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.
Two on a Tower
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About the Author
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was born and educated in Dorchester. He embarked on a career in architecture which he was able to give up with the increasing success of his novels. He published sixteen novels, as well as many short stories and poems. After the hostile reaction to JUDE THE OBSCURE in 1895, he stopped writing fiction to concentrate on poetry. Sally Shuttleworth is a Lecturer in English at the University of Sheffield. She has written a book on George Eliot and 19th-century science.
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On an early winter afternoon, clear but not cold, when the vegetable world was a weird multitude of skeletons through whose ribs the sun shone freely, a gleaming landau came to a pause on the crest of a hill in Wessex. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
On an early winter afternoon, clear but not cold, when the vegetable world was a weird multitude of skeletons through whose ribs the sun shone freely, a gleaming landau came to a pause on the crest of a hill in Wessex. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read 'Two on a Tower' many years ago, and thought it was a good novel (for me, Hardy just cannot write a bad novel). Re-reading it again recently, I had forgotten just how good it was.
The focus is almost entirely on the 'two' of the title, the astronomer, Swithin St.Cleeve and his lover, Viviette Constantine, which provides Hardy with many opportunities to describe the heavens and to contrast the immensity of the skies with the two protagonists' small and enclosed world. I use the word 'enclosed' deliberately, as Swithin and Viviette's affair must be kept secret. Their isolation is further reinforced by their meeting most often at night or on the tower.
There are the usual Hardy trademarks, for example, descriptions of the environment in which the characters are located or the use of coincidence and chance; but what struck me most was Hardy's evocation of sound: the moving of fir trees in the breeze, the scraping of a fingernail on a window, the sound of Viviette's dress brushing against the sides of the tower as she descends its spiral staircase.
An absorbing reading experience.
The focus is almost entirely on the 'two' of the title, the astronomer, Swithin St.Cleeve and his lover, Viviette Constantine, which provides Hardy with many opportunities to describe the heavens and to contrast the immensity of the skies with the two protagonists' small and enclosed world. I use the word 'enclosed' deliberately, as Swithin and Viviette's affair must be kept secret. Their isolation is further reinforced by their meeting most often at night or on the tower.
There are the usual Hardy trademarks, for example, descriptions of the environment in which the characters are located or the use of coincidence and chance; but what struck me most was Hardy's evocation of sound: the moving of fir trees in the breeze, the scraping of a fingernail on a window, the sound of Viviette's dress brushing against the sides of the tower as she descends its spiral staircase.
An absorbing reading experience.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you're a Hardy fan, you'll know what to expect from one of his romances and Two on a Tower is pretty much along standard lines in that respect - fate, luck and poor judgement abound. The tale contorts its way through some unlikely circumstances and then to my mind, ends dramatically but implausibly. Yes, there are the occasional passages that describe the scenery but I felt this work to contain far fewer, rich evocations of the countryside than I was expecting. Although I appreciate the constraints of the period in respect of the portrayal of the relationship between the lead characters, I still felt that as a reader, I was left guessing at far too much, especially since love struggling across the divides of age or class was one of Hardy's fixations.
This Kindle version that I downloaded didn't have any obvious formatting issues and in that respect I can say that it was perfectly readable but the tale itself left me feeling somewhat unmoved and I think you could position it a long way down your list of 'Hardy I must read' without regretting it.
This Kindle version that I downloaded didn't have any obvious formatting issues and in that respect I can say that it was perfectly readable but the tale itself left me feeling somewhat unmoved and I think you could position it a long way down your list of 'Hardy I must read' without regretting it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Two on A Tower may be considered one of Hardy's minor novels but it's a wonderful little novel in its own right about Lady Viviette Constantine, who has been abandoned by her husband and her love for poor astronomer Swithin St. Cleeve, who is almost ten years younger than her.
Admittedly, it does not maintain the lyrical fascinating beginning where Viviette first discovers Swithin's astronomy and they conduct his studies together. I have no interest in astronomy and yet when Swithin obtains a grand piece of equipment, it is exciting. His love for astronomy is the highlight of the book, as well as his tragic flaw, and Swithin is one of my favourite Hardy males. In some ways he's a bit like Jude but more intelligent and sympathetic.
A lot of melodramatic contrivances follow but the novel is still a pageturner. Anyway, Shakespeare used more contrivances than anyone, and Hardy openly states that the novel is a 'romance', not to be viewed realistically.
If you take the novel seriously, however, there are a lot of interesting themes to be discovered. The discussions of science were incredibly topical for nineteenth-century readers and still are now. Through Viviette, Hardy reveals the plight of respectable women forced to remain constant and isolated when men can simply get up and go. It's a beautiful depiction of a sad truth of the times. The forbidden relationship is dealt with nicely: one can sense Viviette's awkwardness when people refer to Swithin as a boy or 'youth'.
This may be minor Hardy but it's still fascinating. It is also completely charming- later in his career, Hardy lost some of this charm, hence why he is thought of as depressing and bleak.
Admittedly, it does not maintain the lyrical fascinating beginning where Viviette first discovers Swithin's astronomy and they conduct his studies together. I have no interest in astronomy and yet when Swithin obtains a grand piece of equipment, it is exciting. His love for astronomy is the highlight of the book, as well as his tragic flaw, and Swithin is one of my favourite Hardy males. In some ways he's a bit like Jude but more intelligent and sympathetic.
A lot of melodramatic contrivances follow but the novel is still a pageturner. Anyway, Shakespeare used more contrivances than anyone, and Hardy openly states that the novel is a 'romance', not to be viewed realistically.
If you take the novel seriously, however, there are a lot of interesting themes to be discovered. The discussions of science were incredibly topical for nineteenth-century readers and still are now. Through Viviette, Hardy reveals the plight of respectable women forced to remain constant and isolated when men can simply get up and go. It's a beautiful depiction of a sad truth of the times. The forbidden relationship is dealt with nicely: one can sense Viviette's awkwardness when people refer to Swithin as a boy or 'youth'.
This may be minor Hardy but it's still fascinating. It is also completely charming- later in his career, Hardy lost some of this charm, hence why he is thought of as depressing and bleak.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good
I have read other novels by this author and can't wait to read this one. It will make a good read on holiday.
Published 3 months ago by tiddioggie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book
As a Thomas Hard fan I enjoyed this book. His writings are not for everyone but if you are a Thomas Hardy fan then this will not disappoint.
Published 3 months ago by L. Galloway
3.0 out of 5 stars
Getting tired of Hardy?
I have read most of Hardy's novels but for some reason never got round to this one. It's well written, for sure, and quite a page turner, the unexpected just keeps on happening,... Read more
Published 22 months ago by S Edmondson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Above us only sky
'Star-crossed lovers' feature heavily in the novels of Thomas Hardy but here the term is given a literal emphasis. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Gregory S. Buzwell
1.0 out of 5 stars
Penguin, a publisher past it's prime
Penguin was a disruptive publisher when it was founded, it sold low price, high quality paperbacks in a market where high price hardbacks were the norm. It became a great success. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Gilbert and George
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Poor Man and the Lady
Thomas Hardy entitled his first attempt at a novel "The Poor Man and the Lady". The work was never published, and the manuscript is now lost, but its theme of love between people... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2011 by J C E Hitchcock
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not classic Hardy but over 9hrs of quality Victorian literature
This is narrated by Peter Joyce of Assembled Stories not "Michael Kitchen" as in the other review. I have over 30 audio books by Peter Joyce and this one is another high quality... Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2007 by Carl Grainger
2.0 out of 5 stars
Irritating and a time waster
Because this audiobook is unabridged, I normally listen to Side 1 beforedeciding whether to continue .....and I decided to stop then and there . Read more
Published on 26 April 2004 by M. K.
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