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Thomas Hardy
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Under the Greenwood Tree (Illustrated Edition) Kindle Edition

by Thomas Hardy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 41 ratings
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* Beautifully illustrated with atmospheric paintings by renowned artists, Under the Greenwood Tree is a delightful portrayal of a picturesque rural society, tinged with gentle humor and quiet irony. There's also an unpredictable double-plot, in which the love story of Dick Dewey and Fancy Day is inter-related with a tragic chapter in the history of Mellstock Choir, that hints at the poignant disappearance of a long-lived and highly-valued traditional way of life.

* Just as accessible and enjoyable for today's readers as it would have been when first published over a century ago, the novel is one of the great works of English literature and continues to be widely read throughout the world.

* This meticulous digital edition from Heritage Illustrated Publishing is a faithful reproduction of the original text.
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  1. Print length
    211 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    May 8, 2014
  5. File size
    1717 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) is one of England's greatest novelists. Most of his work is set in his native Dorset, on the south coast of England.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00K8DX4OS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Heritage Illustrated Publishing (May 8, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 8, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1717 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 211 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 41 ratings

About the author

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Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy

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Thomas Hardy was born in a cottage in Higher Bockhampton, near Dorchester, on 2 June 1840. He was educated locally and at sixteen was articled to a Dorchester architect, John Hicks. In 1862 he moved to London and found employment with another architect, Arthur Blomfield. He now began to write poetry and published an essay. By 1867 he had returned to Dorset to work as Hicks's assistant and began his first (unpublished) novel, The Poor Man and the Lady.

On an architectural visit to St Juliot in Cornwall in 1870 he met his first wife, Emma Gifford. Before their marriage in 1874 he had published four novels and was earning his living as a writer. More novels followed and in 1878 the Hardys moved from Dorset to the London literary scene. But in 1885, after building his house at Max Gate near Dorchester, Hardy again returned to Dorset. He then produced most of his major novels: The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), The Woodlanders (1887), Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891), The Pursuit of the Well-Beloved (1892) and Jude the Obscure (1895). Amidst the controversy caused by Jude the Obscure, he turned to the poetry he had been writing all his life. In the next thirty years he published over nine hundred poems and his epic drama in verse, The Dynasts.

After a long and bitter estrangement, Emma Hardy died at Max Gate in 1912. Paradoxically, the event triggered some of Hardy's finest love poetry. In 1914, however, he married Florence Dugdale, a close friend for several years. In 1910 he had been awarded the Order of Merit and was recognized, even revered, as the major literary figure of the time. He died on 11 January 1928. His ashes were buried in Westminster Abbey and his heart at Stinsford in Dorset.

Photo by Bain News Service, publisher [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
41 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars "A dance to the music of time"
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2003
The painter Poussin's famous title might stand as a rubric for this lovely book. Hardy views his cast of rustics through the prism of music: the old church stringed instruments choir is to be replaced with the spanking new organ. There is the added romantic interest of young musician Dave and the controversially female organist, Fancy Day.
This is a story of established customs breaking down through the interloper: a new vicar in town. Structurally divided into Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, it follows the natural rhythms of the earth and of society. Hardy revels in his descriptive powers.
Filled with nostalgia and that increasingly fashionable concept, "Englishness", and seasoned with wisdom and wit, this is truly fabulous. It's a mini-masterpice in a similar bag to, say, Mrs. Gaskell's "Cranford".
16 people found this helpful
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Dr. Emily Kurtz
3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit of Fluff
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2006
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This is very undeveloped Hardy--pleasant, well conceived, but predictable and not much more than an extended character sketch. If you're in the mood for something light and atmospheric, this is a good fit. If you want complexity, drama, the transcendental--all of Life's biggies--choose Tess, Return of the Native, or Far From the Madding Crowd.
3 people found this helpful
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Teresa C Carson MD
4.0 out of 5 stars A book to get lost in.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2018
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A good story that I had never read- very Thomas Hardy!
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VB
3.0 out of 5 stars Great writing, but cynical undertone
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2006
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm not a Hardy fan. Ever since I read his Tess of the D'Urbervilles (a book filled with endless bad fortune for the title character) I said I'd nvever read another. However, my book club did choose this book and I have dutifully read it.

First, the good. There is no doubt but that Hardy is a superb writer. He captures perfectly what life was like in the 1840s (when the actions in this book were supposed to take place) as well as depicting the characters so well that you feel almost as if you'd recognize them on the street. If that is all you're looking for, then read this book. However, if like me you also want to ENJOY the process of reading, I'd recommend against this book.

For the plot, Hardy uses his writing skills to paint a tale of courtship between a young man and woman. He captures well the angst and naivete involved. For a subplot, he writes about the church choir's angst at being replaced by one person who plays the organ.

The above being said, there is such an undercurrent of cynicism in this book. The two characters as he paints them are very shallow in their courtship and it is apparent that soon after their marriage reality will set in. No one in this book is happily married and it almost seems as if that cannot be. No, the picture Hardy paints is that there is a rush of infatuation resulting in marriage. After marriage, the infatuation quickly fades and one just has to make the best of it. Depressing. I much prefer Dickens books that portray good and bad marriages as is closer to the truth in real life.

One last opinion here. Reading about Hardy's life I can't help thinking that he unfortunately could not keep a good relationship with either of his wives (he married again after being widowed) and thus thinks it is the same for all.
5 people found this helpful
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Alan Breck
4.0 out of 5 stars Hardy in embryo
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2002
"Under the Greenwood Tree" does not rank among Hardy's greatest novels, but it includes many moving moments and memorable characters. This first of the great series of Wessex novels introduces the reader to Hardy's beloved and changing countryside. The landscape and it's occupants are lovingly invoked, and the natural humour of the locals shines through.
In fact, the supporting characters are far more interesting than the hero and heroine. "Under the Greenwood Tree" is really a tale of young love, and although Hardy touchingly illustrates the yearning and naivete of his lovers, both characters remain at arm's length. This is particularly true of Fancy, the heroine, whose emotions do not become apparent until close to the tale's end.
Hardy would explore many of "Greenwood Tree's" themes more effectivly in later books, but this novel is more than just a warm-up act. The decline of English country life- one of Hardy's greatest themes- has never been as tellingly illustrated as in the sub-plot of the Mellstock Quire, and the contented, ironic ending rings as true as any of the fatalistic horrors to come.
16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Didier
5.0 out of 5 stars When Dick met Fancy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2012
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Years ago, when I was studying English Literature,  The Mayor of Casterbridge (Oxford World's Classics)  was on one of our reading lists, and I remember it mainly as a rather depressing book. So maybe that's why ever since I've shirked away from Hardy? Or was it because I found his use of local language and dialect perhaps too daunting? Whichever it may be, I've resolved that this will no longer do but, to 'soften the blow' as it were, I started by reading 'Under the Greenwood Tree' because reputedly it's one of his sunniest novels.

And so it is! Sure enough, not all is well in Mellstock village and Dick Dewy has to persevere to get Fancy Day's attention, and others fancy her too, but all in all this is a happy love-story, in the unique pastoral setting of Wessex ('part real, part dream-land' as Hardy put it). Hardy uses a seasonal framework (the story develops from one summer to the next), and - true to his reputation - I found that Hardy is indeed a master at creating the sense of a country community in times past, living their lives attuned to the rhythm of nature. The characters too are very well done, from grandfather William to the young vicar Maybold: each is subtly but very nicely drawn, and they all acquire a real voice and 'presence'. The story flows along quite easily and naturally, and I was glad to find that (as a non-native speaker) the dialect turned out to be no problem at all (indeed, without it the book simply wouldn't be half as good). So it's on to  The Return of the Native (Oxford World's Classics) !
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Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s a re-read so I know it’s a great read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2021
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Hardy’s books all vividly depict C19 rural life, the hardships and conventions of the time and how they lead to personal tragedy so often, but there is always the hope that true love can conquer all for some people sometimes. The landscape and weather are always personified in all their beauty and unfeeling brutality and the part they play in the experiences of the characters for good or ill. People accuse Hardy of being too miserable but it was a miserable time for those without money and education. Light relief is always provided by the Shakespearean “rude mechanicals” making the most of simple pleasures of life, dancing, drinking, gossip and sex amid the unrelenting and often fruitless labour. If you want to experience a wide range of emotions in your reading, Hardy will always reward you.
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Elisa
4.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Hardy classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2013
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This is a classic Thomas Hardy story.
If you like is other works you'll certainly like this one.
I bought it after watching the tv movie (on bbc or itv, I can't remember) and liked it as much as I liked the movie.
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Betsie Needles
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2010
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Am reading this one after finishing Tess of the D'Urbevilles...what a sad book that is. Have read this one before and if you're after some light hearted humour, you have the right book! Enjoy!
3 people found this helpful
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John Chard
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2018
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Hardy does comedy well
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