Under the Greenwood Tree (Thomas Hardy)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the final one for my 2018 TBR Challenge! I'm so incredibly happy I've made it through - I didn't think I was going to, and I nearly gave up because I was feeling so discouraged. Here's to perseverance!

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What it's about:

The arrival of the newest schoolmistress, Fancy Day, turns the village of Mellstock on its head. First, her lovely organ playing skills cause her to replace the choir as the music for the Sunday church service. Then, her handsome features and sweet demeanor catch the attention of not one, not two, but three Mellstock residents - one of whom is none other than the choir's Dick Dewy. Under the Greenwood Tree, or The Mellstock Quire (A Rural Painting of the Dutch School), is a novel of love, of adjusting to change, and ultimately of social and moral divides.

Why it's worth a read:

• It's a lovely character study. You really get to learn about the different quirks of the villagers, and each one is unique and properly fleshed out.
• If you are a big Thomas Hardy fan, this one is actually happy! Definitely different to his other works, but with the same great writing
• The writing is beautiful, but also laced with some fabulous humor. There's a reason his work is so beloved - he does a fantastic job depicting village life.
• The nice, short chapters make it perfect to read a little during lunch breaks or in the morning, even if you are a very busy person like myself. This means that it is a great one to start with if you are new to Hardy because it isn't a slog to get through a section.

Where it disappoints:

• It's very slow. This is not an action-packed novel with a ton of content. It's slow-moving, has a simple premise, and not much really happens.
• One of the two main plots is a love story (although not really a romance, so don't worry if you aren't a romance fan), but...the female lead can be difficult to like at times. This means that if you aren't interested or invested in this plot line, the story can be hard to take.
• Based on the format it is written in (chapters of about four pages at a time, and divided into seasons), it's hard to read this for extended periods of time. You don't really want to binge read it for an hour. So, although it is a short book, you will likely take longer to finish it than you'd think.

Final Thoughts:

Third time's the charm? I've tried picking this one up three or four times now, and just didn't click with it. I tried reading it, and even tried audiobook just to get through it, and got a maximum of a third of the way through it before giving up. I absolutely couldn't connect with it, and didn't care about the style of speech of the characters. But boy am I glad I tried it again! I left it until the last book for my TBR challenge because I was dreading it, but I actually really enjoyed it this time! I guess I just wasn't in the right frame of mind, but it's good to know that I'm still able to enjoy Hardy's novels.