panRead these Hardy novels before this one: Tess, Jude, Mayor of Casterbridge, Return of the Native, Desperate Remedies, The Hand of Ethelberta, The Trumpet Major, The Well Beloved. and don‘t read this one. It has all the Hardy hallmarks of astronomy, earnest lovers, and an unyielding English lanscape and sicial construct thst shape the fate of earnest lovers. But, the writing is clumsy, the science talk is too much, and the characters are dull.
panIt was a relatively short book by page numbers, but it took a while to get through. A love square with Anne considering Festus, Bob, and John. She should have picked John. Most worthy of them all. But no, she picked the player, his brother. And then such a depressing ending with Uncle Benjy dying and finding out that John dies a few years later. On top of all this, I don‘t know why they all thought Anne was such a catch. She was just coy.
Recent acquisitions by Robert Gittings:
📖 Young Thomas Hardy
📖 Thomas Hardy's Later Years
I already had these in a somewhat battered combined edition so I was beyond excited to find these beautiful first edition hardbacks with dust jacket covers at a local charity shop for only a few dollars! To whoever donated them - thank you! They will be cherished for a lifetime!
#UniteAgainstBookBans #LetUtahRead
pickAnother truly remarkable book from Hardy. Sauntering into the serene landscapes of southern England meandering through the trails surrounded by Larches, Elms, and the peering eyes of the unknown. Hardy‘s Woodlanders is a masterpiece depicting love, false and true in the midst of false pretense or a loyalty so deep that it spans a lifetime.
pickI have to say that I really enjoyed Hardy‘s short story compilation. Different themes throughout and even an unexpected witch story that I would most definitely reread. Highly recommend, perfect for a road trip or a train ride on the pacific coast.
so-soIt was an okay book, but it was extremely slow going and not much happened overall. It was a nice romance but I struggled to put the two MCs together since they don't have much in common and it felt forced. The ending was expected but it contradicts the whole plot, which took meaning away from the story. A lot of the ideas are outdated. One positive is I really liked the focus on astronomy and the descriptions overall.
pickAnother one of Hardy‘s books that do not disappoint. This was a short story but still had some depth. After reading several of his novels, you can see this being one of his earlier works as he has developed further as a writer as time passed on between novels. I really enjoyed the antiquated, hardy characters set in the pastoral English scene, painted by the author in a way that no other could match.
📚 Tagged book and Under Milkwood Dylan Thomas
✍️ Ursula Le Guin
🎥 UP!
Band U2 and UB40
🎵 Under the Milky Way by The Church
#manicmonday
#letteru
@CBee
