The Woodlanders | 
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‘ve been slow, so slow reading lately. Listened to this book on Audible and it coaxed me to sleep countless nights (which meant it took all the longer to read). I love Hardy‘s care with describing landscapes and the glimpses into the inner lives of his characters.
I stan Marty, if I had read this in my twenties, she would have been one of my many literary crushes.
So.. I went to the used bookstore to look for presents, found a lovely copy of Prometheus Bound from 1901.. and just a few books for myself; a lovely hardbound copy of the Woodlanders because I think it is a book worth owning, The Spirit Level by Seamus Heaney, and Are You Somebody? by Nuala o‘Faolain. Not thst I need them, mind you, but it is worth supporting the lovely little bookstore in my neighborhood, right! 😁
Still on my TBR ,but since cover aficionados @batsy & @LeahBergen both noted it , I decided to post a close up.We are told not to judge a book by its cover, but some just speak to us .This is a little mass market or rack size, was published by Macmillan & Co. Ltd. in London.This edition ,1964.Title 1st published, 1887. I‘m sure I got it at a church sale.No illustration credit is given for the lovely woodcut style image,Kudos to whoever it was.
pickQuintessential Thomas Hardy! This broke my heart throughout the whole book. It really was beautiful and had a Far from the Madding Crowd feel to it. I‘m putting this lesser known novel up there with my favorites, Tess and Jude. I loved it!
