life into all living things yet harshly extinguish it without compromise.
It is therefore fitting that one of the most tragic scenes was nature denying life to one of the main characters. The angry weather, cold and dampness was to finally extinguish that flame the reader so anxiously wanted to continue burning, in the hope of some justice. However, in one of the most tragic scenes the man that was loved so deeply by one but who loved another, would surrender to the woodlands.
There are many threads woven into this rich tapestry of marriage, infidelity, unrequited love, social immobility - and finally the locks of hair sold by Marty South to the wealthy seductress was “… how it had begun and tragedy had its end”, and what was seemingly a simple act to raise money was to ultimately cause the destruction of the one of the books most unsavoury characters. Typical Hardy to spin these threads but it is not until the end that the tapestry is complete, and we finally sit back in awe at the masterpiece created.
Haunting yet enchanting, beautiful but tragic. A book where yet again social freedom loses to duty and obligation but where love – the real kind!!! in its stubborn capacity to yield loses to nothing but still remains cursed, as the characters are bound in heart and soul and tied by fate.
Atmospheric, tragic, and uncompromising where love, nature and fate take centre stage, and in true Hardy style we as readers are left heartbroken.
The Woodlanders, one of my most treasured reads, is an remarkable and somewhat dramatic story where self-interest, pleasure, infidelity, and ambition clash voraciously with the rural simplicity of the woodlands of Little Hintock and its modest inhabitants, and where social custom is to once again cage people to the lives they were bound to accept but not desire. In marriage and in class.
Whilst a sad tale of unrequited love, betrayal and buried emotions what we get in return is one of Hardy’s least known, but in my opinion one of Hardy’s most intense and accomplished novels. A deeply profound novel where love and nature play leading roles with such power and poignancy that the reader is left touched, mournful, and quite literally heart broken. As one of the books most powerful phrases becomes implanted in your mind
“You can't tell the heart. The heart hopes. Most of all where it's hopeless.”
The Plot
Melbury, a local timber merchant, who once wronged a man by seducing his fiancé away from him, has now promised his daughter Grace to his surviving son, Giles Winterborne. Yet his ambitions for his daughter’s marriage to someone of social standing and wealth stand in stark contrast to the man who, in the end, by error of paperwork and not understanding the full terms of his holdings, is to lose his properties and wealth.
Grace herself, a delicately feminine character is now the social hope of the family and becomes the books focal point for morality and duty, as she struggles with her obligation to Giles and her fascination with Edred, the local doctor.
However, Edred, a philanderer and serial womaniser is to make his declarations of marriage at the yearly Midsummer eve event when the village girls attempt some spell or enchantment which could afford them a glance of their partners for life, at which point Giles is to lose his love. All observed by Marty South, a local girl, desperately and passionately in love with Giles, who is to play her part when she is forced to sell her beautiful hair to adorn the head of the woman Edred is to abscond with.
However, in this intense story of nature and love, there are more heartaches and twists as Hardy completes his rich tapestry, and love appears hopeless.
Review and Comments
I read this book at school for English Literature classes and loved it despite having what I thought was quite a complex writing style. However, it caught me then as it caught me now. Here's why!!!
A perfect combination of vivid prose, deeply drawn characters and the use of nature to write such a heart breaking and soulful story that was so representative of living standards, class structures and attitudes of the period.
Hardy’s painstaking portrayal of the countryside and nature is not lost to the reader, and becomes an almost invisible character, plot, and theme, central to the story. Little Hintock, despite the images created of boundless freedom, beauty and serenity was to be the place that harboured such uncompromising ties to a rigid social structure, and with converging destinies, would deny many of the characters love. A place that would breathe life into all living things yet harshly extinguish it without compromise.
It is therefore fitting that one of the most tragic scenes was nature denying life to one of the main characters. The angry weather, cold and dampness was to finally extinguish that flame the reader so anxiously wanted to continue burning, in the hope of some justice. However, in one of the most tragic scenes the man that was loved so deeply by one but who loved another, would surrender to the woodlands.
There are many threads woven into this rich tapestry of marriage, infidelity, unrequited love, social immobility - and finally the locks of hair sold by Marty South to the wealthy seductress was “… how it had begun and tragedy had its end”, and what was seemingly a simple act to raise money was to ultimately cause the destruction of the one of the books most unsavoury characters. Typical Hardy to spin these threads but it is not until the end that the tapestry is complete, and we finally sit back in awe at the masterpiece created.
Haunting yet enchanting, beautiful but tragic. A book where yet again social freedom loses to duty and obligation but where love – the real kind!!! in its stubborn capacity to yield loses to nothing but still remains cursed, as the characters are bound in heart and soul and tied by fate.
Atmospheric, tragic, and uncompromising where love, nature and fate take centre stage, and in true Hardy style we as readers are left heartbroken.
March 28, 2024
When reading a book The Woodlanders from a superb writer like Mr.Thomas Hardy not the first one mind you... a half dozen novels precisely , anticipating the outcome before beginning is easily ascertained, Victorian authors had an unpleasant habit of no happy endings and this particular scribbler not a accurate term, he was magnificent, however the belief that life terminates badly permeates his books and accepted as a truism in his own...........Deep in an isolated pocket in the woods of southern England many miles from a city lived a group of people in a tiny village called Little Hintock, population maybe a hundred souls if that. These few are living in the mid nineteenth century what so -called industry there, is naturally dominated by trees...timber they cut and sell and scrape for other products, nevertheless some inhabitants will surprise, intelligent, world travelers, very educated , two with money even. Grace Melbury is returning home from boarding school age circa twenty, smart, lovely , educated, her proud father Mr. George Melbury a lumber merchant the richest person in the village has second thoughts about her marrying Giles Winterborne a solid kind man, working sometimes for him. Growing up and liking each other since they were children, but is he good enough for his daughter now? Above the hamlet just arrived, a new doctor about 28, lives Edred Fitzpiers , lights shine all night from his home, on the hill , beautiful colors change frequently as he presumably studies, an aura of mystery dominates the area the seldom seen physician has become almost a legend to the villagers. Mr.Melbury dreams about such a splendid couple his daughter and Mr. Fitzpiers from an ancient , distinguish but unwealthy family would make and forces Grace to break the unofficial engagement to Giles....crushing him, you can see from a mile away a big, big mistake. The not so good doctor has a propensity to chase pretty women and they find him attractive and charming, doesn't matter if single or married he is always on the hunt. Edred is smitten, Grace curious at first sight, you can guess the rest but... Falling in love the doctor or as close as he gets to the emotion with the rich, gorgeous widow in her late twenties and occasional visitor to Little Hintoch, having a huge mansion there , a Mrs. Felice Charmond, complicates the situation. Both enjoy each others company and their secret passionate rendezvous in the nearby forest become known, causing Grace much anguish... still hot flames can extinguish quickly . In mathematics three into two won't go without a fracture. If you need a terrific novel to consume and are willing to tolerate, and be never quite satisfied by the ambiguous conclusion this is for you. A very professional product from a master in storytelling...his favorite.
December 5, 2021
A brilliant Hardy, with wonderful characters and a brilliant engaging plot - full of that poignancy I so love in Hardy. A real staple Hardy and a brilliant, brilliant book.
November 7, 2022
The Woodlanders is written in the moody, sometimes downcast, style of Thomas Hardy’s more famous novels, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure, with the romantic flavor that defines Far From the Madding Crowd. It becomes obvious early on that Giles Winterborne and Grace Melbury are not to have a smooth course to love, although their youthful attachment and her father's approval should have pointed to the fact that they would. The presence of a new doctor in the district, Doctor Fitzpiers; the mysterious landlady at the manor, Mrs. Chamond; and the natural beauty, Marty Smart, round out the cast and push forward the calamitous events that are to come.
The battle between frost and thaw was continuing in mid-air; the trees dripped on the garden-plots, where no vegetables would grow for the dripping, though they were planted year after year with that curious mechanical regularity of country people in the face of hopelessness…
Thomas Hardy is a wizard when he speaks of the connection of man to nature, it echoes the events in the lives of his characters, perhaps God's commentary on what mankind conceives. He so often writes in a Romantic tradition, seeing nature as the purer, moral path, and the decline in rural society as a deterioration of the world at large. The pure characters in this novel are Giles Winterborne and Marty Smart, and the descriptions of the two of them in their natural labor are some of the most riveting passages in the story. It must say a great deal about Hardy’s view of the world that the semi-villainous Fitzpier ends in better stead than either of them at the end of the novel. Alas, in life and in Hardy, good does not often prevail.
And yet to every bad there is a worse.
I wonder if it is the romantic or the melancholy side of me that loves Hardy so much. His view of the world we live in is not rosy and sometimes downright bleak, and yet he shows us glimpses of goodness and the possibility of happiness--for there is often a path to happiness that his characters shun, and a very few of them come to destinations that might result in some redemption. Often it is simply a lack of self-awareness or an inability to communicate their feelings that land them in their terrible circumstances; and which of us cannot relate to those moments in life?
Every time I start a Hardy novel I think, “this one will not live up to the others”, but as it progresses, I revise that thought, for Hardy always builds toward a gripping climax and never makes you feel you have wasted your time with his characters or been handed a mediocre plot. I have one more Hardy on my required reading for this year...with any luck I can add another before the end of 2020 and make it three.
The battle between frost and thaw was continuing in mid-air; the trees dripped on the garden-plots, where no vegetables would grow for the dripping, though they were planted year after year with that curious mechanical regularity of country people in the face of hopelessness…
Thomas Hardy is a wizard when he speaks of the connection of man to nature, it echoes the events in the lives of his characters, perhaps God's commentary on what mankind conceives. He so often writes in a Romantic tradition, seeing nature as the purer, moral path, and the decline in rural society as a deterioration of the world at large. The pure characters in this novel are Giles Winterborne and Marty Smart, and the descriptions of the two of them in their natural labor are some of the most riveting passages in the story. It must say a great deal about Hardy’s view of the world that the semi-villainous Fitzpier ends in better stead than either of them at the end of the novel. Alas, in life and in Hardy, good does not often prevail.
And yet to every bad there is a worse.
I wonder if it is the romantic or the melancholy side of me that loves Hardy so much. His view of the world we live in is not rosy and sometimes downright bleak, and yet he shows us glimpses of goodness and the possibility of happiness--for there is often a path to happiness that his characters shun, and a very few of them come to destinations that might result in some redemption. Often it is simply a lack of self-awareness or an inability to communicate their feelings that land them in their terrible circumstances; and which of us cannot relate to those moments in life?
Every time I start a Hardy novel I think, “this one will not live up to the others”, but as it progresses, I revise that thought, for Hardy always builds toward a gripping climax and never makes you feel you have wasted your time with his characters or been handed a mediocre plot. I have one more Hardy on my required reading for this year...with any luck I can add another before the end of 2020 and make it three.
September 5, 2021
[4+] Like other Hardy novels, the relationships in The Woodlanders seem doomed. Yet this novel is also laugh-out-loud funny, a melancholy farce. There doesn't seem to be much genuine love between the quartet of lovers who experience temporary infatuations and suffer through various missteps. Even when things don't end well, there isn't enough passion to call it a tragedy.
The most interesting relationship for me is the father/daughter relationship. Although often misguided, Melbury shows real love and sacrifice for his daughter. I enjoyed this novel and especially loved the woodland setting and learning about the daily working life of its residents.
The most interesting relationship for me is the father/daughter relationship. Although often misguided, Melbury shows real love and sacrifice for his daughter. I enjoyed this novel and especially loved the woodland setting and learning about the daily working life of its residents.
June 14, 2024
Update--May 7, 2011: I took Hardy's The Woodlanders with me on a recent week-long camping trip to Yosemite National Park, and re-read it while there. It was truly wonderful to sit in some of the most idyllic natural locations in all of the world and read this most amazing novel. If anything, I got even more from the novel this second time through, and highly recommend The Woodlanders to fans of the fiction and poetry of Thomas Hardy.
***
I am continuing on with my summer of reading the written works of George Eliot and Thomas Hardy. I just finished reading Thomas Hardy's beautiful novel The Woodlanders last night. I have been reading Hardy's novels in the order in which he wrote them, and The Woodlanders, first published in 1887, follows closely on the heels of The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886). In all honesty, I very much enjoyed this novel much, much more than the relentlessly tragic tale told in The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Hardy has an amazing knack for thoroughly placing his reader into the environment of his novel. Interesting to me too, is that each of Hardy's novels tends to focus on a different environment and ecology found within the fictional Wessex region of southwestern England. For example, in A Pair of Blue Eyes, the reader becomes fully immersed in the beauty of the vales, forests, and sea-cliffs along the Cornwall coastline; in The Return of the Native, Hardy brings vividly to life the peoples and environment of the Egdon Heath; and in Far From the Madding Crowd we are treated to the rolling hills and pastoral landscape of small rural English farms and pastures used by the sheep herders and their flocks; and, finally, The Mayor of Casterbridge largely takes place in the urban environment of his fictional town, Casterbridge.
In The Woodlanders the reader is introduced to the shaded and leafy world of the forest of Blackmoor Vale and the hamlet of Little Hintock. The novel's characters live in the midst of this forested world and make a living with and among the trees. They are involved in lumbering, forestry, and management of orchards. It is a beautiful environment, and lovingly described and re-described by Hardy as the course of the novel moves through the seasons of the year.
I love how Hardy integrates the 'mood' of his environment into the plot of the novel. The sounds, sights, and smells of the forest and bridle paths are as much a part of The Woodlanders as are the dialog, thoughts and actions of the characters themselves. In fact, I have come to realize that Hardy intentionally develops the environment in each of his novels to become a fully empowered character in the same sense as his human players. Also, this novel seems to have been one of Hardy's favorites as it was based upon the area where his mother had grown up, a location that he was apparently quite fond of.
The novel revolves around Grace Melbury, a young woman who returns to her father's and stepmother's home in Little Hintock, after some years away becoming educated and more socially refined. Unlike Clym Yeobright, in The Return of the Native, Grace is not quite sure that she really wants to remain in the forest of Little Hintock surrounded by the peasant class of her childhood. Her father sent her off to school and has always encouraged her to aspire to a 'grander' lifestyle. She returns to find the young man that still loves her, Giles Winterborne, is still there, and working for her father's timber business, and operating a traveling apple cider press during the harvest season. At first blush it would seem that all looks well for the future of Grace and Giles.
As is typical in a Hardy novel, Fate and Irony have a curious way of inserting themselves, generally quite tragically, into the lives of the plot's characters. Quickly the reader is also introduced to the novel's other players: the steadfast and loyal young peasant woman, Marty South; the newly arrived gentlemanly young doctor, Edred Fitzpiers; and the local landowner, the widowed Mrs. Felice Charmond. While Giles and Marty are relatively contented and happy folk of the forest, Dr. Fitzpiers and Mrs. Charmond are clearly out of their element in the Blackmoor Vale, and Grace Melbury is betwixt and between as she endeavors to determine the course of her future.
I really do not want to give anything of the plot away at all, but suffice it to say that the novel is quite seductive in that while the reader becomes completely enthralled with the pastoral scenes and life in the forest around Little Hintock, there is at the same time an incredibly epic and pathos-driven tragic drama that is unfolding and spiraling out of control that is of almost Shakespearean proportions. It really is vintage Hardy! I honestly couldn't put the book down for several days.
I loved the characters of Giles Winterborne and Marty South. These are two people who are completely in touch with the natural world around them in Blackmoor Vale. Hardy describes a scene deep in the forest with Marty helping Giles plant new seedling trees to replace those harvested by the foresters,
A couple of final thoughts--
As you read the novel, periodically refer to the single stanza of poetry, written by Hardy, that serves as the novel's epigraph, and give it some thought,
This was a beautiful novel to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I highly recommend The Woodlanders. It is Thomas Hardy at his best. Five out of Five Stars, and a Personal Favorite for me!
***
I am continuing on with my summer of reading the written works of George Eliot and Thomas Hardy. I just finished reading Thomas Hardy's beautiful novel The Woodlanders last night. I have been reading Hardy's novels in the order in which he wrote them, and The Woodlanders, first published in 1887, follows closely on the heels of The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886). In all honesty, I very much enjoyed this novel much, much more than the relentlessly tragic tale told in The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Hardy has an amazing knack for thoroughly placing his reader into the environment of his novel. Interesting to me too, is that each of Hardy's novels tends to focus on a different environment and ecology found within the fictional Wessex region of southwestern England. For example, in A Pair of Blue Eyes, the reader becomes fully immersed in the beauty of the vales, forests, and sea-cliffs along the Cornwall coastline; in The Return of the Native, Hardy brings vividly to life the peoples and environment of the Egdon Heath; and in Far From the Madding Crowd we are treated to the rolling hills and pastoral landscape of small rural English farms and pastures used by the sheep herders and their flocks; and, finally, The Mayor of Casterbridge largely takes place in the urban environment of his fictional town, Casterbridge.
In The Woodlanders the reader is introduced to the shaded and leafy world of the forest of Blackmoor Vale and the hamlet of Little Hintock. The novel's characters live in the midst of this forested world and make a living with and among the trees. They are involved in lumbering, forestry, and management of orchards. It is a beautiful environment, and lovingly described and re-described by Hardy as the course of the novel moves through the seasons of the year.
I love how Hardy integrates the 'mood' of his environment into the plot of the novel. The sounds, sights, and smells of the forest and bridle paths are as much a part of The Woodlanders as are the dialog, thoughts and actions of the characters themselves. In fact, I have come to realize that Hardy intentionally develops the environment in each of his novels to become a fully empowered character in the same sense as his human players. Also, this novel seems to have been one of Hardy's favorites as it was based upon the area where his mother had grown up, a location that he was apparently quite fond of.
The novel revolves around Grace Melbury, a young woman who returns to her father's and stepmother's home in Little Hintock, after some years away becoming educated and more socially refined. Unlike Clym Yeobright, in The Return of the Native, Grace is not quite sure that she really wants to remain in the forest of Little Hintock surrounded by the peasant class of her childhood. Her father sent her off to school and has always encouraged her to aspire to a 'grander' lifestyle. She returns to find the young man that still loves her, Giles Winterborne, is still there, and working for her father's timber business, and operating a traveling apple cider press during the harvest season. At first blush it would seem that all looks well for the future of Grace and Giles.
As is typical in a Hardy novel, Fate and Irony have a curious way of inserting themselves, generally quite tragically, into the lives of the plot's characters. Quickly the reader is also introduced to the novel's other players: the steadfast and loyal young peasant woman, Marty South; the newly arrived gentlemanly young doctor, Edred Fitzpiers; and the local landowner, the widowed Mrs. Felice Charmond. While Giles and Marty are relatively contented and happy folk of the forest, Dr. Fitzpiers and Mrs. Charmond are clearly out of their element in the Blackmoor Vale, and Grace Melbury is betwixt and between as she endeavors to determine the course of her future.
I really do not want to give anything of the plot away at all, but suffice it to say that the novel is quite seductive in that while the reader becomes completely enthralled with the pastoral scenes and life in the forest around Little Hintock, there is at the same time an incredibly epic and pathos-driven tragic drama that is unfolding and spiraling out of control that is of almost Shakespearean proportions. It really is vintage Hardy! I honestly couldn't put the book down for several days.
I loved the characters of Giles Winterborne and Marty South. These are two people who are completely in touch with the natural world around them in Blackmoor Vale. Hardy describes a scene deep in the forest with Marty helping Giles plant new seedling trees to replace those harvested by the foresters,
"Winterborne's fingers were endowed with a gentle conjurer's touch in spreading the roots of each little tree, resulting in a sort of caress under which the delicate fibres all laid themselves out in in their proper directions for growth. He put most of these roots towards the south-west; for, he said, in forty years' time, when some great gale is blowing from that quarter, the trees will require the strongest holdfast on that side to stand against it and not fall.Now that's just some great prose! I found myself, time and again, reading a section like this, and then re-reading it and just reveling in the lilting lyricism of Hardy's sentences and paragraphs.
'How they sigh directly when we put 'em upright, though while they are lying down they don't sigh at all,' said Marty.
'Do they?' said Giles. 'I've never noticed it.'
She erected one of the young pines into its hole, and held up her finger; the soft musical breathing instantly set in which was not to cease night or day till the grown tree should be felled--probably long after the two planters had been felled themselves."
A couple of final thoughts--
As you read the novel, periodically refer to the single stanza of poetry, written by Hardy, that serves as the novel's epigraph, and give it some thought,
"Not boskiest bow'r,Secondly, the reader will encounter the term "man-trap" periodically. These were large, metal traps that game-keepers and land-managers used to try and prevent poaching and other illegal activities on the gentry's lands and estates. Hardy's use of allusion and metaphor is wonderful.
When hearts are ill affin'd,
Hath tree of pow'r
To shelter from the wind!"
This was a beautiful novel to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I highly recommend The Woodlanders. It is Thomas Hardy at his best. Five out of Five Stars, and a Personal Favorite for me!
December 3, 2022
“Even among the moodiest the tendency to be cheered is stronger than the tendency to be cast down, and a soul’s specific gravity constantly re-asserts itself as less than that of the sea of troubles into which it is thrown.”
Hardy is known for his tragic pessimism, and that may be what I find attractive about him. Whatever it says about me, too much positivity sets my eyes rolling, whereas gloominess always seems more real.
There’s plenty of tragedy here, but in this one, he may have allowed his soul to rise above his troubles, and that may be why he considered it a favorite novel. It may also be why I was sometimes skeptical as I read.
He takes us deep into the woods, to Little Hintock, which we see from the beginning is a hard-to-find little village where a handful of people live amongst the elms and ashes and apple trees. We feel things narrow as we enter this insular place. We’re introduced to people who seem to appear from behind the trees, and then, their stories of hard work and disappointment and love and betrayal unfold.
Hardy’s poetic prose draws the picture for us.
“A lingering wind brought to her ear the creaking sound of two over-crowded branches in the neighboring wood which were rubbing each other into wounds, and other vocalized sorrows of the trees, together with the screech of owls, and the fluttering tumble of some awkward wood-pigeon ill-balanced on its roosting-bough.”
We meet the hard-working Marty South, Giles the struggling cider maker, the beautiful and educated Grace Melbury, her meddling father, and others who make their living by the trees in this wood. Two outsiders live up the hill: a suspicious doctor/scientist, and a rich actress who has inherited the largest house and much of the land in Little Hintock.
Destiny is, of course, a theme, as Hardy explores struggles between men and women, between parents and children, and between social classes. Looking back after finishing the book, I see he did a beautiful job of sculpting his plot and characters. But I was having my own struggle with destiny as I read, and felt a little manipulated when he took the story in a direction I didn’t like. By the end I realized more patience would have saved me my frustration. But isn’t that the way it often is?
Hardy is known for his tragic pessimism, and that may be what I find attractive about him. Whatever it says about me, too much positivity sets my eyes rolling, whereas gloominess always seems more real.
There’s plenty of tragedy here, but in this one, he may have allowed his soul to rise above his troubles, and that may be why he considered it a favorite novel. It may also be why I was sometimes skeptical as I read.
He takes us deep into the woods, to Little Hintock, which we see from the beginning is a hard-to-find little village where a handful of people live amongst the elms and ashes and apple trees. We feel things narrow as we enter this insular place. We’re introduced to people who seem to appear from behind the trees, and then, their stories of hard work and disappointment and love and betrayal unfold.
Hardy’s poetic prose draws the picture for us.
“A lingering wind brought to her ear the creaking sound of two over-crowded branches in the neighboring wood which were rubbing each other into wounds, and other vocalized sorrows of the trees, together with the screech of owls, and the fluttering tumble of some awkward wood-pigeon ill-balanced on its roosting-bough.”
We meet the hard-working Marty South, Giles the struggling cider maker, the beautiful and educated Grace Melbury, her meddling father, and others who make their living by the trees in this wood. Two outsiders live up the hill: a suspicious doctor/scientist, and a rich actress who has inherited the largest house and much of the land in Little Hintock.
Destiny is, of course, a theme, as Hardy explores struggles between men and women, between parents and children, and between social classes. Looking back after finishing the book, I see he did a beautiful job of sculpting his plot and characters. But I was having my own struggle with destiny as I read, and felt a little manipulated when he took the story in a direction I didn’t like. By the end I realized more patience would have saved me my frustration. But isn’t that the way it often is?
July 23, 2023
”If ever I forget your name let me forget home and heaven! … But no, no, my love, I never can forget ’ee; for you was a good man, and did good things!”
The Woodlanders is an 1887 novel about the many forms of love: unconditional, self, parental, passionate, unrequited. It is an intriguing story where every single part of it has a purpose!
I decided to read this book because it is on Boxall’s 1001 Books to Read List. It wasn’t until I switched to the fabulously narrated audio by Stephen Thorne before I fully appreciated the story. Upon starting, I wouldn’t have guessed I would love it enough to add it to my favorites list with a five-star rating. No wonder Hardy claimed this as his “personal favourite” of his works.
The lovely and delicate Grace Melbury (~20), the only child of a timber-merchant, has returned home to Little Hintock, England after “being educated.” Her father’s determined to see her married well. Grace hopes to marry her childhood sweetheart, Giles Winterbourne, despite his lack of wealth. However, she would never go against her father’s wishes.
Just when it looks like a sure thing for Giles and Grace, competition arrives in the form of an “ambitious young doctor of a good family,” Dr. Edred Fitzpiers.
A wealthy and sensual widower of the area is Mrs. Felice Charmond (~28). Her late husband left her with large land holdings in Little Hintock. Easily bored, Mrs. Charmond frequently travels abroad to satisfy her whims.
Let’s not forget plain Marty South whose one claim to beauty is her thick chestnut hair. She is the only daughter of a poor man employed by the timber-merchant. Humble, hardworking, and devoted can describe Marty.
You’d be right if you think this story has its share of tragedies. We’ve got people who marry the wrong person, people who care about social standing above happiness, people who lose their fortune because of land holding laws. People make flippant decisions that affect their future happiness.
The reason I loved this book so much was that everything has a purpose. Actions, events, objects have a domino-like effect on the people. Pay close attention to Grace’s horse, where is comes from and what it is used for. And the tree that worries Marty’s father’s thoughts. This tree plays a pivotal role in the story. No scene or dialogue in the book is for naught.
I don’t know what you’d call the geometric shape to describe the love in this book.
While this is a tragic and touching story, I didn’t find it heartbreaking. I felt removed enough from the characters to appreciate the fluctuating emotions they experience without it being a depressing book. In fact, once I finished the audio, I decided to immediately start it over. Now, I hope to locate one of the film adaptations this book inspired.
CW:
The Woodlanders is an 1887 novel about the many forms of love: unconditional, self, parental, passionate, unrequited. It is an intriguing story where every single part of it has a purpose!
I decided to read this book because it is on Boxall’s 1001 Books to Read List. It wasn’t until I switched to the fabulously narrated audio by Stephen Thorne before I fully appreciated the story. Upon starting, I wouldn’t have guessed I would love it enough to add it to my favorites list with a five-star rating. No wonder Hardy claimed this as his “personal favourite” of his works.
The lovely and delicate Grace Melbury (~20), the only child of a timber-merchant, has returned home to Little Hintock, England after “being educated.” Her father’s determined to see her married well. Grace hopes to marry her childhood sweetheart, Giles Winterbourne, despite his lack of wealth. However, she would never go against her father’s wishes.
Just when it looks like a sure thing for Giles and Grace, competition arrives in the form of an “ambitious young doctor of a good family,” Dr. Edred Fitzpiers.
A wealthy and sensual widower of the area is Mrs. Felice Charmond (~28). Her late husband left her with large land holdings in Little Hintock. Easily bored, Mrs. Charmond frequently travels abroad to satisfy her whims.
Let’s not forget plain Marty South whose one claim to beauty is her thick chestnut hair. She is the only daughter of a poor man employed by the timber-merchant. Humble, hardworking, and devoted can describe Marty.
You’d be right if you think this story has its share of tragedies. We’ve got people who marry the wrong person, people who care about social standing above happiness, people who lose their fortune because of land holding laws. People make flippant decisions that affect their future happiness.
The reason I loved this book so much was that everything has a purpose. Actions, events, objects have a domino-like effect on the people. Pay close attention to Grace’s horse, where is comes from and what it is used for. And the tree that worries Marty’s father’s thoughts. This tree plays a pivotal role in the story. No scene or dialogue in the book is for naught.
I don’t know what you’d call the geometric shape to describe the love in this book.
While this is a tragic and touching story, I didn’t find it heartbreaking. I felt removed enough from the characters to appreciate the fluctuating emotions they experience without it being a depressing book. In fact, once I finished the audio, I decided to immediately start it over. Now, I hope to locate one of the film adaptations this book inspired.
CW:
July 6, 2017
“This phenomenal girl will be the light of my life while I am at Hintock; and the special beauty of the situation is that our attitude and relations to each other will be purely spiritual. Socially we can never be intimate. Anything like matrimonial intentions towards her, charming as she is, would be absurd. They would spoil the ethereal character of my regard. And, indeed, I have other aims on the practical side of my life.”
Oh dear, what a cad, and this is a Thomas Hardy novel, so it will surely end in tears. Reading Hardy is not exactly fun but I do keep coming back to read him, I find his novels oddly entertaining, perhaps as a kind of morbid fascination.
The Woodlanders is set in a small woodland village called Little Hintock, a place so rustic you would never find a wi-fi signal. This village is part of the county of Wessex, where nothing happy ever seems to happen.
The novel is mainly focused on Grace Melbury, the “heroine” of the book. Grace is an unusual girl for Little Hintock, her father sent her away (not sure where) for several years to be educated, and when she comes back (probably with a Ph.D.) Little Hintock just seems kind of lame.
Prior to going to college, she had an understanding with Giles Winterborne, a timber-merchant; but in the eyes of Grace v2.0 a timber-merchant is not up to snuff and will never get the ISO certification; so she points him towards the friend zone. Along comes Dr. Edgar (or Edred in some editions) Fitzpiers, handsome mega cad, and philanderer extraordinaire. So they begin courting and – in a spare moment – Dr. Fitz even manages to squeeze in a roll in the hay with another village girl. Soon after they are married the good doctor starts an affair with Mrs. Felice Charmond, a rich widow and another outsider, who comes to stay at Little Hintock from time to time. Heartache, headache, martyrdom, and typhoid ensue…
The tragedy of The Woodlanders seems to stem from nobody knowing what they want, or – more accurately –wanting what is very bad for them; they always make a beeline for the absolute worst option. Grace is the worst of Hardy’s female protagonists. She has no agency to speak of, always making bad decisions, and is scared of her own shadow; so much for her education. Fitzpiers is, of course, a terrible fellow, but then he is the villain of the piece and you are not supposed to like him. Giles Winterborne though, poor bloke, much too good for this world; a bit of an idiot to be honest. Hardy’s characterization is first rate for all of them; the characters are very distinct, conflicted and complex.
All of Hardy’s favorite themes are accounted for: a rustic, evocative setting, bad marriage, unrequited love, and the class division. Again urban outsiders some “invade” the nice provincial setting and a miserable time is had by all. I am not sure what he is saying about education here if Grace did not go to college and remains a typical country girl she would have married Giles and everybody would be better off. So education does more harm than good in a setting like Little Hintock? Hardy’s plotting is clever and quite intricate, seemingly trivial and random events in the narrative always have significant and unpredictable consequences later on. He often makes the reader reflect on their own relationship with others, though, not just the spouses, but friends and relatives. Be a little kinder, more honest, and more considerate and a heap of troubles can be avoided.
If you have never read Thomas Hardy before, start with Tess of the D'Urbervilles or Far from the Madding Crowd. I think they are better stories with more sympathetic protagonists. Having said that The Woodlanders is Hardy’s own favorite of his works so what do I know? I seem to have read all his major works now, though, so I don’t know if I will read the rest. If this is the last Hardy novel I read (rereads notwithstanding) it is a pretty high (but not happy) note to end on.
Notes
• Wonderful free Librivox audiobook, beautifully read by Tadhg. Thank you!
• The trailer for the 1997 film and the movie poster makes it look like a smoldering romantic story.
One of the least romantic books I have ever read.
Quotes:
“So she did as commanded, and opened each of the folded representatives of hard cash that her father put before her. To sow in her heart cravings for social position was obviously his strong desire, though in direct antagonism to a better feeling which had hitherto prevailed with him”
“There was in Grace's mind sometimes a certain anticipative satisfaction, the satisfaction of feeling that she would be the heroine of an hour; moreover, she was proud, as a cultivated woman, to be the wife of a cultivated man. It was an opportunity denied very frequently to young women in her position, nowadays not a few; those in whom parental discovery of the value of education has implanted tastes which parental circles fail to gratify.”
“Both looked attractive as glassed back by the faithful reflector; but Grace's countenance had the effect of making Mrs. Charmond appear more than her full age. There are complexions which set off each other to great advantage, and there are those which antagonize, the one killing or damaging its neighbor unmercifully.”
Oh dear, what a cad, and this is a Thomas Hardy novel, so it will surely end in tears. Reading Hardy is not exactly fun but I do keep coming back to read him, I find his novels oddly entertaining, perhaps as a kind of morbid fascination.
The Woodlanders is set in a small woodland village called Little Hintock, a place so rustic you would never find a wi-fi signal. This village is part of the county of Wessex, where nothing happy ever seems to happen.
The novel is mainly focused on Grace Melbury, the “heroine” of the book. Grace is an unusual girl for Little Hintock, her father sent her away (not sure where) for several years to be educated, and when she comes back (probably with a Ph.D.) Little Hintock just seems kind of lame.
Prior to going to college, she had an understanding with Giles Winterborne, a timber-merchant; but in the eyes of Grace v2.0 a timber-merchant is not up to snuff and will never get the ISO certification; so she points him towards the friend zone. Along comes Dr. Edgar (or Edred in some editions) Fitzpiers, handsome mega cad, and philanderer extraordinaire. So they begin courting and – in a spare moment – Dr. Fitz even manages to squeeze in a roll in the hay with another village girl. Soon after they are married the good doctor starts an affair with Mrs. Felice Charmond, a rich widow and another outsider, who comes to stay at Little Hintock from time to time. Heartache, headache, martyrdom, and typhoid ensue…
The tragedy of The Woodlanders seems to stem from nobody knowing what they want, or – more accurately –wanting what is very bad for them; they always make a beeline for the absolute worst option. Grace is the worst of Hardy’s female protagonists. She has no agency to speak of, always making bad decisions, and is scared of her own shadow; so much for her education. Fitzpiers is, of course, a terrible fellow, but then he is the villain of the piece and you are not supposed to like him. Giles Winterborne though, poor bloke, much too good for this world; a bit of an idiot to be honest. Hardy’s characterization is first rate for all of them; the characters are very distinct, conflicted and complex.
All of Hardy’s favorite themes are accounted for: a rustic, evocative setting, bad marriage, unrequited love, and the class division. Again urban outsiders some “invade” the nice provincial setting and a miserable time is had by all. I am not sure what he is saying about education here if Grace did not go to college and remains a typical country girl she would have married Giles and everybody would be better off. So education does more harm than good in a setting like Little Hintock? Hardy’s plotting is clever and quite intricate, seemingly trivial and random events in the narrative always have significant and unpredictable consequences later on. He often makes the reader reflect on their own relationship with others, though, not just the spouses, but friends and relatives. Be a little kinder, more honest, and more considerate and a heap of troubles can be avoided.
If you have never read Thomas Hardy before, start with Tess of the D'Urbervilles or Far from the Madding Crowd. I think they are better stories with more sympathetic protagonists. Having said that The Woodlanders is Hardy’s own favorite of his works so what do I know? I seem to have read all his major works now, though, so I don’t know if I will read the rest. If this is the last Hardy novel I read (rereads notwithstanding) it is a pretty high (but not happy) note to end on.
Notes
• Wonderful free Librivox audiobook, beautifully read by Tadhg. Thank you!
• The trailer for the 1997 film and the movie poster makes it look like a smoldering romantic story.
One of the least romantic books I have ever read.
Quotes:
“So she did as commanded, and opened each of the folded representatives of hard cash that her father put before her. To sow in her heart cravings for social position was obviously his strong desire, though in direct antagonism to a better feeling which had hitherto prevailed with him”
“There was in Grace's mind sometimes a certain anticipative satisfaction, the satisfaction of feeling that she would be the heroine of an hour; moreover, she was proud, as a cultivated woman, to be the wife of a cultivated man. It was an opportunity denied very frequently to young women in her position, nowadays not a few; those in whom parental discovery of the value of education has implanted tastes which parental circles fail to gratify.”
“Both looked attractive as glassed back by the faithful reflector; but Grace's countenance had the effect of making Mrs. Charmond appear more than her full age. There are complexions which set off each other to great advantage, and there are those which antagonize, the one killing or damaging its neighbor unmercifully.”
October 1, 2016
¡Qué bueno es este difunto escritor de otros tiempos! Su descripción de la naturaleza es minuciosa y desapasionada, acompañando los matices de la putrefacción de las hojas caídas durante el otoño y el invierno, y el despertar de la vida en la primavera. Una primavera con pájaros, pero esencialmente vegetal. Y los hombres y mujeres que viven en ella.
Al acabar este libro, me doy cuenta de todo lo que me falta por saber de literatura británica. Quítame la novela gótica y los poetas románticos, y mi conocimiento del XIX inglés queda en cosa muy humilde.
Desde luego, al tomar contacto con Hardy, me vienen a la cabeza unos cuantos contemporáneos latinos: el francés Zola, los españoles Clarín y la Pardo Bazán, y el portugués Eça de Queirós. Eso significa que estos autores tratan temas escabrosos (tanto más en aquella época) como el incesto o, en el caso de esta novela, el adulterio.
Me he informado sobre la marcha (wikipédicamente, al menos) acerca de este autor. Por lo visto, Los habitantes del bosque (The Woodlanders) supone un punto de inflexión en su obra, en que la crítica social pasa a tener un papel destacado. La novela se publicó en 1887 y la crítica de Hardy fue en aumento (Tess of the d’Urbervilles, 1891) hasta el escándalo de su última novela, Jude the Obscure (1895) que motivó que Hardy abandonara el cultivo de la prosa novelística 33 años antes de su muerte, a tiempo para no quemarse demasiado. Se trata de datos y fechas con cierto paralelismo con Eça de Queirós quien, tras publicar su obra maestra (Os Maias, 1888), decepcionado con la pobre recepción (o sea, desprecio o incomprensión), da un viraje temático a su producción posterior.
No he leído esa obra maestra del Eça, pero sí llegué a aventurarme en sus 70 primeras páginas en versión original, años antes de instalarme en Portugal y empezar a aprender esa lengua. Aparte del vocabulario que me faltaba, percibí que el ritmo narrativo era lentísimo, y eso me llevó al abandono. Según me cuentan, había yo leído justo la parte más pesada de la novela, justo antes de calentarse la acción con ritmo cinematográfico.
Algo parecido me ocurrió con Los habitantes del bosque: cuando llevaba yo 20 o 30 páginas leídas, me preguntaba si no acabaría por abandonar su lectura. El ritmo parecía lento: se describían las pequeñas vidas y los pequeños dolores de los habitantes de Little Hintock. Parecía una lectura ñoña. Y sin embargo, había pequeñas dosis de intriga que me incitaban a seguir.
Tal vez, la novela no adquiere suficiente ritmo e intensidad hasta que se lleva poco menos de la mitad ya leída. Cuanto más me acercaba al final, más enganchado me veía. Y, 20 páginas antes de acabar, hubo una escena que me dio un vuelco al estómago.
Por comparar al Hardy con otro grande del Naturalismo, en este caso el francés Zola, diré que el inglés hasta tiene bastante dulzura en la descripción de sus personajes, y no descarga rabia vomitada sobre el corazón de los hombres, incluso cuando habla de sus flaquezas. Zola, por el contrario, describe una Humanidad llena de egoísmo, miseria y corazones putrefactos, entre los que de vez en cuando asoma un alma cándida que sólo sirve de contrapunto para destacar más enfáticamente la náusea que provoca el ser humano.
En cuanto a la edición que ha caído en mis manos, la de la Editorial Impedimenta, ha sido una grata sorpresa: formato agradable y buena calidad del papel. De la traducción, diré que deja un poquitín que desear, pero es correcta. Lo que me molestaba en ese punto es que el traductor se pegaba demasiado, en ocasiones, a las formas originales del inglés. Así, resultaba evidente, cuando me encontraba con un “comparativamente”, o “virtualmente”, que las palabras del original eran “comparatively” o “virtually”, expresiones anglosajonas que no se corresponden exactamente con sus calcos españoles. Es lo que en traducción se llama “el hipnotismo del texto”. Incluso había calcos desafortunados como “el lugar donde solía vivir” por “the place where I used to live” (el lugar donde vivía). De todos modos, debo reconocer, a favor de la labor de ese intermediario, que se notaba el cariño que ponía en su trabajo. Las notas a pie de página eran abundantes y clarificadoras, aunque sin llegar al exceso abrumador. Y nos brinda al final con un posfacio que inserta el libro en el contexto de su época. He hecho alguna averiguación, y parece ser que Impedimenta se especializa en la literatura inglesa victoriana. Una vena que yo, tras el preceptivo barbecho literario, seguiré explorando.
Al acabar este libro, me doy cuenta de todo lo que me falta por saber de literatura británica. Quítame la novela gótica y los poetas románticos, y mi conocimiento del XIX inglés queda en cosa muy humilde.
Desde luego, al tomar contacto con Hardy, me vienen a la cabeza unos cuantos contemporáneos latinos: el francés Zola, los españoles Clarín y la Pardo Bazán, y el portugués Eça de Queirós. Eso significa que estos autores tratan temas escabrosos (tanto más en aquella época) como el incesto o, en el caso de esta novela, el adulterio.
Me he informado sobre la marcha (wikipédicamente, al menos) acerca de este autor. Por lo visto, Los habitantes del bosque (The Woodlanders) supone un punto de inflexión en su obra, en que la crítica social pasa a tener un papel destacado. La novela se publicó en 1887 y la crítica de Hardy fue en aumento (Tess of the d’Urbervilles, 1891) hasta el escándalo de su última novela, Jude the Obscure (1895) que motivó que Hardy abandonara el cultivo de la prosa novelística 33 años antes de su muerte, a tiempo para no quemarse demasiado. Se trata de datos y fechas con cierto paralelismo con Eça de Queirós quien, tras publicar su obra maestra (Os Maias, 1888), decepcionado con la pobre recepción (o sea, desprecio o incomprensión), da un viraje temático a su producción posterior.
No he leído esa obra maestra del Eça, pero sí llegué a aventurarme en sus 70 primeras páginas en versión original, años antes de instalarme en Portugal y empezar a aprender esa lengua. Aparte del vocabulario que me faltaba, percibí que el ritmo narrativo era lentísimo, y eso me llevó al abandono. Según me cuentan, había yo leído justo la parte más pesada de la novela, justo antes de calentarse la acción con ritmo cinematográfico.
Algo parecido me ocurrió con Los habitantes del bosque: cuando llevaba yo 20 o 30 páginas leídas, me preguntaba si no acabaría por abandonar su lectura. El ritmo parecía lento: se describían las pequeñas vidas y los pequeños dolores de los habitantes de Little Hintock. Parecía una lectura ñoña. Y sin embargo, había pequeñas dosis de intriga que me incitaban a seguir.
Tal vez, la novela no adquiere suficiente ritmo e intensidad hasta que se lleva poco menos de la mitad ya leída. Cuanto más me acercaba al final, más enganchado me veía. Y, 20 páginas antes de acabar, hubo una escena que me dio un vuelco al estómago.
Por comparar al Hardy con otro grande del Naturalismo, en este caso el francés Zola, diré que el inglés hasta tiene bastante dulzura en la descripción de sus personajes, y no descarga rabia vomitada sobre el corazón de los hombres, incluso cuando habla de sus flaquezas. Zola, por el contrario, describe una Humanidad llena de egoísmo, miseria y corazones putrefactos, entre los que de vez en cuando asoma un alma cándida que sólo sirve de contrapunto para destacar más enfáticamente la náusea que provoca el ser humano.
En cuanto a la edición que ha caído en mis manos, la de la Editorial Impedimenta, ha sido una grata sorpresa: formato agradable y buena calidad del papel. De la traducción, diré que deja un poquitín que desear, pero es correcta. Lo que me molestaba en ese punto es que el traductor se pegaba demasiado, en ocasiones, a las formas originales del inglés. Así, resultaba evidente, cuando me encontraba con un “comparativamente”, o “virtualmente”, que las palabras del original eran “comparatively” o “virtually”, expresiones anglosajonas que no se corresponden exactamente con sus calcos españoles. Es lo que en traducción se llama “el hipnotismo del texto”. Incluso había calcos desafortunados como “el lugar donde solía vivir” por “the place where I used to live” (el lugar donde vivía). De todos modos, debo reconocer, a favor de la labor de ese intermediario, que se notaba el cariño que ponía en su trabajo. Las notas a pie de página eran abundantes y clarificadoras, aunque sin llegar al exceso abrumador. Y nos brinda al final con un posfacio que inserta el libro en el contexto de su época. He hecho alguna averiguación, y parece ser que Impedimenta se especializa en la literatura inglesa victoriana. Una vena que yo, tras el preceptivo barbecho literario, seguiré explorando.
October 3, 2011
Apparently, this is Thomas Hardy's favorite of all the novels he wrote.
My order of Thomas Hardy favorites is:
MOST FAVORITE: Far From the Madding Crowd
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Return of the Native
The Woodlanders
Under the Greenwood Tree
Two in a Tower
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Mayor of Casterbridge
The Well-Beloved
LEAST FAVORITE: Jude the Obscure (way too tragic for me)
My 18-year-old son also loves Tess of the D'Urbervilles and took it to BYU with him in his suitcase, one of 3 novels he took with him to college. (The other 2 are Great Expectations and Pride and Prejudice.) He thinks those are the best novels ever and that they should be re-read regularly. =)
My order of Thomas Hardy favorites is:
MOST FAVORITE: Far From the Madding Crowd
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Return of the Native
The Woodlanders
Under the Greenwood Tree
Two in a Tower
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Mayor of Casterbridge
The Well-Beloved
LEAST FAVORITE: Jude the Obscure (way too tragic for me)
My 18-year-old son also loves Tess of the D'Urbervilles and took it to BYU with him in his suitcase, one of 3 novels he took with him to college. (The other 2 are Great Expectations and Pride and Prejudice.) He thinks those are the best novels ever and that they should be re-read regularly. =)
April 13, 2018
El libro me enganchó desde el principio gracias a su ambientación, sin duda el punto fortísimo de la narración. Ese bosque otoñal y la forma de vida que se deriva de él me enamoraron, así como la forma en que Hardy va tejiendo y contando todo. Sin embargo me han fallado algo más los personajes (los que más me han gustado son Winterborne y Marty), y el desenlace me ha parecido un poco soso para tratarse de Hardy. Con todo, este es uno de los libros de este escritor que más me ha gustado (¡y con este ya llevo cinco leídos!).
October 21, 2024
About halfway through, I was thinking: “Hmm…I like this okay but I’m just not sure it’s that great.” Fast forward to me finishing the final 65 pages in two hours. This novel is a slow burn and it rewards patience and staying with the characters until Hardy reveals their full character arcs. There’s a lot to meditate on. I plan to write more asap. In the meantime, I’m pondering a theme I’ve noticed in Hardy’s novels: a thoughtless human action can have an outsize effect on others. It’s beyond the scope of human ability to perceive the effects beforehand; nevertheless, I think Hardy encourages his readers to take thought for others in our actions as much as we are able to. It’s often thoughtlessness in his novels that leads to difficult circumstances for his characters more than vice.
November 14, 2015
3,5/5
Todavía no tengo claro hasta qué punto me ha gustado este libro...
Por una parte he disfrutado muchísimo de la prosa de Hardy, de ese bosque omnipresente y del transfondo moral/social, pero por otro lado no he llegado a empatizar con ningún personaje ni implicarme verdaderamente en la trama...
Aún así, una lectura deliciosa.
Todavía no tengo claro hasta qué punto me ha gustado este libro...
Por una parte he disfrutado muchísimo de la prosa de Hardy, de ese bosque omnipresente y del transfondo moral/social, pero por otro lado no he llegado a empatizar con ningún personaje ni implicarme verdaderamente en la trama...
Aún así, una lectura deliciosa.
July 4, 2019
The Woodlanders was published in 1887 and it is reflective of its time. The story centers around life in Little Hintock, a fictional village in rural England. Grace Melbury, the only child of a timber-merchant, is returning home after being educated in the city. Her father has paid for a higher education to enable her to rise above her social station and marry well. She has been courted by local resident Giles Winterbourne, but when his situation deteriorates, their bond is broken. She is then noticed by a physician, Dr. Fitzpiers, who initially sees her as not quite “good enough” due to his higher social standing, but is won over by her education, cleverness, and charm. A wealthy widow complicates the relationship between Dr. Fitzpiers and Grace, leading to unhappiness for everyone involved.
This book is a classic Victorian novel. The pastoral setting is vividly described. It contains long descriptive sentences with somewhat archaic construction, requiring some re-reading along the way. It is focused on the characters, and their interactions and motivations. There is not much in the way of “action” especially the way “action” is emphasized in contemporary fiction. It is well-constructed and flows pleasantly. Hardy has something to say about happiness, such as finding it in a simple and honest life and being content with what we have. Hardy employs themes typical of his novels, such as marital fidelity, social class, the erosion of values that come with “progress,” and unsuitably matched pairs. He appears to take issue with the way women were typically treated and examines the double standards of the time. Hardy provides hints of upcoming events and outcomes through the use of snippets of quotes from prominent poets and Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
I enjoy reading about life in the 19th century from those that lived it. While we can always read historical fiction written in current times, it is particularly insightful to read it from a point of view of someone who never knew life in its modern form, where carriages and horses were modes of transportation, candles or lanterns used as sources of light, and goods were hand-made. It is apparent in reading this novel that even though technology and change have made the world into a much different place, human nature remains much the same. Recommended to those that enjoy Victorian-era literature.
This book is a classic Victorian novel. The pastoral setting is vividly described. It contains long descriptive sentences with somewhat archaic construction, requiring some re-reading along the way. It is focused on the characters, and their interactions and motivations. There is not much in the way of “action” especially the way “action” is emphasized in contemporary fiction. It is well-constructed and flows pleasantly. Hardy has something to say about happiness, such as finding it in a simple and honest life and being content with what we have. Hardy employs themes typical of his novels, such as marital fidelity, social class, the erosion of values that come with “progress,” and unsuitably matched pairs. He appears to take issue with the way women were typically treated and examines the double standards of the time. Hardy provides hints of upcoming events and outcomes through the use of snippets of quotes from prominent poets and Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
I enjoy reading about life in the 19th century from those that lived it. While we can always read historical fiction written in current times, it is particularly insightful to read it from a point of view of someone who never knew life in its modern form, where carriages and horses were modes of transportation, candles or lanterns used as sources of light, and goods were hand-made. It is apparent in reading this novel that even though technology and change have made the world into a much different place, human nature remains much the same. Recommended to those that enjoy Victorian-era literature.
July 21, 2023
It’s been reported that Thomas Hardy felt that this was his favorite novel, and I can see why. Of the six Hardy novels that I have now read, I can see the uniqueness in this one. The woodland setting is filled by Hardy with intricate subtleties and his characters intertwine with this setting with their own intricacies. There are no truly dramatic events or people. This novel is filled with life and its this harmony between forest and woodlanders that makes this novel unique.
Like most Hardy novels, there are numerous passages that focus exclusively on the nature of the land, its plants, flowers, trees, and wildlife. It makes me believe that Hardy must have wanted to have been a landscape artist more so than a writer, but found that his talents rested in words rather than paint. Within The Woodlanders there are forests and glens of mysterious beauty that Hardy brings to life.
The plot sits at the real beginnings of class fluidity. A country girl is made into a sophisticated lady through education rather than birth. And a woodsman, through enterprising work, becomes a wealthy merchant who can’t help but live the simple life of his forefathers. And yet others, remain in life as countless generations before them. It’s the subtle stresses of interaction among all these people that drive the plot and creates not just a novel of interest, but also a novel of life as it existed back then.
Like most Hardy novels, there are numerous passages that focus exclusively on the nature of the land, its plants, flowers, trees, and wildlife. It makes me believe that Hardy must have wanted to have been a landscape artist more so than a writer, but found that his talents rested in words rather than paint. Within The Woodlanders there are forests and glens of mysterious beauty that Hardy brings to life.
The plot sits at the real beginnings of class fluidity. A country girl is made into a sophisticated lady through education rather than birth. And a woodsman, through enterprising work, becomes a wealthy merchant who can’t help but live the simple life of his forefathers. And yet others, remain in life as countless generations before them. It’s the subtle stresses of interaction among all these people that drive the plot and creates not just a novel of interest, but also a novel of life as it existed back then.
February 9, 2012
Another magnificent masterpiece by Thomas Hardy.
This is the story of 4 people who lived in Blackmoor Vale.
Grace Melbury falls in love with Giles Winterborne. However, his father George Melbury found that his daughter is more appropriate to be engaged instead to Edred Fitzpiers, a handsome and young doctor in Little Hintock. In the meantime, Edred falls in love with Felice Charmond. And then, their lives become inextricably intertwined.
The movie based on this classic book The Woodlanders (1997) deserves to be watched.
This is the story of 4 people who lived in Blackmoor Vale.
Grace Melbury falls in love with Giles Winterborne. However, his father George Melbury found that his daughter is more appropriate to be engaged instead to Edred Fitzpiers, a handsome and young doctor in Little Hintock. In the meantime, Edred falls in love with Felice Charmond. And then, their lives become inextricably intertwined.
The movie based on this classic book The Woodlanders (1997) deserves to be watched.
April 22, 2021
Another wonderful novel by Hardy . Always appreciate his style of writing and his beautiful stories .
November 5, 2016
Thomas Hardy è uno scrittore che non conoscevo, forse sottovalutato, in Italia soprattutto. Scrisse nell’età vittoriana e i suoi libri contengono aspre critiche alla società del suo tempo. Come questo romanzo, Nel bosco, che, narrando una storia d’amore (infelice) tra Grace Melbury, figlia di un commerciante di legname, e Giles Winterborne, un giovane che vive nel villaggio di Hintock, ai margini di una distesa di boschi cui seguono ampi campi coltivati a meli, inserisce all’interno di splendide descrizioni paesaggistiche, che denotano un profondo amore e rispetto per la natura, l’elemento realistico consistente nell’evidenziare la rigidità delle distinzioni tra le classi sociali, tra i “figli del bosco”, i contadini, i coltivatori di mele, i produttori del sidro, i legnaioli, ed anche i commercianti di legname come Melbury, cioè tutti coloro che col bosco e nel bosco vivono, in un legame simbiotico tra natura e uomo, le sue emozioni ed i sentimenti, e coloro che appartengono a classi sociali diverse, che “detestano” il bosco, che non ne sentono le voci, non ne vedono i colori né percepiscono gli odori, come Mrs Charmond, la giovane vedova del nobile padrone del castello di Hintock, e il dottor Fitzpiers, giovane ed avvenente medico di origini nobili, di una nobiltà decaduta ma orgogliosa, capitato per caso ad Hintock, ma deciso a inseguire mete ambiziose. Lo scrittore intreccia una trama in cui la protagonista Grace Melbury, allevata dal padre come una fanciulla di grandi ambizioni, tenterà di sollevarsi dalla propria condizione sociale tramite un matrimonio inaspettato, ma si troverà rinchiusa nella gabbia creata dalle pastoie della società patriarcale maschilista dell’epoca che le impediranno di realizzare la sua felicità sentimentale con colui che da sempre la ama in silenzio. Il finale del romanzo è “scontato”, non per i canoni che noi lettori conosciamo dei romanzi di Hardy, i cui personaggi sono tutti perseguitati dal destino e dallo scrittore che li conduce fino ad una conclusione amara, ma per i canoni dei lettori dell’epoca. Questo è stato il solo particolare del libro che mi ha deluso; per il resto le descrizioni del bosco, che si staglia su tutti i personaggi, quale un essere vivente nei cui meandri palpitano le vite di animali ed uomini, simili a divinità boschive, sono straordinarie. Un esempio, a mio avviso bellissimo, sono le righe che descrivono il modo in cui gli occhi innamorati di Grace vedono Giles:
“Egli tornava nei suoi pensieri ora come il dio della frutta, ora come il dio del bosco: a volte fronzuto e imbrattato di licheni verdi, come lo aveva visto tra i rami carichi di linfa delle piantagioni; altre volte impregnato di sidro e trapunto di semi di mele, come l’aveva incontrato mentre ritornava dal lavoro nella Valle di Blackmoore, in compagnia delle sue tinozze e delle sue presse.”
“Egli tornava nei suoi pensieri ora come il dio della frutta, ora come il dio del bosco: a volte fronzuto e imbrattato di licheni verdi, come lo aveva visto tra i rami carichi di linfa delle piantagioni; altre volte impregnato di sidro e trapunto di semi di mele, come l’aveva incontrato mentre ritornava dal lavoro nella Valle di Blackmoore, in compagnia delle sue tinozze e delle sue presse.”
August 16, 2017
This is a very strong 4, closer to 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this Hardy novel that I'd never even heard of until finding Katie Lumsden's YouTube channel, "Books and Things" (a link to her channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNBg...). Katie loves Victorian lit., and is so enthusiastic and passionate about it that I've caught the fever too. And I'm really grateful, because Vic lit is such a comfort read for me.
This was an unpredictable love story that I really enjoyed. Thomas Hardy writes so beautifully, and if you love the natural world as I do, you owe it to yourself to pick up one of his books. Grace is a fascinating heroine who sometimes behaved in ways I didn't expect. No way I could have predicted the ending. It's a character-driven story in which a lot happens. And the characters all have enough depth that they are *enough* to drive the story. This isn't something I often find with modern fiction. Often, character-driven stories are boring as hell because nothing really happens. It isn't enough to be inside someone's head. They have to have thoughts. We need to be exploring themes, themes that are relevant to us all, that make us human. Hardy does this, and does it beautifully. All of the main characters showed lots of growth in the story, and made it a joy to read and listen to. (The narration by Samuel West was excellent and deserves six stars.)
I really enjoyed this book and I really want to thank Katie for her enthusiasm for Austen, Dickens, Hardy, Gaskell, the Brontes, and others. I want to follow in her footsteps and read every novel these people have produced! The big bonus is there is so much here to spend time examining and analyzing once you know the story. Will be even more meaningful the next several times through.
I'm about to go on a run of Victorian lit, and really looking forward to it! I hope you have a chance to check out Katie's YouTube channel, you'll love her!
This was an unpredictable love story that I really enjoyed. Thomas Hardy writes so beautifully, and if you love the natural world as I do, you owe it to yourself to pick up one of his books. Grace is a fascinating heroine who sometimes behaved in ways I didn't expect. No way I could have predicted the ending. It's a character-driven story in which a lot happens. And the characters all have enough depth that they are *enough* to drive the story. This isn't something I often find with modern fiction. Often, character-driven stories are boring as hell because nothing really happens. It isn't enough to be inside someone's head. They have to have thoughts. We need to be exploring themes, themes that are relevant to us all, that make us human. Hardy does this, and does it beautifully. All of the main characters showed lots of growth in the story, and made it a joy to read and listen to. (The narration by Samuel West was excellent and deserves six stars.)
I really enjoyed this book and I really want to thank Katie for her enthusiasm for Austen, Dickens, Hardy, Gaskell, the Brontes, and others. I want to follow in her footsteps and read every novel these people have produced! The big bonus is there is so much here to spend time examining and analyzing once you know the story. Will be even more meaningful the next several times through.
I'm about to go on a run of Victorian lit, and really looking forward to it! I hope you have a chance to check out Katie's YouTube channel, you'll love her!
May 10, 2023
Truly an underrated gem of a Hardy novel in my opinion; absolutely loved this.
Thomas Hardy’s The Woodlanders is a beautiful, subversive tale that explores marriage, class, gender & societal expectations. Words can’t even describe how eloquently Hardy weaves together the lives of those in this isolated community of Little Hintock with the landscape in which they live in order to (in my view) demonstrate the interdependence of all—land, animal, human.
In the tradition of tragicomedy, Hardy successfully critiques marriage, paints haunting scenes of the woodland in which folks live and work, and largely creates an experimental work for the time (1887) that resists “resolution”, challenges predeterminism, and highlights materialist determinism and the struggle for survival (paraphrased from the Oxford intro by Penny Boumelha).
To quote Sophie Alexandra Frazer’s article from the Conversation (linked below), “in Thomas Hardy’s The Woodlanders (1887), the trees sing.”
From the text:
“How they sigh directly we put ‘em upright, though while they are lying down they don’t sigh at all,” said Marty.
“Do they?” said Giles. “I’ve never noticed it.”
She erected one of the young pines into its hole, and held up her finger; the soft musical breathing instantly set in which was not to cease night or day till the grown tree should be felled—probably long after the two planters had been felled themselves.
“It seems to me,” the girl continued, “as if they sigh because they are very sorry to begin their life in earnest—just as we be.”
Link to Frazer’s article which I highly recommend if you’ve read the book as there are plot spoilers: https://theconversation.com/guide-to-...
Thomas Hardy’s The Woodlanders is a beautiful, subversive tale that explores marriage, class, gender & societal expectations. Words can’t even describe how eloquently Hardy weaves together the lives of those in this isolated community of Little Hintock with the landscape in which they live in order to (in my view) demonstrate the interdependence of all—land, animal, human.
In the tradition of tragicomedy, Hardy successfully critiques marriage, paints haunting scenes of the woodland in which folks live and work, and largely creates an experimental work for the time (1887) that resists “resolution”, challenges predeterminism, and highlights materialist determinism and the struggle for survival (paraphrased from the Oxford intro by Penny Boumelha).
To quote Sophie Alexandra Frazer’s article from the Conversation (linked below), “in Thomas Hardy’s The Woodlanders (1887), the trees sing.”
From the text:
“How they sigh directly we put ‘em upright, though while they are lying down they don’t sigh at all,” said Marty.
“Do they?” said Giles. “I’ve never noticed it.”
She erected one of the young pines into its hole, and held up her finger; the soft musical breathing instantly set in which was not to cease night or day till the grown tree should be felled—probably long after the two planters had been felled themselves.
“It seems to me,” the girl continued, “as if they sigh because they are very sorry to begin their life in earnest—just as we be.”
Link to Frazer’s article which I highly recommend if you’ve read the book as there are plot spoilers: https://theconversation.com/guide-to-...
January 31, 2021
Nestled on forested land, the beauty of the woodland is beckoning. Teeming with the verdant vegetation that changes color every season, ponds that glisten under the light of the full moon. There is a calm disposition that only nature can reveal, often interrupted only by the occasional gust of storm, life simply unfolds seemingly undisturbed. But the fitful sight of turnpikes and narrow roads, of paddocks, of haystacks, of huts and cottages on the crest of a hill, it betrays human intervention, which disrupts this tranquility of nature with the inevitable chaos of the human drama...
My predilection in reading dead writers is rooted in this manner of abstraction that only dead writers can do, that is write about their time, which is as dead as the past that can no longer live except by reading what has been scribbled by their pen. Incorporated with ideas that seem remote from our own time, but nevertheless reverberating with an appeal of timelessness esoterically imparted like a residue of a lost ancient knowledge to any welcoming reader. Hardy is part of this distinguished coterie of writers in the English language and The Woodlanders is an intrinsic part of his legacy available to those who want to unfold the mechanism behind human existence that unconsciously contributes to his own tragedy.
Tragedy that seems a corollary part of human life to bring a clarity of sight, penetrating his impenetrable, often intractable nature of his own doggedness. It also shows that no matter the height of elevation we place ourselves over our peers, station in life does not really matter. Rich or poor, beautiful or plain, sophisticated or uncouth, whether one comes from Great Hintock or Little Hintock, tragedy hits like a lightning that can strike down any tree. In the same manner, goodness, truthfulness and whatnots are not exclusive to those whom we consider with good breeding, for just like in the novel, it usually comes from those who are the simplest untainted by human hubris just like Marty South and Giles Winterborne.
Love, unrequited it may be, is not dependent in reciprocation, free from all forms of demands that define human love, it grows unattended in the fertile soil of an unselfish heart. It blends with the whole of nature as it loses its own individuality to stand out. No more tending is required, no attention necessary for this love which only intention is to give...
"What is in all this beauty for me when every minute, every second I am obliged, forced to know that even this tiny gnat, buzzing near me in the sunlight now, is taking part in all this banquet and chorus, knows its place in it, loves it, and is happy, and I alone am an outcast"-- Fyodor Dostoyevksy, The IdiotThe Woodlanders is perhaps not the best work of Thomas Hardy, but it is well written in such a way that one's imagination can be totally immersed in the beauty there is in nature. Hypnotic is the narrative utilized especially at the beginning of the novel as if to lure the audience to read on, blending the intertwined lives of his characters like twigs, branches, brambles and boughs of the woodland itself and at the same time, make it stand out in evident contrast appearing like conscious outsiders from their own unconsciously peaceful habitat, which can only be done magnificently by a talented writer like him who knows his subject well by heart. Like Prince Myshkin's reflection in The Idiot, the woodlanders appear somewhat estranged, separated from the collective mass of beauty there is in nature, making them strangers in their own home.
My predilection in reading dead writers is rooted in this manner of abstraction that only dead writers can do, that is write about their time, which is as dead as the past that can no longer live except by reading what has been scribbled by their pen. Incorporated with ideas that seem remote from our own time, but nevertheless reverberating with an appeal of timelessness esoterically imparted like a residue of a lost ancient knowledge to any welcoming reader. Hardy is part of this distinguished coterie of writers in the English language and The Woodlanders is an intrinsic part of his legacy available to those who want to unfold the mechanism behind human existence that unconsciously contributes to his own tragedy.
Tragedy that seems a corollary part of human life to bring a clarity of sight, penetrating his impenetrable, often intractable nature of his own doggedness. It also shows that no matter the height of elevation we place ourselves over our peers, station in life does not really matter. Rich or poor, beautiful or plain, sophisticated or uncouth, whether one comes from Great Hintock or Little Hintock, tragedy hits like a lightning that can strike down any tree. In the same manner, goodness, truthfulness and whatnots are not exclusive to those whom we consider with good breeding, for just like in the novel, it usually comes from those who are the simplest untainted by human hubris just like Marty South and Giles Winterborne.
Love, unrequited it may be, is not dependent in reciprocation, free from all forms of demands that define human love, it grows unattended in the fertile soil of an unselfish heart. It blends with the whole of nature as it loses its own individuality to stand out. No more tending is required, no attention necessary for this love which only intention is to give...
January 11, 2017
E' il terzo libro di Thomas Hardy, che leggo, e sono rimasta colpita dalla maestria narrativa di questo signore esattamente come mi è successo con Tess of the D'Urbervilles e Far from the madding crowd.
Questo nonostante le tematiche siano del tutto differenti.
Si parla di matrimonio e di come due anime possano o no trovare pace l'una accanto all'altra.
Come al solito, Hardy dimostra di possedere quel tocco estemporaneo e onnisciente del narratore che non giudica ma ascolta, spiega, ricorda con ironia alcune cose indispensabili. Quindi, pur nella sofferenza che incalza, è quasi come rimanere dentro un abbraccio che si svela essere meno amaro del previsto nonostante la fine sia tragica.
Cosa mi è piaciuto di questo terzo incontro con Hardy? Innanzitutto tornare a riconoscere in lui quel femminista che ho amato negli altri due romanzi. Alcune frasi sono proprio delle autentiche frustate alla morale bigotta con cui l'epoca vittoriana considerava la posizione femminile.
" Una donna non è nulla senza un uomo. ", dice il padre di Grace alla figlia. Cos'è questa frase se non una sarcastica critica? E non è l'unica; il romanzo ne è pieno. Gli spunti di riflessione, in questo senso, sono tantissimi. E' lo stesso padre della fanciulla a considerarla poco più di un oggetto: un oggetto su cui ha investito materialmente affinché fosse migliore. Un bell'oggetto da vendere al migliore offerente.
E poi, la mano dell'autore che si tramuta in fato spietato, che nulla lascia fino a che non ha portato a compimento. Un nodo che continua a racimolare spago, finché non arriva il tempo di sciogliersi del tutto.
Infine, il sapiente intreccio della natura - questa volta boschiva, piena di odori e visioni - alla vita degli esseri umani.
Ecco quello che ho apprezzato di più, durante la lettura che ho gustato con molta calma.
Questo non è un romanzo d'amore! Non lo è affatto, a parer mio, ma un romanzo che dimostra quanto siano crudeli gli avvicendamenti della vita, dell'animo umano, e quanto intricati i cambiamenti e le similitudini tra esseri che si avvicinano ma sono destinati, a volte, a non rimanere mai insieme. A perdersi. Si, a volte bisogna solo perdersi.
Non leggete passivamente Hardy, mai!, perché arricchisce moltissimo riflettere con le sue pagine.
Questo nonostante le tematiche siano del tutto differenti.
Si parla di matrimonio e di come due anime possano o no trovare pace l'una accanto all'altra.
Come al solito, Hardy dimostra di possedere quel tocco estemporaneo e onnisciente del narratore che non giudica ma ascolta, spiega, ricorda con ironia alcune cose indispensabili. Quindi, pur nella sofferenza che incalza, è quasi come rimanere dentro un abbraccio che si svela essere meno amaro del previsto nonostante la fine sia tragica.
Cosa mi è piaciuto di questo terzo incontro con Hardy? Innanzitutto tornare a riconoscere in lui quel femminista che ho amato negli altri due romanzi. Alcune frasi sono proprio delle autentiche frustate alla morale bigotta con cui l'epoca vittoriana considerava la posizione femminile.
" Una donna non è nulla senza un uomo. ", dice il padre di Grace alla figlia. Cos'è questa frase se non una sarcastica critica? E non è l'unica; il romanzo ne è pieno. Gli spunti di riflessione, in questo senso, sono tantissimi. E' lo stesso padre della fanciulla a considerarla poco più di un oggetto: un oggetto su cui ha investito materialmente affinché fosse migliore. Un bell'oggetto da vendere al migliore offerente.
E poi, la mano dell'autore che si tramuta in fato spietato, che nulla lascia fino a che non ha portato a compimento. Un nodo che continua a racimolare spago, finché non arriva il tempo di sciogliersi del tutto.
Infine, il sapiente intreccio della natura - questa volta boschiva, piena di odori e visioni - alla vita degli esseri umani.
Ecco quello che ho apprezzato di più, durante la lettura che ho gustato con molta calma.
Questo non è un romanzo d'amore! Non lo è affatto, a parer mio, ma un romanzo che dimostra quanto siano crudeli gli avvicendamenti della vita, dell'animo umano, e quanto intricati i cambiamenti e le similitudini tra esseri che si avvicinano ma sono destinati, a volte, a non rimanere mai insieme. A perdersi. Si, a volte bisogna solo perdersi.
Non leggete passivamente Hardy, mai!, perché arricchisce moltissimo riflettere con le sue pagine.
October 6, 2024
I remember a key aspect I loved when I last read a Thomas Hardy novel quite a few years ago, and that was his exquisite writing style. He has this beautiful way of drawing the reader into the prose, even if the story itself isn't wonderful, and that was the case with The Woodlanders. I wasn't bedazzled by the plot or by the characters, but I could read his writing for hours.
The Woodlanders is one of Hardy's later books, and is set in a village called Little Hintock which is set in woodland. (I love that.) Hardy explores many themes throughout, some of those being social class, marriage and sexuality.
The plot revolves around Grace Melbury and her experience with romance. The man she falls in love with is a woodcutter, and naturally, Grace's father informs her than she is higher in the ranks than he is, especially as he doesn't even have a roof to put over their heads. I won't discuss too much of the plot, but Grace was too predictable for my tastes. She listened to the person that wasn't getting married (her father) and married a doctor just for the sake of having money, not love. While I understand the Father's intentions (vaguely) I feel I'm allowed to feel irritated by her uninformed choice.
It is rather obvious that the marriage wasn't going to be a successful one, and it would only get worse from there onwards. The worst of it is that it was Mr Melbury that essentially caused all of the unhappiness in the first place. Does love not matter any more?
I'm glad I've returned to Hardy again, as his writing truly is wonderful. I'm a little disappointed with the story, but I'm hopeful my next Hardy will be better!
The Woodlanders is one of Hardy's later books, and is set in a village called Little Hintock which is set in woodland. (I love that.) Hardy explores many themes throughout, some of those being social class, marriage and sexuality.
The plot revolves around Grace Melbury and her experience with romance. The man she falls in love with is a woodcutter, and naturally, Grace's father informs her than she is higher in the ranks than he is, especially as he doesn't even have a roof to put over their heads. I won't discuss too much of the plot, but Grace was too predictable for my tastes. She listened to the person that wasn't getting married (her father) and married a doctor just for the sake of having money, not love. While I understand the Father's intentions (vaguely) I feel I'm allowed to feel irritated by her uninformed choice.
It is rather obvious that the marriage wasn't going to be a successful one, and it would only get worse from there onwards. The worst of it is that it was Mr Melbury that essentially caused all of the unhappiness in the first place. Does love not matter any more?
I'm glad I've returned to Hardy again, as his writing truly is wonderful. I'm a little disappointed with the story, but I'm hopeful my next Hardy will be better!
January 5, 2021
Otro libro de Hardy que me ha gustado mucho.
Es un drama amoroso (muy típico de él) pero se me ha hecho muy entretenido.
Es un drama amoroso (muy típico de él) pero se me ha hecho muy entretenido.
April 1, 2018
I pasted this review from another one I wrote on the general works of Hardy and I haven't included this novel as one of those I've read for 2018. That would obviously be double counting and cheating.
This novel has been termed by many to be Hardy's finest, but it's not my favourite. Hardy's prose is as eloquent and rich in imagery as ever but I could never quite get over my personal sadness at the death of the wonderful character Giles Winterborne. He was a solid, upstanding guy who is very similar to Gabriel Oak from Far From The Madding Crowd By Thomas Hardy in the way that he loves a woman so unselfishly - even when the female in question is unworthy of such loyal devotion. Unlike Gabriel Oak, however, the poor woodsman Giles dies tragically when he gets ill because he sleeps in the cold outdoors and gives up his little cottage for the annoying heroine Grace. Hardy's portrayal of the H's tragic chivalry is a recurring theme in his novels and it is repeated in Jude the Obscure by that title character. The author's continued fascination with the rural splendour of the landscape is seen in this novel. One of the strangest things I've also noticed about Hardy is his comic preoccupation with women who wear wigs. In this novel there's a wealthy woman called Mrs. Charmond who buys hair from a young peasant girl named Marty. There's another woman called Arabella in Jude the Obscure, who wears wigs that fool the H of that story into thinking she's an incomparable beauty. In both novels, Hardy highlights the eventual embarrassment that both women deal with when their hair is revealed to be fake. I have no idea why this amuses me so much but I guess it's the fact that a male author finds so much significance in it that he feels the need to write about it twice. Hardy also deals with the issue of marital infidelity in this novel and the difficulty that a wife faces when she wants a divorce based only on the fact of an adulterous husband. There's also the tragic peasant girl called Marty who suffers from her unrequited love for Giles Winterborne. That poor guy would have had a happier life had he loved Marty instead of the fickle Grace who dumped him to marry her rich but unfaithful husband. I guess it's Hardy's way of looking at the age old issue of love and how one cannot predict or control the object of one's heart and desires.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2023
Scritto nel 1887, Nel bosco si svolge in una piccola contea del South Wessex dove gli abitanti trascorrono le loro vite in virtù della semplicità, praticando lavori umili e seguendo i ritmi della natura in una realtà dove l’industrializzazione non era ancora dominante.
Seguiamo la vicenda della protagonista Grace Melbury, figlia di un falegname che dopo un periodo di istruzione trascorso fuori dal paese natio (ed ecco che ritorna una costante della narrativa di Hardy, quella del “return of the native”), affronta un reinserimento difficoltoso nella comunità di appartenenza che la accompagnerà nel corso del tempo. Questo la porterà a rimpiangere l’educazione ricevuta colpevole di averla resa troppo istruita per integrarsi con i locali ma non abbastanza per entrare a far parte della borghesia. La semplicità d’animo, la genuinità e l’ingenuità tipica della gente di campagna che Grace eredita dal padre, si scontra con la corruzione e lo strumentalismo diffuso nella classi più alte. Ecco quindi che il suo tentativo di scalata sociale, più per volontà del padre che sua, attraverso il matrimonio col dottore Fitzpiers sembra destinato a macchiarsi di malinconia e angoscia.
Al classico schema narrativo (campagna inglese - ritorno del nativo - dottore rubacuori - folklore e tradizioni popolari), Hardy aggiunge ricercatezza, argomentazioni filosofiche, analisi dei sentimenti umani, poesia, arte e cultura che arricchiscono la prosa rendendola elegante e originale. Una narrazione che sembra avvicinarsi in parte al realismo ma che ancora si tinge di elementi magici e folkloristici che rimandano un po’ alla Eliot di Silas Marner (pubblicato una ventina di anni prima).
Con Nel Bosco siamo lontani dai toni più cupi che contraddistinguono l’Hardy di Tess e Jude. La storia sembra essere più colorata, luminosa e avvincente eppure nella seconda metà del romanzo compare una nota cupa di terrore (il male compiuto anche dalla più benintenzionata persona a dimostrazione della vulnerabilità dell’essere umano) che porta la narrazione ad una svolta decisiva.
Un romanzo meraviglioso.
Seguiamo la vicenda della protagonista Grace Melbury, figlia di un falegname che dopo un periodo di istruzione trascorso fuori dal paese natio (ed ecco che ritorna una costante della narrativa di Hardy, quella del “return of the native”), affronta un reinserimento difficoltoso nella comunità di appartenenza che la accompagnerà nel corso del tempo. Questo la porterà a rimpiangere l’educazione ricevuta colpevole di averla resa troppo istruita per integrarsi con i locali ma non abbastanza per entrare a far parte della borghesia. La semplicità d’animo, la genuinità e l’ingenuità tipica della gente di campagna che Grace eredita dal padre, si scontra con la corruzione e lo strumentalismo diffuso nella classi più alte. Ecco quindi che il suo tentativo di scalata sociale, più per volontà del padre che sua, attraverso il matrimonio col dottore Fitzpiers sembra destinato a macchiarsi di malinconia e angoscia.
Al classico schema narrativo (campagna inglese - ritorno del nativo - dottore rubacuori - folklore e tradizioni popolari), Hardy aggiunge ricercatezza, argomentazioni filosofiche, analisi dei sentimenti umani, poesia, arte e cultura che arricchiscono la prosa rendendola elegante e originale. Una narrazione che sembra avvicinarsi in parte al realismo ma che ancora si tinge di elementi magici e folkloristici che rimandano un po’ alla Eliot di Silas Marner (pubblicato una ventina di anni prima).
Con Nel Bosco siamo lontani dai toni più cupi che contraddistinguono l’Hardy di Tess e Jude. La storia sembra essere più colorata, luminosa e avvincente eppure nella seconda metà del romanzo compare una nota cupa di terrore (il male compiuto anche dalla più benintenzionata persona a dimostrazione della vulnerabilità dell’essere umano) che porta la narrazione ad una svolta decisiva.
Un romanzo meraviglioso.
September 2, 2021
Una lectura entretenida y muy absorbente por esas relaciones y con el bosque de fondo, la narración es increíble aunque los personajes en algunos momentos me sacaron de quicio, no llegue a empatizar con ninguno, lo que no hay lugar a dudas es que es un gran escritor
May 3, 2021
Loved this. Wonderful and yet tragic; typical Hardy.
July 5, 2024
Suggestivo, come sempre Hardy tocca corde profonde con apparente semplicità.
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