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A review by inthecommonhours
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
4.0
Struggled with rating this one. 3 1/2 maybe. Some days it was a five star read and others a two, with me wanting to throw it at a wall. But I can't understand those here who say it was boring, or none of the characters realistic.
The characters were so true to the personalities, it was painful to watch. I couldn't stand Sue---she made me crazy, and men who allow women to treat them that way make me crazier. The worst is that Jude would often describe exactly what drives Sue, show that he knew exactly what she was doing, and yet, still do whatever she bid.
It sounds like most people knew what to expect at the end. I was completely unprepared. I began knowing it would be bleak. It is Hardy after all. I expected loss. But the bedroom scene is a shock. I don't know. At that point, I was annoyed with every character and Hardy as well.
Still, there were so many lines, paragraphs and ideas that made me flip to the front to confirm it was published in the late 1800s. Amazing. I can only imagine the urgency and boldness one felt reading it when it first appeared.
It may take me days to fully recover, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I found I did care about the characters, despite how annoyed with them I became (especially Jude with his whole family in the rain, homeless, while he indulges his dreams), and I know it will remain in my mind forever.
The characters were so true to the personalities, it was painful to watch. I couldn't stand Sue---she made me crazy, and men who allow women to treat them that way make me crazier. The worst is that Jude would often describe exactly what drives Sue, show that he knew exactly what she was doing, and yet, still do whatever she bid.
It sounds like most people knew what to expect at the end. I was completely unprepared. I began knowing it would be bleak. It is Hardy after all. I expected loss. But the bedroom scene is a shock. I don't know. At that point, I was annoyed with every character and Hardy as well.
Still, there were so many lines, paragraphs and ideas that made me flip to the front to confirm it was published in the late 1800s. Amazing. I can only imagine the urgency and boldness one felt reading it when it first appeared.
It may take me days to fully recover, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I found I did care about the characters, despite how annoyed with them I became (especially Jude with his whole family in the rain, homeless, while he indulges his dreams), and I know it will remain in my mind forever.