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 A lot of the ideas are outdated.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.
pickThis is my 13th Hardy novel and what a pleasure to read something that has his usual realism but also a brighter outlook.
so-soA long time ago in a blue bedroom far away I pledged to read every novel Hardy wrote. (12 down, 2 to go). A great novelist he is for sure, but probably not a great short story writer. Something about the short form reveals his crutches & obsessions. These stories seem like workshop exercises. What‘s baffling is that he wrote Madding Crowd & Return of the Native before this. He had to know these stories weren‘t good. I guess a writer‘s got to eat.
pickThe six poets are Thomas Hardy, A.E. Housman, John Betjeman, W.H. Auden, Louis MacNeice and Philip Larkin. Bennett introduces them with a brief biography and indication of their generally accepted place in the world of poetry, then adds his own ideas about them as he comments on the poems he has selected. Interesting and enjoyable and reinforced my liking for these poets, especially MacNeice.
