The Woodlanders

'Such miserable creatures of circumstance are we all!'

Serialised in Macmillan's Magazine from 1886, The Woodlanders is a moving tale of class, unrequited love and misguided commitment; Thomas Hardy's favourite novel that he ever wrote.

Set in the shadowed forests of rural Dorset, The Woodlanders is a rich, poignant drama where love and loyalty are tested while ambition and desire collide. At the heart of Hardy's narrative is Grave Melbury, a young woman torn between her childhood sweetheart, Giles, and a sophisticated doctor, Edred, who promises a far more luxurious life to the one that she inhabits. As the seasons turn and settle, hidden passions rise to the surface and Grace is forced to confront a series of devastating betrayals that will change her future forever. With tender yet unflinching realism, Hardy paints a deeply human portrait of longing, loss and irrevocable choice, resulting in a novel that remains one of his most celebrated works.
Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928) was an English poet and novelist. Heavily influenced by the Romantic and Victorian Realist movements, his writing is characterised by evocative language, rich imagery and innovative narrative structures. Hardy was socially conscious and highly critical of Victorian society, often using his writing to depict the lives of people living in deprived rural areas of England.