jenmcgee 's review for:

A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy

3.0

---

Hardy uses a love triangle to say a lot of things about love, class, women, and life, but whether it's the culture and time differences between us or a flaw in the work itself, I feel like I missed a lot of what he was saying. I suspect I often took as sincere things meant to be ironic, and perhaps took as ironic things meant to be sincere, but the tone seemed to waver between comedic and tragic unpredictably. Evocative but frustrating. Probably worth the read, however, for a deservedly famous dramatic rescue on a cliff. I expected that rescue to lead to the discovery of a greater depth of character for the heroine (a rather weak-willed girl who suddenly acts with determination and bravery), but it never seemed to pay off in the long run. It stands on its own beautifully, though.