The Trumpet-Major (Penguin Classics)

by Thomas Hardy (Author), Patricia Ingham (Preface), Linda M. Shires (Editor)

• New

  Paperback
  1998

  $14.41

  Anne Garland, who lives with her widowed mother in a mill owned by Miller Loveday, has three suitors: the local squire's nephew Festus and the miller's two sons, Robert and John. While Festus' aggressive pursuit deters the young woman from considering him as a husband, the indecisive Anne wavers between light-hearted Bob and gentle, steadfast John. But as their Wessex village prepares for possible invasion by Napoleon's fleet, all find their destinies increasingly tangled with the events of history. The Loveday brothers, one a sailor and one a soldier, must wrestle with their commitments to their country and their feelings for Anne. Lyrical and light-hearted, yet shot through with irony, The Trumpet-Major (1880) is one of Hardy's most unusual novels and a fascinating tale of love and desire.

• Used

  Paperback
  1978

  $3.36

• Used

  Hardcover
  1990

  $3.36

  This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ...these unfortunate days. He might have gone to Weymouth every afternoon, stood before Gloucester Lodge till the King and Queen came out, held his hat in his hand, and enjoyed their Majesties' smiles at his homage all for nothing--watched the picketmounting, heard the different bands strike up, observed the staff; and, above all, have seen the pretty Weymouth girls go trip-trip-trip along the Esplanade, deliberately fixing their innocent eyes on the distant sea, the gray cliffs, and the sky, and accidentally on the soldiers and himself. I'll raze out her image, he said. She shall make a fool of me no more. And his resolve resulted in conduct which had elements of real greatness. He went back to his father, whom he found in the mill-loft. Tis true, father, what you say, he observed; my brains will turn to bilge-water if I think of her much longer. By the oath of a--navigator, I wish I could sigh less and laugh more. Gad, she's gone. Why can't I let her go, and be happy? But how begin? Take it careless, my son, said the miller, and lay yourself out to enjoy snacks and cordials. Ah--that's a thought! said Bob. Baccy is good for't. So is sperrits. Though I don't advise thee to drink neat. Baccy--I'd almost forgot it! said Captain Loveday. He went to his room, hastily untied the package of tobacco that he had brought home, and began to make use of it in his own way, calling to David for a bottle of the old household mead that had lain in the cellar these eleven years. He was discovered by his father threequarters of an hour later as a half-invisible object behind a cloud of smoke. The miller drew a breath of relief. Why, Bob, he said, I thought the house was a-fire! I'm smoking rather fast to drown my reflections, father. Tis no...

• New

  Paperback
  1995

  $6.96

  With an Introduction and Notes by Charles P.C. Pettit. Thomas Hardy's only historical novel, The Trumpet Major is set in Wessex during the Napoleonic Wars. Hardy skilfully immerses us in the life of the day, making us feel the impact of historical events on the immemorial local way of life - the glamour of the coming of George III and his soldiery, fears of the press-gang and invasion, and the effect of distant but momentous events like the Battle of Trafalgar. He interweaves a compelling, bitter-sweet romantic love story of the rivalry of two brothers for the hand of the heroine Anne Garland, played out against the loves of a lively gallery of other characters. While there are elements of sadness and even tragedy, The Trumpet-Major shows Hardy's skills of story-telling, characterisation and description in a novel of vitality, comedy and warmth.