Summary
Summary of Under the Greenwood Tree
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Village life turns with the seasons
In the made-up parish of Mellstock, Thomas Hardy brings together a love story, a quarrel over church music and the everyday talk of country neighbors. The action follows one year through four seasons, giving village life a rhythm of work, gatherings and changing weather.
At the center are the church musicians and Dick Dewy, who falls for the new schoolmistress. Their stories belong to the same small world, where personal hopes meet the first signs that familiar ways may not last.
Key idea 2
Christmas music leads Dick to Fancy
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Key idea 3
Affection meets the pull of status
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Key idea 4
The party reveals what music holds
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Key idea 5
The new organ threatens old loyalties
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Key idea 6
Dick faces rivals and family resistance
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Key idea 7
Warm humor leaves room for uncertainty
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Key idea 8
Love and custom face uncertain futures
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For readers who love warm, funny stories of country life, tender romance and village traditions, and anyone seeking an inviting introduction to Hardy.
What this book is
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. Hardy wrote it from memory of the Dorset country where he grew up, and he gave it a made-up parish called Mellstock. The book is a gentle comedy of village life, built around one year and four seasons.
At its center is a small band of church musicians, and a young man, Dick Dewy, who falls in love with the new village schoolmistress. You get a love story, a quarrel over church music, and a crowd of country talkers whose jokes and habits make the parish feel real. You also get the early sign of Hardy's lasting interest in how old ways give way to new ones. Let us begin on a cold Christmas Eve, with the singers setting out in the dark.
In this summary
- 1The choir sets out on Christmas EveFree
- 2Fancy Day arrives and Dick falls hard
- 3The tranter's party brings the village together
- 4A new vicar and the fate of the choir
- 5Rivals, a stubborn father, and a year of seasons
- 6What the book is about and how it is told
Key point 1 of 6
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.
The men walk from door to door through the night. They stop to play outside cottages and farmhouses, and the lanterns bob along the lanes. Their talk wanders to shoes, weather, old tunes and the habits of the parish. It is quiet, funny and affectionate, and it shows how closely the villagers know one another.
The round brings the band to the school house, where the new schoolmistress lives. Her name is Fancy Day, and she has just arrived to teach. Dick hopes to catch sight of her, and a light in a window gives him his first glimpse. From that moment his mind is no longer on the music alone.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Shiner worry Dick as a rival?
Right. “His land and money give him weight that Dick lacks.”Not quite. “His land and money give him weight that Dick lacks.”
What change does Mr Maybold want in church music?
Right. “Maybold's wish is to have an organ in the church, played by one person instead of a gallery full of players and singers.”Not quite. “Maybold's wish is to have an organ in the church, played by one person instead of a gallery full of players and singers.”
What does the choir represent beyond its music?
Right. “The choir is not just a band of singers but a living part of the old order.”Not quite. “The choir is not just a band of singers but a living part of the old order.”
Who’s who
- Dick Dewy
- Dick is Reuben Dewy's kindhearted son, a church musician who falls in love with Fancy Day.
- Fancy Day
- Fancy is Geoffrey Day's educated daughter, the new schoolmistress whose admirers include Dick Dewy and Farmer Shiner.
- Reuben Dewy
- Reuben is Dick's father, a cheerful carrier and choir leader who welcomes his neighbors into the family home.
- Mr Maybold
- Mr Maybold is Mellstock's earnest young vicar, whose plans for church music unsettle Reuben and his fellow musicians.
- Farmer Shiner
- Farmer Shiner is a prosperous local farmer who competes with Dick for Fancy Day's affection.
- Geoffrey Day
- Geoffrey is Fancy's stubborn father, a gamekeeper whose expectations make him difficult for Dick to please.
- Thomas Leaf
- Thomas is a shy member of the parish choir whose unusual manner amuses his fellow villagers.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 60,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 4 h
- Listening time6 h 40 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about Under the Greenwood Tree
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.
Is Under the Greenwood Tree easy to read?
Yes, it is one of Hardy's lightest novels. Its plot is simple, and the rural speech of the villagers soon becomes familiar and adds to the humor.
Is Under the Greenwood Tree a good book to start with Hardy?
Many readers think so. It is short, warm and funny, and it shows his love of the countryside and his sense of change, without the heavy tragedy of his later novels.
