6 h 42 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 42 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
On a windy Christmas Eve, village singers carry old customs into the dark—and a young man's heart turns toward love.
In Thomas Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree, the Mellstock choir sets out to sing carols at village houses. Among its members is kind, honest Dick Dewy, who falls for the new schoolmistress, Fancy Day. She enjoys admiration, but her heart and her ambitions do not point neatly in the same direction.
As the seasons turn, Dick faces a wealthy rival in Farmer Shiner and the firm opinions of Fancy's father, Geoffrey Day. Meanwhile, the new vicar, Mr Maybold, wants to improve the church music. His plans unsettle the choir, bringing a larger question into this gentle comedy: what happens when cherished customs stand in the way of change?
What you’ll discover
- Carols in the darkness Join the Mellstock singers on a cold Christmas Eve as they keep a village tradition alive.
- A heart with choices Follow Fancy as affection, admiration, and ambition pull her toward different futures.
- Neighbors around the hearth Visit the Dewy family's Christmas party, where warm hospitality brings the village together.
- Old ways under pressure See why a quarrel over church music matters so deeply to the people who play it.
- Country humor and seasons Enjoy the parish's jokes and habits as work and weather mark the passing year.
Who will love it
For readers who love warm, funny stories of country life, tender romance and village traditions, and anyone seeking an inviting introduction to Hardy.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The choir sets out on Christmas Eve
- Fancy Day arrives and Dick falls hard
- The tranter's party brings the village together
- A new vicar and the fate of the choir
- Rivals, a stubborn father, and a year of seasons
- What the book is about and how it is told
Who’s who
- Dick DewyA kind, honest young man of the choir who falls in love with the new schoolmistress and wants to win her.
- Fancy DayThe pretty, educated young schoolmistress, who enjoys admiration and must decide where her heart and her ambitions lie.
- Reuben DewyDick's father, the tranter and leader of the choir, a cheerful host who loves the old customs of Mellstock.
- Mr MayboldThe earnest young vicar who wishes to improve the church music and so unsettles the old choir.
- Farmer ShinerA well-off farmer who courts Fancy and rivals Dick, relying on his land and money.
- Geoffrey DayFancy's father, a gamekeeper of firm and stubborn opinions, whose consent matters to her future.
- Thomas LeafA shy, simple member of the choir, whose odd ways add to the humor of the parish.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
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- Audiobook
- 6 h 42 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Sous l’arbre vert
by Thomas Hardy · 1872
Dick Dewy falls for Mellstock's new schoolmistress as a new vicar threatens the village choir's cherished traditions.
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In short
Under the Greenwood Tree is a short novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1872 without his name on the title page. It was his second novel to appear, and the first to win him a loyal readership.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
The choir sets out on Christmas Eve
The story opens on a dark, windy Christmas Eve in Mellstock. The parish choir gathers to play and sing carols at the houses of the village, as the singers have done for generations. They are not a polished group. They are farm workers and craftsmen who play stringed instruments and sing from handwritten books in the west gallery of the church.
The leader is the tranter, Reuben Dewy, who carries goods for hire with his cart. His son Dick is among the players, and so are old William Dewy, the grandfather, and a shoemaker called Mr Penny. Others include Michael Mail, Elias Spinks and the shy, simple Thomas Leaf. Hardy gives each man a manner of speech and a small joke that stays with him.
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What is Under the Greenwood Tree about?
It follows a year in the village of Mellstock. Dick Dewy, a member of the church choir, falls in love with the new schoolmistress, Fancy Day, while a new vicar threatens the choir's place in the church.
Where does the title Under the Greenwood Tree come from?
The title comes from a song in Shakespeare's play As You Like It. The song praises a simple life lived outdoors, and the phrase suits Hardy's gentle picture of country life.
Is Under the Greenwood Tree a true story?
No, it is fiction. Mellstock is an invented parish, though it draws on the Dorset countryside of Hardy's youth. The novel was published in 1872, and Hardy's own family had played in a church band.
The author
Thomas Hardy
1840–1928 · English novelist and poet
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet. He was born in Dorset and lived in Dorset and London. His novels include Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), and Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891). He published poetry collections from 1898 until his death.
More by Thomas Hardy
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