Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

For the 19th Century Novel prompt in the Back to the Classics Challenge, I decided to go with one of the shorter novels left on the Classics Club list, Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy. This wasn't my first time with a Hardy novel; I read Jude the Obscure in 2019 and I'm pretty sure I've read a few others from before my blogging days that I no longer remember. Jude was one of the most shocking and depressing classics I have ever read, but I knew going into this one that it would be much lighter fare. The summary on the back of the book promised a romantic comedy, so I settled in for a quick and (hopefully enjoyable) read.

The plot of the novel follows a handful of people, but mainly Dick Dewey, a young man living in a small country town named Mellstock. Dick sings in the church choir and helps him father run a hauling business. He hadn't thought much about romance or settling down until a new young schoolteacher named Fancy Day comes to town. Instantly smitten, he begins a clumsy attempt at courtship. He is not alone in his affections, however. Fancy's beauty has also caught the eye of a prominent local farmer named Mr. Shinar and the town preacher, Mr. Maybold. From a practical point of view, Dick is the least desirable of Fancy's suitors. He is the poorest and least refined of the bunch. He has the most heart, however, and won't be deterred in his mission to beat his rivals and win his true love's heart.

The novel is divided into sections by season and takes place over the course of a little more than a year. It is pastoral, sweet, and charming, with most of the action focusing on Dick's nervousness and his awkward attempts to woo Fancy. A few subplots concerning the other suitor's efforts and the replacement of the church choir with a new organ are included as well, and these sections of the novel are similarly lighthearted and sprinkled with small town humor and eccentricities. Hardy's writing is beautiful and easy to read, as is usual for him, and at just over 150 pages, the story is easy to digest.

Overall, this novel was okay for me. While it was well written and full of charm, it was also very shallow. There was very little character development and the plot was extremely straightforward. Any difficulties the characters had were cleared up within a couple of pages, so there was no sense of tension or suspense. I felt no connection to anything going on in the story, and once I realized this, I was just reading to finish. It's a cute story but that's all.

Aspects of this haven't aged particularly well either. Of course, this is a reflection of the time period and readers of classics know to expect these kinds of things in older texts. I'm not criticizing Under the Greenwood Tree for that; it did limit my enjoyment of it though. A lot of the humor is centered around female stereotypes, like women being difficult, expensive, flighty, etc. Fancy's personality was a reflection of this. She was silly, vain, and indecisive, and conformed to all of the stereotypes the male characters in the text joked about so freely. By the end of the story, the main characters are happy, but no one has really learned anything--especially not the reader. 

This is all okay, of course. Not every novel has to contain a serious message or emotional moments. When I read, however, I like to have those things. Ultimately, I thought this novel was forgettable, but I'm still glad to have read another of Thomas Hardy's works. I still have Tess of the d'Urbervilles on my Classics Club list, and I think I'm going to like that one more.

Challenge Tally

Back to the Classics 2021 (A 19th Century Classic): 5/12

Classics Club (#57 on my list): 87/100 books completed

Total Books Read in 2021: 15