Woodlanders (Wordsworth Classics) - Softcover

Thomas Hardy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1853262935 ISBN 13: 9781853262937

Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1998

Synopsis

Educated beyond her station, Grace Melbury returns to the woodland village of little Hintock and cannot marry her intended, Giles Winterborne. Her alternative choice proves disastrous, and in a moving tale that has vibrant characters, many humorous moments and genuine pathos coupled with tragic irony, Hardy eschews a happy ending. With characteristic derision, he exposes the cruel indifference of the archaic legal system off his day, and shows the tragic consequences of untimely adherence to futile social and religious proprieties

About this title

From the Publisher:

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

From the Inside Flap:

Set in the secluded forest community of Little Hintock, Thomas Hardy's "The Woodlanders inextricably links the dramatic English landscape with the story of a woman caught between two rivals of radically different social statures. Grace Melbury is promised to her longtime companion, Giles Winterborne, a local woodlander and a gentle, steadfast man. When her socially motivated father pressures her to wed the ambitious doctor Edred Fitzpiers, Grace's loyalties shift--and her decision leads to tumultuous consequences. With its explorations of class and gender, lust and betrayal, "The Woodlanders is one of Hardy's most vivid and powerful works.
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the text of the 1912 Wessex edition and includes Hardy's map of fictional Wessex.

"The finest English novel."--Arnold Bennett

"From the Trade Paperback edition.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1853262935
• ISBN 13: 9781853262937
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336