I'm trying to keep some semblance of normalcy in my life, and blogging about books is one of those things that has been part of my life for over ten years now, so onward.
I finally got around to reading The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy. It was on my Back to the Classics list for last year and the one book I didn't read in the challenge. Thankfully, the Goodread group The Victorians read it in March, which was incentive enough for me to dive in.
Interestingly, I really liked the book, and didn't find it as heartrending as I expected. The main character, Michael Henchard, was not sympathetic enough for me to feel much real angst at his spiral into tragedy. When it comes to tragic flaws, his is clearly being impulsive, acting before thinking and then regretting his actions almost immediately afterwards. And, you cannot simply blame his plight on drunkenness. Even when cold sober, he is foolishly rash.
Near the end of the book, it struck me that the story was really that of two mayors of Casterbridge, and as I read on it fell into place that this was basically an archetypal story, that of the new young king challenging and defeating the old king. A tale as old as time, as old as Oedipus.
Donald Farfrae is, of course, the young king, who is young, buoyant, handsome, clever, and at first Michael embraces him as a son. But then the prince outstrips the king, and the people clamor for him, and he steals the old king's woman. Michael is so threatened by Donald that he fights him, and then slinks away to the woods to die.
It is beautifully written--you can tell that Hardy saw that his true calling was to be a poet. I love his turn of phrase, the symmetry of his storytelling.
Here is one of my favorite little passages, when Michael seeks out a soothsayer to predict the weather:
“By the sun, moon, and stars, by the clouds, the winds, the trees, and grass, the candle-flame and swallows, the smell of the herbs; likewise by the cats' eyes, the ravens, the leeches, the spiders, and the dungmixen, the last fortnight in August will be—rain and tempest."
I'm not quite sure why I dreaded reading this so much. Despite the tragedy of the story, I enjoyed it immensely. It gave me much to think about, and the writing really is first rate.
For the Back to the Classics Challenge - 2020, this is for the category Classic with a Place in the Title.
And, drum roll please, this completes the 50-book Classics Challenge that I started back in 2013. I didn't complete the challenge in 5 years, but that's life! I'm not sure I want to sign up for another 50 new classics. Right now I feel the urge to reread classics I love or read so long ago they'll be like new.
Stay safe and healthy, all my book-loving friends.
Stay calm, and read on.
Yay! You completed your CC list, and Yay! for Hardy, especially Mayor of Casterbridge. I do love his writing style. And this one wasn't so terrible.
ReplyDeleteI love your tag line! I hope you and yours are also staying safe and healthy.
ReplyDeleteI have never read any Hardy. I think the story of Tess (never read it but I know what happens...book osmosis) has put me off him. I don't mind when bad things happen in books but I do dislike when I feel a sort of looming, constant fear of what will happen next. But I really should bite the bullet and read something from him...I actually think I have a copy of Tess of the D'Urbervilles somewhere.
I've now read four of Hardy's novels - Tess (a couple of Times, Return of the Native, Far From the Madding Crowd, and now Mayor of Casterbridge. I think my favorite is still Far from the Madding Crowd, mainly because I do like Bethsheba Everdene and Gabriel Oak so much :)
DeleteYes, I'm glad we can all keep blogging books!
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds interesting, and perhaps something like Far from the Madding Crowd, which I quite enjoyed. I'd decided to give up Hardy altogether after the tragedies of Tess and Jude, but as you say, he was such a good, evocative, poetic writer.
Yes, good writing transcends subject and theme...
DeleteI have read a few Hardy books but I have not gotten to this one. Hopefully I will read it soon. His stories can indeed be terribly tragic. In fact, I thought that Tess of the d'Urbervilles was one of the darkest and most tragic books that I have read.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on completing the challenge!
Stay safe and healthy.
Hardy is one of my favourite authors, so glad you enjoyed it so much. I first read it at school and then went on to read more of his books.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, Congratulations on completing the 50 Book Classics Challenge. The great thing about taking challenges like this is that they force us to read the great books which we otherwise might never have gotten around to but I also agree that after a challenge as big as the 50 classics challenge its time to reread old favorites. I have never read Thomas Hardy and he is so someone I need to check off my list so to speak and your review convinces me that The Mayor of Casterbridge is the place to start.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of Hardy's novels that I still need to read. I've been putting it off for some undefined reason. But I'm glad to know that you ended up liking it so much. I'll have to see if I can get a copy. :)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting impressions of the book. A fine recommendation, Jane. I know what you mean about the peculiar dread that Hardy's novels evoke. At least they do for me. They are like tragedies, evoking pity and terror, and a kind of nausea, even. But there is that poetic language and the unforgettable characters! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this one. It seems to be only the one of Thomas Hardy that I think of. I get a lot of great ideas, though, for my own classics reading. It's sparse but I hope to continue on!
ReplyDeleteHi Jane,
ReplyDeleteA hearty congratulations to you for finishing all 50 of your Classics Challenge books. That to me is such a feat. My biggest problem with the list I made is that over the years my interests seem to change, and I no longer want to read a number of the books on the original list. So I have much admiration for someone who identifies what they want (need) to read and then follows through.
I think this was the first Hardy novel I read and I enjoyed it very much. I’ve read quite a few now & the only one I didn’t like was Tess - so depressing & fatalistic! His writing is exquisite.
ReplyDeleteGood going tackling the challenge! Reading 50 classics is a great feat. I was just thinking about Hardy lately and Tess of the d'Urbervilles ... gosh would it be time to read that again? perhaps. Glad you are hanging in there with book reading / so are we.
ReplyDeleteI love Thomas Hardy, and really want to read more of his books - I've read most of the well-known ones but he has quite a few others. I know I read this one but I'm thinking it might need a reread. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDelete