
A LAODICEAN: A STORY OF TO-DAY
By Thomas Hardy
PREFACE.
BOOK THE FIRST. GEORGE SOMERSET.
BOOK THE SECOND. DARE AND HAVILL.
BOOK THE THIRD. DE STANCY.
BOOK THE FOURTH. SOMERSET, DARE AND DE STANCY.
BOOK THE FIFTH. DE STANCY AND PAULA.
BOOK THE SIXTH. PAULA.
In a quiet English village, a young draughtsman spends long afternoons measuring the ancient stone doorway of the parish church. Bathed in the golden glow of a setting sun, he records each moulding with meticulous care, his tools a blend of art and geometry. The scene is both a study of craftsmanship and a meditation on the passage of time, as the crumbling edifice bears silent witness to generations long gone.
The novel follows his encounters with the village’s shifting social order, where old manor houses are giving way to new aspirations. Through his thoughtful observations, the story explores themes of love, ambition, and the uneasy balance between tradition and change. As the draughtsman's own feelings surface, readers are drawn into a subtle romance that mirrors the larger transformations around him.
Language
en
Duration
~13 hours (776K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Les Bowler, and David Widger
Release date
2002-06-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1840–1928
Best known for vivid, tragic stories set in the rural world he called Wessex, this English writer also became one of the major poets of his age. His novels and poems are remembered for their sympathy, emotional force, and sharp eye for ordinary lives under pressure.
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by Thomas Hardy

by Thomas Hardy

by Thomas Hardy

by Thomas Hardy

by Thomas Hardy

by Thomas Hardy

by Thomas Hardy