This novel has received less attention in the U.S. than some of Hardy's other works, such an The Mayor Of Casterbridge, w ith its theme of the individual in tragic conflict with fate. The Woodlanders dwells on the needless sufferings and unhappiness brought on by class privelege. This is a subject always sure to raise suspicions of membership in the Khmer Rouge or the North Korean Secret Police here in the holyland of capitalism. But it is a beautiful work of art. Henry James and Jacques Barzun sneered at it because of its attacks on the upper classes. But that is a mark in its favor. Anything opposed by those two must be on the side of progress and human emancipation.

This is one of my favourite Hardy novels. As some others have noted, it's not one of the "big 5" but certainly worth reading. Hardy's descriptions of the woodlands are beautiful, and I found the ending to be one of his most unpredictable. I wouldn't recommend reading it if you are feeling down, as the ending is sooooo wonderfully tragic (hehe), or if you're not a fan of Hardy's prose style, but otherwise it's a wonderful read. Very personal as well. I got the feeling it was written just for me :)

It's easy to see how Thomas Hardy became a wonderful poet after his long career of writing novels, given the meaty prose and superb scenery he conjured in "The Woodlanders." Tales of matrimonial and unrequited love compete for space amongst the bounty of Hardy's described woods, heaths and vales. "Woodlanders" offers some of the most complex and well-developed characters of Hardy's novelistic pantheon. Yet such stories of amor et fides, honor and self-sacrifice quickly become a backdrop when Hardy reaches for the woods of his mind.

At first I was forced to read "The Mayor of Casterbridge" in school more than 12 years ago. Reading it slowly made an impact on my life. This book always served a special purpose in my life. It introduced me to the wide world of Literature. It sort of enlighten my interest and liking for English literature. Now re-reading it not only brought back fond memories of my yester school days but also renewed my liking to one of the greatest writer of all time Thomas Hardy.

Through this novel I came to the understanding of Irony and oxymoron. Hardy totally wrote with a sense of awareness of human characteristic and he had a amazing style of mixed humour with tragedy.

His protagonist,Michael Henchard's life was under the microscope of Hardy.

I love the way the story began I quote:"ONE evening of late summer, before the nineteenth century had reached one-third of its span, a young man and woman, the latter carrying a child, were approaching the large village of Weydon-Priors, in Upper Wessex, on foot. " I love the Englishness and the sense of intriguing events that would follow...

In brief, Michael Henchard was a drunk who sold his wife and daughter at the fair. Later he realised his mistakes he work real hard and eventually became the mayor of Casterbridge. His life took another twist 20 years later when his wife and daughter came back to his life plus a few more other characters adding on the complexity of his life.Soonafter events unfolded and many things became to go against his way and then came his downfall. Indeed Michael Henchard's rise and fall were filled with compelling details and his encounters with numerous intestering people.

What I love most about this novel was the way Hardy depicted Henchard's behaviours and thoughts and totally enhanced his weak character and irresponsibleness with dashes of ironies. His sardonic literary style were brilliant and at the same time he also vividly described the scenery and situations. Another greatest of Hardy was his ability to create innovative characters still account for in modern contemporary days and he was a pioneer in analysising human's weakness and blended it into his creation. It's a vintage classic,psychoanalytic and intriguingly written ,a must read for all books lover.

I remember having read this book in high school. I immediately fell in love with Hardy. (I was also fond of Hardy Boys at that time, so in my opinion the name Hardy acquired a special significance.) Unfortunately, though, I never liked another book by him quite so much. I've read Tess of the d'Urbvilles, Under the Greenwood Tree, Far from the Madding Crowd(which was perhaps his second best novel, as others here have affirmed), and perhaps a few others. It is strange, or perhaps significant that I remember the exact circumstance when I was reading this book. It must have been about ten in the night. I had cleared my study desk, and unlike my common practice of lying on my stomach on my bed to enjoy a book into the night, I sat down on the straight-backed chair at the desk to read it. Very soon, I was overwhelmed by the narrative of Mr. Hardy. My father came in to see what I was up to, saw the tears streaming down my face as I turned the pages of my book, and quietly went away. I have never before owned any story books- my parents told me to read out of libraries. But now I am 22, and have started earning some money of my own, and I'm going to start a little collection of my most beloved books, to pass on to my children, perhaps? And this is among my very best.

I read this novel in English class, like most people probably did. It was one of the best assigned to us.

Hardy is a gifted author. He writes in a clear style with vivid descriptions that really bring the setting alive, without making the reader (at least this reader) feel inundated with borning, unnecessary detail.

The thing that I look for most in a novel, however, is quality characterizeations, and this book had them in spades. Dialogue was used effectively to flesh out characters. These are not stock characters, either. These people have flaws and shades of grey. They seem as though they could be real. I found that I could relate to the characters, and I did empathize with them, even when I didn't agree with their choices. Everyone had clear motivations. The characterization of Henchard shows that Hardy clearly understood the notion of the tragic flaw and the tragic hero/anti hero.

Students who have to read this book as part of their English class may find it a bit on the long side. I would urge you to stick with it; once you get through the initial chapters the book will pick up (a commonality that all British classics seem to share). The book is easy to follow and understand. It is a key novel that marks the shift from Romantic Age to the Victorian Age, so it's an important read for anyone who has a serious interest in English Literature.

This Guide is about all it does. Get's you through the basics. To bad they didn't let VersusBooks do this one. Their treatment of Baldur's Gate II & the Expansion was perfect (except for the printing errors, which they graciously correctly and provide a replacement at no charge for those of us with an early edition) All the really good stuff you buy a guide for is completely left out (What the loot is where to get it) and although you don't always want to use them. The inclusion of the cheats codes is a nice bonus VersusBooks gives us for BG:II but prima LEAVES OUT for ID:II. But since this is all there is I guess you have to buy it. I hope Bioware and BlackIsle will use Versus in the future as prima's guides are weak.

The consists mainly of a walkthrough. The do have maps and nice little helpful hint boxes. That portion of the book is done well and I have no complaints there, but what I can't understand is not having a list of items or breaking down the spells by class and by level (something sorely needed in the manual). If you just want a walkthrough, then this guide will serve, but if you want a complete guide, you will be disappointed.

Prima is usually the standard when it comes to strategy guides. They are pretty reknown for their in-depth walkthroughs and attention to detail, but with Icewind Dale 2, they fell somewhat short of my expectations.

The guide has the "essential" information; they detail the new 3rd Edition D&D rules, providing a small glossary of 3E terms (Hit points, Armor Class, etc.) lists the new skills, feats and races, including all the benefits and disadvantages of each. The Character descriptions are nicely detailed, describing their individual abilities and disadvantages and their roles and recommended positions in combat. A monster list is available with a description of each, and they give an outline of the spells with their respective icons in the game. Additional spell lists are found in the appendix, listing individual class spells separately. Prima also gives a "few guidelines" for building your own party. Helpful notes and tips appear in rounded boxes throughout the book which give necessary information that you might not spot immediately in the book text, and it provides a decent walkthrough. The maps of the areas are impressively crisp and clear versus previous Prima strategy guides; you won't have to squint to see them. For black and white reproductions, most are surprisingly easy on the eyes.

Unfortunately, the book is not quite thorough. Are they going to produce another Icewind Dale 2 guide with complete information and charge everyone for it a second time? You will find a list of BASIC weapon stats and BASIC Armor and Shield "Data" all on one page, but a COMPLETE list of items, magic or otherwise is absent. In addition, the guide states that all major/minor quests are detailed but not every "experience point opportunity". This may have been implemented for those who wanted to find everything on their own. I would have loved the guide to list a few sample parties; that's the first place I turn to. Veteran gamers like me may not need that info but it's a must have for people new to the game. If you are expecting this book to have everything, you will be disappointed. Prima did do an okay job on this book, but I expected better from them; if they are the only company producing an IWD2 strategy guide, fans looking for additional info will have to look elsewhere.