Under the Greenwood Tree

novel by Hardy

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July 14, 2026

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"Under the Greenwood Tree" is a novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1872. It is an early work that found Hardy's distinct voice, focusing on a simple marriage plot and an episode of social change. The story depicts the displacement of church musicians, reflecting events from Hardy's own father's life. The novel is characterized by its affectionate humor and its evocation of rural life in southwestern England, a region Hardy often featured in his works.12

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Thomas Hardy
Early life and works
…brief and affectionately humorous idyll Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), Hardy found a voice much more distinctively his own. In this book he evoked, within the simplest of marriage plots, an episode of social change (the displacement of a group of church musicians) that was a direct reflection of events…
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…brief and affectionately humorous idyll Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), Hardy found a voice much more distinctively his own. In this book he evoked, within the simplest of marriage plots, an episode of social change (the displacement of a group of church musicians) that was a direct reflection of events…
Read More