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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
I thought I'd read most Thomas Hardy books, but found this one after a trip to Boscastle (the setting for the book).
Elfride Swancourt is the daughter of the local vicar. When a young man comes to examine the church for rebuilding, he is smitten. Elfride feels likewise, but Stephen is (in her father's estimation) inferior. After an aborted elopement, they agree to wait for marriage while Stephen makes his fortune. Complications arise, and Elfride is no truer to Stephen than she was to his predecessor.
It was an enjoyable read with some suspense as to how it might turn out. Elfride is annoying at times, mostly due to her youth, but the reader can forgive her as the story progresses. Her father reminded me of Sir Walter Elliot from Austen's Persuasion and I quite enjoyed his nonsense as the story progresses.
Elfride Swancourt is the daughter of the local vicar. When a young man comes to examine the church for rebuilding, he is smitten. Elfride feels likewise, but Stephen is (in her father's estimation) inferior. After an aborted elopement, they agree to wait for marriage while Stephen makes his fortune. Complications arise, and Elfride is no truer to Stephen than she was to his predecessor.
It was an enjoyable read with some suspense as to how it might turn out. Elfride is annoying at times, mostly due to her youth, but the reader can forgive her as the story progresses. Her father reminded me of Sir Walter Elliot from Austen's Persuasion and I quite enjoyed his nonsense as the story progresses.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this as part of a readalong over on Instagram.
I didn’t really know what to expect going in. The only Hardy I’d previously read was Far from the Madding Crowd back in 1996 and I suspect I was too young to fully appreciate it. So Blue Eyes almost feels like my first “proper” Hardy experience.
From the outset I was struck by two things: Hardy’s descriptions of nature are beautiful and his characters are flawed and challenging.
I found it interesting reading about characters I didn’t really like, although it speaks for the writing that despite this, I still read on. Elfride is inconstant and flighty and perhaps overindulged. Her father is blinkered and pompous. Stephen is perhaps too naive and Knight was a nightmare!
The blurb on the back hinted at the path this story would take. There was no happy ending here. Throughout the book there were often sweeping statements about women and I struggled to decide whether these echoed Hardy's beliefs or if he was highlighting societal views. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt…just.
Despite Elfride’s annoying nature I did sympathise with her by the end of the book. Her youthful misguided behaviour ends up being judged overly harshly and unfairly costing her happiness. If a man of the time had behaved in the same way there would be no issue.
The book highlights double standards and classism in English society at the time, but also the hypocrisy that follows when lower classes become upwardly mobile.
I’m not expressing myself satisfactorily but I enjoyed this book. I found it a relatively easy read and I did want to find out what happened to everyone. However I’m not sure how long these characters will stay with me and I didn’t really care about any of them that deeply. I was fascinated to learn that Blue Eyes contains the origin of the expression “cliffhanger”!
..but I loved Hardy’s descriptions of nature. Here are some quick examples:
“The mists were creeping out of pools and swamps for their pilgrimages of the night..”
“It was so early that the shaded places still smelt like night time, and the sunny spots had hardly felt the sun.”
I look forward to continuing the Hardy journey. Next up - Far from the Madding Crowd.
I didn’t really know what to expect going in. The only Hardy I’d previously read was Far from the Madding Crowd back in 1996 and I suspect I was too young to fully appreciate it. So Blue Eyes almost feels like my first “proper” Hardy experience.
From the outset I was struck by two things: Hardy’s descriptions of nature are beautiful and his characters are flawed and challenging.
I found it interesting reading about characters I didn’t really like, although it speaks for the writing that despite this, I still read on. Elfride is inconstant and flighty and perhaps overindulged. Her father is blinkered and pompous. Stephen is perhaps too naive and Knight was a nightmare!
The blurb on the back hinted at the path this story would take. There was no happy ending here. Throughout the book there were often sweeping statements about women and I struggled to decide whether these echoed Hardy's beliefs or if he was highlighting societal views. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt…just.
Despite Elfride’s annoying nature I did sympathise with her by the end of the book. Her youthful misguided behaviour ends up being judged overly harshly and unfairly costing her happiness. If a man of the time had behaved in the same way there would be no issue.
The book highlights double standards and classism in English society at the time, but also the hypocrisy that follows when lower classes become upwardly mobile.
I’m not expressing myself satisfactorily but I enjoyed this book. I found it a relatively easy read and I did want to find out what happened to everyone. However I’m not sure how long these characters will stay with me and I didn’t really care about any of them that deeply. I was fascinated to learn that Blue Eyes contains the origin of the expression “cliffhanger”!
..but I loved Hardy’s descriptions of nature. Here are some quick examples:
“The mists were creeping out of pools and swamps for their pilgrimages of the night..”
“It was so early that the shaded places still smelt like night time, and the sunny spots had hardly felt the sun.”
I look forward to continuing the Hardy journey. Next up - Far from the Madding Crowd.
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(7) - read for uni
This book is honestly kind of a wild ride; it didn't go where I expected and also had a literal cliffhanger which was intense.
William Worm is maybe my favourite fictional character to exist. I was very upset that he barely featured in the second half of the novel. Disappointing.
Elfride makes her mark as a resourceful and strong character when she pulls Knight up the side of a cliff with a rope made from her underwear.
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this, and how much easier I found it to understand than Hardy's previous publication.
Some of the gender stereotypes were irksome, but for a book published in 1873 I can understand why.
This book is honestly kind of a wild ride; it didn't go where I expected and also had a literal cliffhanger which was intense.
William Worm is maybe my favourite fictional character to exist. I was very upset that he barely featured in the second half of the novel. Disappointing.
Elfride makes her mark as a resourceful and strong character when she pulls Knight up the side of a cliff with a rope made from her underwear.
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this, and how much easier I found it to understand than Hardy's previous publication.
Some of the gender stereotypes were irksome, but for a book published in 1873 I can understand why.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Hardy's writing is lovely but the plot of this story was just not interesting and both male characters were very misogynistic. It just failed to evoke any kind of emotion.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes