Available Formats
Hardback
Published: 5th June 1997
Paperback
Published: 2nd May 1998
Paperback, New edition
Published: 5th April 1996
The Woodlanders
By (Author) Thomas Hardy
Edited by Patricia Ingham
Introduction by Patricia Ingham
Notes by Patricia Ingham
Penguin Books Ltd
Penguin Classics
2nd May 1998
5th February 1998
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers
Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900
823.8
Paperback
464
Width 129mm, Height 196mm, Spine 19mm
316g
When country-girl Grace Melbury returns home from her middle-class school she feels she has risen above her suitor, the simple woodsman Giles Winterborne. Though marriage had been discussed between her and Giles, Grace finds herself captivated by Dr Edred Fitzpiers, a sophisticated newcomer to the area - a relationship that is encouraged by her socially ambitious father. Hardy's novel of betrayal, disillusionment and moral compromise depicts a secluded community coming to terms with the disastrous impact of outside influences. And in his portrayal of Giles Winterborne, Hardy shows a man who responds deeply to the forces of the natural world, thought they ultimately betray him.
The finest English novel.Arnold Bennett
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was a prolific and influential novelist and poet. His works include Jude the Obscure and Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Patricia Ingham is General Editor of all Hardy's fiction on the Penguin Classics list. She is a Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford.