The Woodlanders - the first bit

I started reading this, because I saw a video clip of someone say it was one of his happier books (this charming, young Arizonan here). It is reputedly Hardy's favourite book. I don't know what to make of it so far. It's not hard to read. I only started it on Thursday night and I am already a quarter of the way through. I don't think it opens as well as Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and I don't think the characters are as well drawn. For instance, John and Joan Durbeyfield from Tess seemed like real people: feckless idiots, both of them, but real people. The characters in this book seem a little bit faded in comparison. There's a Fitzpiers character who is often alluded to, but who has not yet made his entrance. He sounds rather colourful, although not very plausible. The scene of the action is a hamlet called Little Hintock. It seems a limited, little, claustrophobic world. It is easy to see why anyone who has seen a bit of the world would not want to be stuck there. Class-consciousness, money-consciousness, and trying to make a good marriage in terms of love and money are familar 19th century themes. Characters from at least four different social strata are included in the story. Mrs Charmond is gentry, rich enough to live in a grand manor house and go touring around Europe. Mr Melbury is a timber merchant, who owing to some wise investments is also relatively rich, but of lower social standing than Mrs Charmond. Giles Winterbourne is a yeoman, who deals mainly in cider and apple trees. He is not entirely poor, but neither is he rich. Then there is Marty South, who is a peasant. The thing I don't quite buy is the premise that Mr Melbury has sworn to himself to see his daughter marry Giles Winterbourne to make amends for stealing Winterbourne's father's intended bride. That seems a rather unusual sentiment. It seems strange that his daughter is prepared to go along with the plan, although it is clear she does not want to. In other Victorian literature, women did not have much power but no one tried to force them to accept marriage proposals they did not want.

Economic matters:

Mr Melbury has invested in turnpikes. These are toll roads you have to pay to travel down. They were obviously a good investment.
Marty South is paid eighteen pence for every thousand wooden spars that she makes. She can make 1500 working all day and half the night, earning two shillings and three pence.
The peruquier offers her two gold sovereigns (which I am pretty sure is £2) for her hair so that Mrs Charmond can have a new wig. That is about eighteen days' pay.
Mr Melbury has been paying £100 a year to have his daughter, Grace, educated at a posh school.
The inheritance rights on the cottages are a bit unusual, although similar to the situation described with Tess's parents. Marty South's father is a copy-holder, which means he cannot be evicted from his cottage as long as he lives. While he lives, he pays rent to Giles Winterbourne, but when Mr South dies, ownership of the cottage reverts to Mrs Charmond.