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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
Hardy has always been a regular ‘go to’ author for me. I credit Jude the Obscure and Tess of the D’Urbervilles as having a deep and profound influence on the direction my life took when I read them at 19 and 20. Far from the Madding Crowd has been a companion for the last 30 years.
However, I had never got round to reading Under the Greenwood Tree, one of his earlier novels and the first (I think) to feature his Wessex. I already knew the story, having seen the BBC adaptation from about a decade ago but felt it was time to give it a go. I was, if I’m honest, a little bit disappointed. You can see that his skill as a writer was still in development but, even giving allowance for that, it lacked the descriptive beauty of later novels and the reliance on pages of dialogue to drive the plot forward felt a little tedious. The plot also lacked a bit of depth and was missing the rich metaphor and symbolism you can find in later works.
In spite of that it was still an enjoyable read so three stars felt about right.
However, I had never got round to reading Under the Greenwood Tree, one of his earlier novels and the first (I think) to feature his Wessex. I already knew the story, having seen the BBC adaptation from about a decade ago but felt it was time to give it a go. I was, if I’m honest, a little bit disappointed. You can see that his skill as a writer was still in development but, even giving allowance for that, it lacked the descriptive beauty of later novels and the reliance on pages of dialogue to drive the plot forward felt a little tedious. The plot also lacked a bit of depth and was missing the rich metaphor and symbolism you can find in later works.
In spite of that it was still an enjoyable read so three stars felt about right.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just a nice light-hearted story
All'inizio è molto lento, ma fortunatamente verso la seconda metà migliora.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A perfectly reasonable triumph by Hardy, with a minimum of authorial signatures that would become his heavy later hand - there is a witchwoman (!), secrets are never told (!), and economic change enlivens the few at the cost of the many, but on the whole happiness for the protagonists wins out. Cute + Hardy = not bad, not bad at all. However, if this had been my first of his novels... I wouldn't have read another, perhaps.
I love [b:Tess of the D'Urbervilles|32261|Tess of the D'Urbervilles |Thomas Hardy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311647517s/32261.jpg|3331021] for its scenery, but this book was ten times more enjoyable to me because it's still got good scenery; it's written about a group of rustic, drunk church musicians; and it's happy. Now of course Hardy couldn't end the book without making us question whether they'll stay happy, but I'll take what I can get.
As a violinist and a lover of literature, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Reading it soon after [b:The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language|73888|The Adventure of English The Biography of a Language|Melvyn Bragg|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170843174s/73888.jpg|71490] made it even more interesting to me, because this book is a perfect photograph of a past English dialect.
This book worth reading alone for the part at the beginning where the string players bash clarinets. Also, it uses the word dumbledore, which means bumblebee. That's the first time I've seen it actually used outside of Harry Potter.
If you don't like depressing books but you like beautiful writing, this is the Hardy for you.
As a violinist and a lover of literature, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Reading it soon after [b:The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language|73888|The Adventure of English The Biography of a Language|Melvyn Bragg|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170843174s/73888.jpg|71490] made it even more interesting to me, because this book is a perfect photograph of a past English dialect.
This book worth reading alone for the part at the beginning where the string players bash clarinets. Also, it uses the word dumbledore, which means bumblebee. That's the first time I've seen it actually used outside of Harry Potter.
If you don't like depressing books but you like beautiful writing, this is the Hardy for you.
emotional
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No