Under the Greenwood Tree Audiobook By Thomas Hardy cover art

Under the Greenwood Tree

The Mellstock Choir - A Rural Painting of the Dutch School

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Under the Greenwood Tree is an affectionate and youthful portrait of a world Hardy knew well - village life in 'Wessex' - in which a romantic tale is set against changing circumstances. The traditional feature of local music making performed by the village band and choir is challenged by the modern innovation of organ and organist providing music in the church. Fancy Day, the new, comely school mistress is also an accomplished organist, and these qualities create conflict in the village, especially when the unmarried young vicar and Dick Dewy, a member of the Mellstock parish choir vie for her attention. In this, only his second novel, Hardy presents one of his most gentle and charming pictures.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2014 Naxos AudioBooks European World Literature Drama & Plays
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Under The Greenwood Tree is a bit like Hardy's response to George Eliot's Silas Marner. It is definitely one for Hardy fans, but I have always found it a little too folksy for my liking. I also had trouble listening to this performance by Jamie Parker. In the past, I have enjoyed his readings of Hardy novels, Far From the Madding Crowd, for example. Some of the characters he performs here, however, came across as eccentric, and this is a euphemistic way of putting it. I think the trouble may have stemmed from the dominance of dialogue over narration in this book.

Read Like Country Bumkins On Meth

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This one is a bit milder than what Im used to in his novels, but for an early novel it is well wriiten. I loved the voices and the story teller was superb. It played out in my mind like a movie@

I love Tom Hardy Novels...

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One of my favorite Hardy stories ! The reader is excellent ! I have listened several times now and will again.

Awesome performance

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The story, unusual for Hardy, is a happy one, so it is a bit sappy but the portraits of such great characters
is really close up and funny and touching. The reader does the variety of voices and accents very well.

Beautiful writing about rural England 1800's

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This is by far his weakest work. Great narrator though. If you want to read Hardy I would stick to Tess and Two on a Tower and the like.

I'm a Hardy fan but...

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