#bookswithnatureonthecover

[bibliobethblog]

I read The Woodlanders as part of #thegreatthomashardyreadalong2022 as organised by the lovely @pezzasclassicbooks and @annathebooksiread and honestly this group has been one of my favourite things this year. I’ve loved getting to know Hardy a bit more as a writer and marvelling at his characterisation, nature writing and heady mix between melancholy and laughter. ⁣ ⁣ The Woodlanders was no exception. It follows a small community who base their livelihood around the nearby forest. Our heroine Grace Melbury has returned from boarding school and has had a prior understanding with a humble woodlander, Giles Winterbourne however her father has set his sights higher - on the new local doctor in fact, Edred Fitzpiers as a more suitable marriage prospect. After rejecting Giles, the reader is taken along a fascinating narrative which encompasses betrayal, ideals of class, honour, pride and devastation. ⁣ ⁣ I don’t want to give too much away about the novel, save to say that if you’re used to Hardy and the way he writes, you’ll be aware that there is a real mixture between the amusing and the somber moments. I have to admit, I didn’t rate Grace very highly at the beginning ;(she’s no Tess of the D’Urbervilles!) and it was only halfway through where I found Hardy put some more meat on the bones of her character and gave her a well needed backbone (and some excellent snarky lines!).⁣ ⁣ As I expected, some of the other character development - in particular Giles, Fitzpiers and the widower Felice Charmond was so effective that I frequently found myself either sympathetic, rolling my eyes or even incensed by certain behaviours. He really knows how to write individuals that get under your skin and make you feel a certain way either positively or negatively. That’s one of the very many reasons why I’ll always look forward to reading another Thomas Hardy novel and I already can’t wait for our next read! ⁣ ⁣ 3.5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 💫 ⁣ ⁣ #bookstagram #scottishbookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookreview #readingtheclassics #thomashardyliterature #thomashardyloversunite #thewoodlanders #booksandflowers #bookswithnatureonthecover #hardylovers #readingthomashardy https://www.instagram.com/p/CgsGWy2L17g/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=