One of Thomas Hardy`s most greatly loved and gentlest books, `Under the Greenwood Tree` is an unashamed idyll and picturesque portrait of the long-vanished pastoral society of early Victorian England. It was the book which established Hardy as a writer and is the ideal vehicle for him to express his affection and love for the Wessex countryside, rural life and characters in all seasons and moods. `Under the Greenwood Tree` will strike a chord with the modern day reader.