The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters

Name: The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters
Author: Thomas Hardy
ISBN: 9781802568509

Author: Thomas Hardy
Read by: Eloise Fairfax
Language: English
Length: 13 hours 19 minutes
ISBN: 9781802568509
Published: 1 September 2025
Imprint: Sovereign

Thomas Hardy
country life
rustic
evocative
unrequited love
class
education
family
modernism
emotional health

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Description

"The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters" diverges from Thomas Hardy's traditional rural settings, offering a witty satire on the social mores and pretensions of Victorian England. Ethelberta Petherwin, a butler's daughter turned poetess and storyteller, navigates the complexities of rising through the social ranks while keeping her family's lowly origins concealed. With sharp wit and a cunning mind, Ethelberta maneuvers through love, ambition, and societal expectations, challenging the conventions of her day. Hardy crafts a comedic yet insightful exploration of class, gender, and the pursuit of happiness in a rigid social hierarchy.

Author

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) gave English literature its most unforgettable tragic landscapes — the imagined county of Wessex, where heath, village, and market town hold the fate of ordinary lives. In Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and Far from the Madding Crowd, he wrote characters undone by chance, desire, and the hard edges of Victorian society.

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Other editions

Ebook · English · Sovereign9781910558041