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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perhaps 3.5. An interesting Hardy read - not my favourite but one that certainly has given me a lot to think about. In general I found the characters engaging and the plotting well done, with some stunning scenes, although the ending was a little disappointing.
I'm a bit surprised by this book because I thought it was just fine for a majority of it, but the ending really blew me away.
Hardy is such a sneaky little feminist. You get so caught up with which of her suitors are going to win her that you get deceived by forgetting about Elfride and who she is and what she wants and what is best for her in all of it.
Because I hated Knight so much, I was rooting for Stephen much more than I was at the beginning, that even his faults barely had time to sneak up on me.
The ending was so delicious.
Hardy is such a sneaky little feminist. You get so caught up with which of her suitors are going to win her that you get deceived by forgetting about Elfride and who she is and what she wants and what is best for her in all of it.
Because I hated Knight so much, I was rooting for Stephen much more than I was at the beginning, that even his faults barely had time to sneak up on me.
The ending was so delicious.
"What a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive" might fit this novel by author Thomas Hardy. There are three protagonists in this story and as I have noticed in his other works,Hardy emphasizes the social order of the time and making matches with in ones own class. This work is brilliant and keeps you drawn into this tale never knowing where he will lead. I did find more than a bit of humor and some thought-provoking moments. Hardy novels have a lot to offer and even though most were written over a century ago, modern day readers should easily relate to them.
I enjoyed every minute of this book, start to finish. That doesn't mean that I liked all of the characters all of the time or that it was a perfect book, it was merely a pleasurable read all the way through.
The main reason I wanted to read this particular book is that it's the origin of the term "cliffhanger." Apparently it was originally published in serial form and it does, indeed, leave a character clinging to the side of a cliff at one point. I can see where this was incredibly suspenseful in the serial form, however, in this form it was merely a chapter break and... okay, I totally missed the significance when it happened!!! I was even looking for it and it's just so not dramatic in the book! Still, I'm glad to know why the term came about and I enjoyed the book :)
The main reason I wanted to read this particular book is that it's the origin of the term "cliffhanger." Apparently it was originally published in serial form and it does, indeed, leave a character clinging to the side of a cliff at one point. I can see where this was incredibly suspenseful in the serial form, however, in this form it was merely a chapter break and... okay, I totally missed the significance when it happened!!! I was even looking for it and it's just so not dramatic in the book! Still, I'm glad to know why the term came about and I enjoyed the book :)
Can Thomas Hardy ... Please let a woman find happiness?!
Not everything is 'our' fault Tom.
Hardy has a way of making sad stories, unfair stories, often infuriating stories... a joy to read.
although i wasnt on the edge of my seat, and it took a little while to get going, i did enjoy reading this book once the story picked up. it has the usual train wreck plot line that i love about hardy. how many ways can romance go wrong?
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I was set on giving this 3 stars for being so slow but the last 10 pages earned it another star.