I have changed my mind about this book so many times. I started off liking it, it had a dramatic start, but then some of the main characters became annoying. However, by the end I couldn't put it down. Dan Brown eat your heart out, this is a true page turner.
The story is about the love life of Grace Melbury. Born in small village she is sent away to become educated and so rises above her village neighbours on the social ladder. Or so her family think. This education is what causes the most problems in the book. It puts her in the centre of a love triangle worthy of teenage angst novels like The Hunger Games. I can understand why this was Hardy's favourite story. There are twists and turns that I didn't see coming and that is what redeemed this book from its mediocre middle chapters.
Giles Winterborne and Edred Fitzpiers are the two lovers. Winterborne is the steady woodsman that has loved Grace all his life and would give up anything for her, but is deemed below her in station. Fitzpiers is the local doctor and lives a stereotypical bad boy lifestyle of Hardy's day. He is loved by many of the local women of varying social standings and Grace at some points wonders why they do so, when he has treated them all so badly.
If you read no other novel this year read this one. It ends so well, although towards the end there is an incident with a mantrap that made me feel a little sick. If you've read it let me know what you thought of it.
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