Where to start with Thomas Hardy

After reading all of Thomas Hardy's novels in publication order, here's my thoughts on where I think you should start if you've never read any Hardy, or where you should go next with your reading of his novels.
My thoughts on all Hardy's novels can be found at the video links below:
🎥 Desperate Remedies: • Desperate Remedies by ...
🎥 Under the Greenwood Tree: • Under the Greenwood Tr...
🎥 A Pair of Blue Eyes: • A Pair of Blue Eyes by...
🎥 Far From the Madding Crowd: • Far From the Madding C...
🎥 The Hand of Ethelberta: • The Hand of Ethelberta...
🎥 The Return of the Native: • The Return of the Nati...
🎥 The Trumpet-Major: • The Trumpet Major by T...
🎥 A Laodicean: • A Laodicean by Thomas ...
🎥 Two on a Tower: • Two on a Tower by Thom...
🎥 The Mayor of Casterbridge: • The Mayor of Casterbri...
🎥 The Woodlanders: • The Woodlanders by Tho...
🎥 Tess of the D'Urbervilles: • Tess of the D'Urbervil...
🎥 The Well-Beloved: • The Well-Beloved by Th...
🎥 Jude the Obscure: • Jude the Obscure by Th...
🎵 / rexlambo ~ bit.ly/sunrise-rexlambo

[@TheRickie41]

I’m german, live in France, and love victorian literature. This short guide is precious to me and I’ll consult it again!

[@katiejlumsden]

Loved this! My three favourite Hardy novels are Far From the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure and The Woodlanders. I think Jude is probably my favourite, but I think you're right that The Woodlanders might just be the best.

[@thelowlytrinity]

i looooved the woodlanders

[@canaldoespertao1686]

I read, the Mayor of Casterbrigde and I love it, I'm learning English.. thank you brah... From Brazil here

[@TheDanallen]

I read everything Hardy wrote; one needs a dictionary at hand, but it is well worth it. For example, I learned a wimble is a tool to bale wools....hence Wimbledon

[@tonycarton8054]

recently i read hardy ,and i started with woodlanders .i read it over and over ,the language so beautiful .i had recently read about the irish poet patrick kavanagh who left school at an early age but read poetry novels many times .The key i found was taking your time .I am recently retired ,was a lecturer in sociology .......loved your insight about useless men lol ,keep on with great work

[@KatiaFdez]

I absolutely adore Thomas Hardy novels. Only read 2 of them, but planning to read more!! The woodlanders is brilliant, but the ending sooo devastating 😔 Loved this video Jen, thank you! 🥰

[@adamhasideas6813]

You give me hope for returning to reading Thomas Hardy! I have only read "Far From the Madding Crowd" and I found it okay, the writing was good but the plot was only so-so. Had you ranked it higher, I might have felt compelled to leave Hardy behind if an expert thought that was his best work. But the fact that you put it in the middle of the pack gives me hope that he has better work out there! My other comment is once I watched the film version of Jude, with Kate Winslet in it. There was something that happened in that film (no spoilers, but you know what it is since you've read it) about 75 percent of the way into the story that disturbed me so much that I have stayed far away from Hardy since then. Anyway, your video was so thoughtful, I may return to visit Hardy yet. I especially was intrigued by your description of Return of the Native! Thank you for doing this.

[@BookTubewithAmy]

I came here for this 🙌 been waiting on it I can't wait. I've decided to start my Hardy journey with Jude the Obscure later this year and I'm excited for it.

[@ziggyzee-vw2zb]

Great video and so informative. Can't wait to read them all. On my 5th now.

[@cb7560]

Thanks for the video. Very good introduction. I read and enjoyed The Mayor of Casterbridge at school for O level, and am keen to read more - after many years! Just subscribed.

[@YourTrueShelf]

Hi, new to your channel 👋🏻 I've only read Tess, earlier this year, but it's going to make my favourites of b the year, I loved it. This was great to help choose the next one.

[@bookinwithdebra]

Great video Jen - thank you.

[@ludd7929]

Hello. Just finished "Desperate remedies" and loved it so much, very original structure, great characterisation and many twists! I actually started Hardy's novels with "Far from.." which I didn't enjoy to be honnest as I found the story too predictable... then I read "Tess..." brilliant novel I think... and last year I read "The mayor..." which I enjoyed very much, good page turner.... I could say Hardy is one of my favourite British author so far and I'm glad I have many other novels of his to read ... 😍

[@TheDanallen]

Great site! Thanks, Jen

[@alexandrakaye656]

You are wonderful! Thank you .

[@marytumulty4257]

Just found and subscribed to your channel per Katie’s (Books and Things) shout out about book tubers discussing Victorian Lit. I am binging on your wonderful Hardy playlist. Although not in chronological order, I have also read all the novels. When I was 17 I read Tess and of course I was totally caught up in all the drama. Several decades later, the last one I’d read was “The Well-Beloved” (😡). It’s a good thing it was the last one so it couldn’t cast shade on any subsequent reading.

[@TimothyMakin]

I really like The Mayor of Casterbridge. I think it's the best novel of all time(of the small numer that I have actually read.)

[@sabinelipinska8614]

I appreciate your video a lot! Never read Thomas Hardyso far but got my hands on the Woodlanders. :) So I ll be starting there.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thank you! I hope you enjoy The Woodlanders when you do read it

[@MaxLadik]

My first Hardy novel was Mayor of Casterbridge. I resented it first because I was required to read it. The first book i read after graduating was Jude the Ubscure, and that is who I told people i was on Halloween for a decade after. I'm thinking about putting together a Diggory Venn costume

[@thelefthandedreader6632]

I watched this to remind myself of your thoughts. Since I have Jude, I’m going to dip in soon and see what I think. This is going to be interesting because I’m in the middle of reading the Trollope Barsetshire series.

[@actual-spinster]

love diggory venn!! ive now read three hardy novels; the return of the native, two on a tower and far from the madding crowd (which unlike you i really loved!! i think gabriel oak is so charming!!). so i think having watched this i will maybe pick up the hand of ethelbertha or desperate remedies.... or the woodlanders which ive actually been thinking about a lot recently next!! rly enjoyed this video!!

[@eadhab]

I've had to read The Return of the Native for an exam on the determinism of the environment in english literature. The first half of the book was so boring that I left it and read another book (thing that I hardly ever do). Then I got caught on the characterization of Eustacia, and hated all the men in the plot. I read the second half in a day, and I felt very disappointed: the characters had become like friends to me and I wanted to know more. I found your video on the novel and started following you! Thanks to your channel I understood Hardy! In the end the professor took Hardy out of the program for the exam a week before it because he was having a hard time to explain it lol

[@johnscone9382]

Don’t be looking at Hardy’s works and expect a happy ending, unless it’s under the greenwood tree, but he was a wonderful writer, no doubt about it. I’ve read most of his works, and appreciated it, he’s up there with the best. Also the inspiration for Tess of the Durbervilles in his biography, was a young farm maid he regularly met on walks near Dorchester, her beauty, calm and good nature was like a medicine to him, and he pays good homage to her in the book.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Very helpful--thank you! I might think about trying a Hardy in the latter half of 2022, assuming the world hasn't burned down by then. 😬

[@marcevan1141]

I absolutely loved "The Woodlanders" too.

[@kevinrussell1144]

Thanks for posting this (and for reading all the books in order so you could). I disagree with some of your choices, but you'd expect that with a complex author like Hardy. I've only read a half dozen, give or take, and have my favorites, but from this I can see I need to read the Trumpet Major and the Woodlanders. I have my doubts I'll like the later as much as you do, but we'll see. The progression in Hardy's art and attitudes toward life is an interesting aspect I hadn't given much thought to, but did notice some of his earlier novels are much brighter and happier. You make a point of claiming there are no favorable male characters in his later novels. I'd suggest there are NO likeable characters of either sex in Jude, and Tess has none other than her innocent-victim self. I'd also suggest Hardy had a tough time existing in his own skin, and in dealing with his attitudes toward women. Thomasin and Tess are virginal and sweet but more victim than creature with agency, although Tess does come around (finally). Eustacia and Bathsheba are a different kind of fish (Hardy obviously was more fascinated but puzzled by this type), so he punished and killed off the former and "tamed" Bathsheba (or we are shown this happening), although we wonder whether this change will "stick". We have Diggory and Gabe Oak as Hardy's ideal representation of the male character, but these are shrewd but uneducated rural types. With education and sophistication, the result is not so nice, and those of good intent who don't make the class grade end up like Jude. Angel is a very weak reed to lean on. No wonder we come away from Hardy with a mostly sad countenace. And I forgot to mention, "Return of the Native" is my favorite of those read.

[@hallihalloo586]

i love thomas hardy! i enjoy the way he discribes the landscape and just the life of normal people in the victorian era. it really feels like getting back in time. Also i think its not talked enough about that thomas hardy is a true feminist. one of his novels i love is the return of the native. i even consider it as one of my all time favourite novel even tho alot of people call it boring. i really enjoyed it and fell in love with the characters ( especially diggory venn😂) i bought the woodlanders and i can’t wait to start reading it!

[@radiantchristina]

I love most of his novels. The Woodlanders and Jude the Obscure are tied for my favorite :)

[@RajDev-pl5tb]

what is your opinion on Tess ?

[@radiantchristina]

@@RajDev-pl5tb not a favorite but i know many folks who love it

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

I haven't read The Woodlanders. Could I have a new favourite if I do? That's a plan for Victober then.

[@ReadBecca]

The hand of ethelberta is one I've never even heard of, it soundS odd and intriguing

[@caoyi9691]

What is the benefit of reading victorian literature for the purpose of improving your English>

[@felixarquer7732]

SPOILER ALERT. What do you make of the very ending of Hardy’s short story “An Imaginative Woman”? I mean when the narrator says about Marchmill’s little boy that “By a known but inexplicable trick of Nature there were undoubtedly strong traces of resemblance to the man Ella had never seen; the dreamy and peculiar expression of the poet's face sat, as the transmitted idea, upon the child's, and the hair was of the same hue.” Pushing likelihood too much?

[@yasseramer8301]

His style is hard to understand, he used many rare vocabularies, it’s not easy for non native speaker.

[@TheHellomypeople]

decided to watch this video before starting my first Thomas Hardy novel which is well-beloved. Why do you think it's so bad?

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I think the writing in The Well-Beloved is brilliant, as all Hardy is, but the plot is no where near as strong as all of his other books. I also personally think the characters are not very well developed and it seems more like a novel where you can see the author exploring personal views that aren't necessarily very universal. I would start anywhere else as I don't think it's a great introduction to Hardy's skill as a writer.

[@cass1961]

Im here because of 50 shades. Anastasia said she loves hardy compared to austen then I dont get it

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Maybe she prefers Hardy because he’s full of misery and pain, whereas Austen is more hopeful?

[@joannajennings7496]

I made a frog once and I called him Diggory 😊

[@TheForkhandles]

I dare you to do this with the works of Anthony Trollope.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I'm very tempted to try this challenge in future, as I've not yet read any Trollope. I'm starting with a slightly easier challenge next year by reading all of George Elliot's novels in publication order, which seems more manageable at the moment 😊

[@TheForkhandles]

There are over 50 separate volumes of novels, novellas and short story collections by Trollope published in the OUP's World's Classics series. Added to that there are about 20 separate titles of miscellaneous travel writings, biographies, plays and sketches, many of which are now hard to obtain. Merely assembling the collection would be a daunting task, let alone reading all the way through it from start to finish.@@JentheLibrarianreads

[@kjmav10135]

I’m just moving from reading all of the novels of George Eliot to all of the novels of Thomas Hardy. This was a perfect introduction to the lot of them.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I’m so glad it was helpful. I really need to read more George Eliot, maybe I should go a read through of all her books next year ☺️

[@antiagarcia7495]

I loved Woodlanders! Yay someone agrees. Unpopular opinion, Tess frustrates me but now I see why, men are horrible! I was actually planning to read all the Wessex novels and see if they are linked, are all 14 included? Been saving Return of the native, Jude and The Mayor for later this year, they intimidate me with their misery. But really didn’t like Two on a tower and Under the greenwood tree. Sad I arrived late to your Hardy readathon

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Off the top of my head (so I could be wrong) I think all of his novels are Wessex linked in some way. Far From The Madding Crowd was the first novel where he specifically mentions ‘Wessex’ but the novels prior to that were still set in and around the same area.

[@antiagarcia7495]

@@JentheLibrarianreads I was hoping to skip The well-beloved ;D

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

@@antiagarcia7495 I just try to pretend it doesn’t exist 😂

[@BookishTexan]

I do enjoy really awful people, maybe I will give _The Return of the Native_ another try.

[@willalm830]

the frightening thing is nothing has changed, the caste system is still here the privalige of the womb the umbilical cord reaching out to suck in all the advantages

[@nnjack9931]

I don't understand why Thomas Hardy videos pop up in my suggestions. Maybe it's my souls purpose to say...JUST DON'T READ HARDY!

[@AN6370]

I’ve not read many novels but of all the ones I have read Mayor of Casterbridge is my most favorite novel and it’s sad. I really wanted something good to happen in the end..