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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I felt like I’d been in a Hardy-slump lately, in my attempt to read 1 Hardy novel a month this year, so veered off the schedule and read this when I was meant to be reading [b:The Trumpet-Major|1128994|The Trumpet-Major|Thomas Hardy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1181228461s/1128994.jpg|1295893]. Like every Hardy novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge is another case of extreme dramatics attempting to illustrate a point.
This reads somewhat different to previous Hardy novels that had become slightly repetitive for me. Instead of the concentration being on an individual female, the main protagonist is a male who is extremely unlikable many times throughout the novel. I don’t think Michael Henchard is necessarily written to be unlikable, but his all too human emotions certainly lead him into a pathetic state of being.
The consequences of attempting to escape your past, the tragedies of a drunken mistake, the all-too convenient coincidences that define your present and future are heavy struggles for Henchard. Although for most of the novel I despised his character, in the end all that’s really left to feel for him is pity.
Often what makes Hardy a very cruel writer is his ability to abuse his powers as the God of his novels. He’s always played it fast and loose with the concept of deus ex machina and many times some of his characters like Henchard react badly to the consequences of Hardy stepping in and taunting their fates. In fact, Henchard might be the worst case I’ve seen yet. And yes, that includes [b:Jude the Obscure|50798|Jude the Obscure|Thomas Hardy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389403264s/50798.jpg|41342119], which frankly drew no sympathy from me at all.
In the end, I did not like Michael Henchard but I certainly did like this novel a lot. It’s melodramatic, gut wrenching, and beautifully written.
This reads somewhat different to previous Hardy novels that had become slightly repetitive for me. Instead of the concentration being on an individual female, the main protagonist is a male who is extremely unlikable many times throughout the novel. I don’t think Michael Henchard is necessarily written to be unlikable, but his all too human emotions certainly lead him into a pathetic state of being.
The consequences of attempting to escape your past, the tragedies of a drunken mistake, the all-too convenient coincidences that define your present and future are heavy struggles for Henchard. Although for most of the novel I despised his character, in the end all that’s really left to feel for him is pity.
Often what makes Hardy a very cruel writer is his ability to abuse his powers as the God of his novels. He’s always played it fast and loose with the concept of deus ex machina and many times some of his characters like Henchard react badly to the consequences of Hardy stepping in and taunting their fates. In fact, Henchard might be the worst case I’ve seen yet. And yes, that includes [b:Jude the Obscure|50798|Jude the Obscure|Thomas Hardy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389403264s/50798.jpg|41342119], which frankly drew no sympathy from me at all.
In the end, I did not like Michael Henchard but I certainly did like this novel a lot. It’s melodramatic, gut wrenching, and beautifully written.
Oh Thomas Hardy, the author that knows how to play with your heart strings and provide you with an emotional gut punch!
The book is about a young man who makes a terrible decision while drunk one day, and has to live and suffer the consequences of it. While he rises in the towns society and eventually becomes the mayor, he is still haunted by his actions and tries to make things right!
The characters in the book are really well developed and make you love them (and maybe hate them) for so many different reasons! You hate Michael, the mayor of Casterbridge, but you also empathize with a man who wants to right his wrongs and do what’s best. You also want to believe that people can change and that they turn out for the better. His daughter, Elizabeth Jane, so sweet and kind and you just can’t help but love her calm demeanour. And can I say plot twists!! Oh my the plot twists! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, something else would occur that would throw me through a loop!
I love Hardy as an author, and loved this book. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a good classic!
The book is about a young man who makes a terrible decision while drunk one day, and has to live and suffer the consequences of it. While he rises in the towns society and eventually becomes the mayor, he is still haunted by his actions and tries to make things right!
The characters in the book are really well developed and make you love them (and maybe hate them) for so many different reasons! You hate Michael, the mayor of Casterbridge, but you also empathize with a man who wants to right his wrongs and do what’s best. You also want to believe that people can change and that they turn out for the better. His daughter, Elizabeth Jane, so sweet and kind and you just can’t help but love her calm demeanour. And can I say plot twists!! Oh my the plot twists! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, something else would occur that would throw me through a loop!
I love Hardy as an author, and loved this book. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a good classic!
Imagine a husband being so drunk that he talks of selling his wife. He open bids her wife in a bar and his child too. Everyone thinks it is a joke, but the wife has seen this coming way to many times and plays along. She is fine with someone else buying her and her daughter and leave the drunkard.
Every man plays along and starts bidding on her with pennies and someone bids 5 chillings, the husband agrees and says he would sell his wife for not less than 5 shillings. Suddenly a stranger, new to town appears and hands him the notes, takes his wife and daughter. Everyone is shocked. A joke taken literally gets legally binding. The drunkard is left ashamed of his foolery. This was the intro to the book, sucked me right in!
Rating- 3.75
Every man plays along and starts bidding on her with pennies and someone bids 5 chillings, the husband agrees and says he would sell his wife for not less than 5 shillings. Suddenly a stranger, new to town appears and hands him the notes, takes his wife and daughter. Everyone is shocked. A joke taken literally gets legally binding. The drunkard is left ashamed of his foolery. This was the intro to the book, sucked me right in!
Rating- 3.75
This is my favorite Hardy by far. I loved everyone’s evolving relationships and families. I loved the psychological depth to Mr Henchard. I loved the morbid imagery that pervaded the setting and scenes. I couldn’t anticipate the plot. I loved how the end was bittersweet. The narrator of my audiobook, Pamela Garelick, really brought the characters to life.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A beautiful, sad, glorious work of art. I'll take all the Hardy now, thanks.
The subtitle of this novel is “The Life and Death of a Man of Character”, and it summarizes perfectly the story of the main character Michael Henchard, a man who sells his wife and daughter at the very beginning of the book.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this classic for a number of reasons.
First of all the story is eventful but clear, you don’t get lost in the plot but let me tell you that a lot of twists and turns happen.
(Also, shout out to me for predicting nearly every single event but then being surprised when they actually happened.)
The story is fast-paced, funny and sad and entertaining: I greatly enjoyed reading it and it made me want to go back to Casterbridge whenever I put the book down.
There is a number of quite believable characters to follow, most of them are good and flawed people who sometimes do bad things, but you get to witness their reasons for doing so.
After selling his wife, Mike Henchard tries to turn his life for the better by becoming a corn-merchant and Mayor of Casterbridge, but things start to fall apart when his wife and daughter find him and a young scotsman becomes his new employee.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this classic for a number of reasons.
First of all the story is eventful but clear, you don’t get lost in the plot but let me tell you that a lot of twists and turns happen.
(Also, shout out to me for predicting nearly every single event but then being surprised when they actually happened.)
The story is fast-paced, funny and sad and entertaining: I greatly enjoyed reading it and it made me want to go back to Casterbridge whenever I put the book down.
There is a number of quite believable characters to follow, most of them are good and flawed people who sometimes do bad things, but you get to witness their reasons for doing so.
After selling his wife, Mike Henchard tries to turn his life for the better by becoming a corn-merchant and Mayor of Casterbridge, but things start to fall apart when his wife and daughter find him and a young scotsman becomes his new employee.
King Lear in the midlands. Except that the daughter doesn't die and dad runs off into the hay making scheme of things. I want to be serious, but this book just made me think of that and yeah, that's all I have to say about this.
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes