The Woodlanders

It is a lesser known novel from Thomas Hardy. However, it touched my heart the most. I was in the flushes of romance during my early 20s when others were busy firming up their career path.:) In that process I even wrote a novel after my B.E., which few of my friends hail as a national comedy.:)
I chanced to read this novel and found it too captivating and unputdownable. The character of Winterborne seemed attractive because of his unflinching love for Grace Mulbery.
First, let me give you the plot summary as per wikipedia:
The story takes place in a small woodland village called Little Hintock, and concerns the efforts of an honest woodsman, Giles Winterbourne, to marry his childhood sweetheart, Grace Melbury. Although they have been informally betrothed for some time, her father has made financial sacrifices to give his adored only child a superior education and no longer considers Giles good enough for her. When the new doctor – a well-born and handsome young man named Edred Fitzpiers – takes an interest in Grace, her father does all he can to make Grace forget Giles, and to encourage what he sees as a brilliant match. Grace has more awe than love for Fitzpiers, but marries him nonetheless. After the honeymoon, the couple take up residence in an unused wing of Melbury's house. Soon, however, he begins an affair with a rich widow named Mrs. Charmond, takes to treating Grace coldly, and finally deserts her one night after he accidentally reveals his true character to his father-in-law.

Melbury tries to procure a divorce for his daughter so she can marry Giles after all, but in vain. When Fitzpiers quarrels with Mrs. Charmond and returns to Little Hintock to try to reconcile with his wife, she flees the house and turns to Giles for help. He is still convalescing from a dangerous illness, but nobly allows her to sleep in his hut during stormy weather, whilst he insists on sleeping outside. As a result, he dies. Grace later allows herself to be won back to the at least temporarily repentant Fitzpiers, thus sealing her fate as the wife of an unworthy man. No one is left to mourn Giles except a courageous peasant girl named Marty South, who all along has been the overlooked but perfect mate for him, and who has always loved him.

What a novel! I used to fantasise of my position as that of Winterborne. Now it seems that what a silly thing it was to think like that. But then it is probably another way to live. On the contrary in my musings I find that I was more in love with life sans everything else. My muse still exists and I am truly a Winterborne now involved in a sinecure in the eyes of the world! I do not mind that anymore. But will reflecting on my past loving memories at least provide me an objective to live further?
The poem in the novel was touching,
‘ If I forget,
The salt creek may forget the ocean;
If I forget
The heart whence flowed my heart’s bright motion,
May I sink meanlier than the worst,
Abandoned, outcast, crushed, accurst,
If I forget.
Though you forget,
No word of mine shall mar your pleasure;
Though you forget,-
You filled my barren life with treasure;
You may withdraw the gift you gave,
You still are queen, I still am slave,
Though you forget.’
There is a movie on the novel directed by Phil Agland and it won a few good awards and nominations.
The cast was as follows:
Emily Woof ... Grace Melbury
Rufus Sewell ... Giles Winterbourne
Cal Macaninch ... Dr. FitzPiers
Tony Haygarth ... Mr. Melbury
Jodhi May ... Marty South
Polly Walker ... Mrs. Charmond
Walter Sparrow ... Old Creedle
Sheila Burrell ... Grandma Oliver