The Hand of Ethelberta, Hardy’s fifth published novel, first appeared in the Cornhill Magazine between July 1875 and May 1876, and in the New York Times between June 1875 and April 1876. THE HAND OF ETHELBERTA—A COMEDY IN CHAPTERS by Thomas Hardy. The Hand of Ethelberta starts well, maintains its' lively pace through the middle with many plots and schemes all throughout, and finishes well to boot; but not in the way one first expects it to conclude. At the beginning of the book, we are told that Ethelberta was raised in humble circumstances but, through her work as a governess, married well at the age of eighteen. Unlike the majority of Hardy's fiction, the novel is … “Vitae post-scenia celant.”—Lucretius. The Hand of Ethelberta is very different from other novels I have read by Thomas Hardy. The only novel from Hardy that that provides a lighter tale, The Hand of Ethelberta, gives account of the life of a woman who lifts herself to the higher classes of the society. Ethelberta, Hardy's heroine for this book, is one of the most complex characters in Hardy's work. The Hand of Ethelberta is not one of Thomas Hardy’s most well known or most loved novels and it’s certainly vastly different both in style and character from popular works like Tess of the D’Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far From the Madding Crowd and The Return of the Native.Setting out to show he was a versatile writer, Hardy this time avoids telling another tale … It employs Hardyesque description, is well-constructed, and has an entertaining storyline. This DRM-Free edition published by epubBooks , 2010 . OK. "The Hand of Ethelberta" is a good book. At the beginning of the book, we are told that Ethelberta was raised in humble circumstances but, through her work as a governess, married well at the age of eighteen. The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters is a novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1876. It was written, in serial form, for the Cornhill Magazine, which was edited by Leslie Stephen, a friend and mentor of Hardy's. To anyone interested: the files associated with this page, which should be Rudyard Kipling's 'Actions and Reactions', is in fact Thomas Hardy's 'The Hand of Ethelberta… Buy The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters (Penguin Classics S.) New e. by Hardy, Thomas, Dolin, Tim, Dolin, Tim, Dolin, Tim, Ingham, Patricia (ISBN: 9780140435023) from Amazon's Book Store. This somewhat frivolous narrative was produced as an interlude between stories of a more sober design, and it was given the sub-title of a comedy to indicate—though not quite accurately—the aim of the performance. In April 1876, The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters was published by Smith, Elder & Co. in two volumes, with eleven illustrations by George Du Maurier . Its characters, especially Ethelberta, are interesting - and its ending does not turn one inside out psychologically. 591 pages, with a reading time of ~9.0 hours (147,750 words) , and first published in 1876. The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters is a novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1876. Description. Reviews Reviewer: Arbuthnot - - March 9, 2012 Subject: This is NOT 'Actions and Reactions' ! Her husband died two weeks after the wedding and, now twenty-one, Ethelberta lives with her mother-in-law, Lady Petherwin. It was written, in serial form, for the Cornhill Magazine, which was edited by Leslie Stephen, a friend and mentor of Hardy's. PREFACE. LibraryThing Review User Review - jon1lambert - LibraryThing. The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters is a novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1876. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. ~9.0 hours ( 147,750 words ), and has an entertaining storyline, Hardy 's heroine for This book is... 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