Product Description

"Two On A Tower" (1882) is a tale of star-crossed love in which Hardy sets the emotional lives of his two lovers against the background of the stellar universe. The unhappily married Lady Constantine breaks all the rules of social decorum when she falls in love with Swithin St. Cleeve, an astronomer who is ten years her junior. Her husband's death leaves the lovers free to marry, but the discovery of a legacy forces them apart. This is Hardy's most complete treatment of the theme of love across the class and age divide and the fullest expression of his fascination with science and astronomy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #929480 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-01
• Released on: 2000-07-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780140435368
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Review

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About the Author
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), the author of Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure, and Under the Greenwood Tree, was also an accomplished poet. Many of his works, including his poetry, are available from Penguin Classics.
Sally Shuttleworth is Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Sheffield, England.

From AudioFile
Although Two on a Tower is a minor Thomas Hardy work, minor Thomas Hardy is much worth a listener's time. In this novel, set in Wessex, the rich Lady Constantine lives a boring existence, also a chaste one, forced on her by an absent husband who may indeed be dead. But then she meets young Swithin, a naively ambitious astronomer, who shares with her his passion for the stars. Soon the two are passionate about each other, and the malevolent fate so often found in Hardy's novels begins to demand its seemingly inevitable retribution. A sad story, this, read perfectly by Michael Kitchen. He handles the major characters and the minor ones with careful distinction and sensi-tivity to their education and station, and is clearly sympathetic as Lady Constantine's few moments of happiness give way to tragedy. A first-rate reading of a truly fine novel, even if less well known than other Hardy works. T.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Just another reason why Thomas Hardy is such a perfectionist
Beautifully written, Thomas Hardy goes all out to make the reader see, hear, and smell every scene in this book. From begining to end, you never know what's going to happen next, and just when you think the story is calming down, Hardy throws a swerve your way. Great surprises, not predictable at all.

Hardy perhaps one of the better describers of setting of his time, shows once again, why books were so highly read back in his age.

Thomas once again delivered another great book of sadness, happiness, pregnancy and marriage. Although the story is mostly sad, it is still a great book, especially for those who have read previous Hardy books. A great read.

Two on a Tower
Two on a Tower was the 11th Thomas Hardy's 14 novels that I have read. Hardy can be depended upon to paint a vivid picture of the characters' environment, and their relationships to it, but this time with a twist: One of the two characters being an astronomer, most of the environmental descriptions are of the heavens, and are wonderfully appropriate for the characters' actions and 'aspects'.
Hardy had a gift of creating characters who are fascinating in their personalities and actions, and together with the environmental descriptions, reading his novels is just one step away from watching a really good movie of the story.
Of all Hardy's varied characters, I felt the most sympathy for the two on the tower. Viviette has a great need for love and is selfless in giving it. Swithin, a somewhat naive and literate scientist, is at the same time a tender and faithful lover. Of all Hardy's stories, I hoped that this one would somehow have that "happy ending", and I suffered uncounted times for both characters.
I highly recommend this book for emotional involvement, though it may tear you apart to read it!
I would also recommend another of Hardy's lesser known novels The Woodlanders, which I understand was his own favorite story, and remains mine also.

The story gets sadder the more I think about it
The story of a lonely woman caught between love and propriety, self-sacrifice and self-interest, "Two on a Tower" is one of the saddest novels I've read. I kept hoping for a description of a blissful-but-brief interlude for Viviette, but it never materialized. Instead, unhappiness dogged her to the novel's cruel end. Yes, cruel. The final event in the book was an unnecessary stroke. Also, while I usually accept a character's actions, I cannot believe that Viviette NEVER anticipated becoming pregnant. The possibility certainly haunted ME from the moment her secret marriage took place. For all of it's sadness, however, the story is engaging and provides a criticism of the unforgiving social conventions of Hardy's time.