Cover of The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters by Thomas Hardy Ebook The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters
Ebook · Sovereign

The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters

Author
Thomas Hardy
Series
Timeless Classic
Language
English
Length
352 pages
ISBN
9781910558041
Published
15 August 2014
Imprint
Sovereign
  • Thomas Hardy
  • country life
  • rustic
  • evocative
  • unrequited love
  • class
  • education
  • family
  • modernism
  • emotional health

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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