The Woodlanders – Thomas Hardy

More contemplative than most of the Hardy with which I am familiar, this nevertheless reprises many of the key Wessex themes, notably the conflict between old ways of life and modernity, and the role of women in reshaping our society. The setting is beautifully evoked, the characters are well realised and the plot works well enough until a slightly clumsy ending. For some reason this isn’t considered one of the author’s major works, but it is masterly stuff.