the woodlanders.

hi i havent finished the book as yet but i am very interested in the characters and have taken them quiet to heart at the moment.what inriguing characters of the time.i have never seen a heroine as yet in hardys books myself.all i can see are people submerged in there own social ways and manners and morals etc.certainly marty south sounds like an interesting and solid hard worker,but that is her position in life and i dont think she has the means of her character to change that about her.grace is far to hesitant and is absolutely mixed in her feelings and morals and fancies about herself ,her father,her wants and needs and doesnt appear to know what she truly wants as she keeps changing her mind.if she had been born with an active open disposition and knew her own mind on the question of love and had loved fitzpiers she should have gone to felcites and had it be known she knew what was up and also she would have either left fitzpiers and like it or lump it live with giles and get on with it,sod the neighbours and lived some quality existence even for a short time after all felicite charmond did.she didnt appear to have a mind as to who she loved though and took to much notice of her poor father and his worn out feelings in the matter,such where the times maybe.?can not understand what is being a heroine in this matter ?there are none,the story is made up of characters who are tied to there notions and set in some ways and also they just cannot decide what they want.also if marty south was so much in love with giles why did she not at least tell him?unless you mean that on finding giles loved grace she kept quiete and lived in self denial of her feelings for fear it wiuld worry poor giles into marrying her.i believe they all suffered,perhaps marty a little less of the neurotic kind as the others.but no heroes here i dont think it was wwritten with that in mind.