The trumpet-major

by Thomas Hardy

Set against a backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, this is a novel about a young woman and the three very different suitors who vie for her hand. Two of the men are brothers involved in the fighting, one an easygoing sailor, the other an honest and diffident trumpet major, the third suitor being the cowardly son of the local squire.

More by Thomas Hardy

Far from the Madding CrowdThomas Hardy
Tess of the d'UrbervillesThomas Hardy
The Return of the NativeThomas Hardy
Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quireThomas Hardy
Jude the ObscureThomas Hardy
The WoodlandersThomas Hardy
The Mayor of CasterbridgeThomas Hardy
Moments of visionThomas Hardy
A pair of blue eyesThomas Hardy
The Well-belovedThomas Hardy
Two on a towerThomas Hardy
Desperate RemediesThomas Hardy

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?