I just finished reading this book today. It was good. I have been itching to read another Thomas Hardy book since reading "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" a few years back. Fortunately Mallory selected this book for me because she thought the girl on the cover was "silly".
It should be noted that Thomas Hardy said that he liked this book "as a story" the best of all his novels. This book was slightly better than my expectations. I had somewhat high expectations because it's Thomas Hardy. But my expectations were somewhat guarded due to the fact that this particular Thomas Hardy isn't typically given the same acclaim as some of his other books. It definitely wasn't as good as "Tess" but still had me intrigued throughout.
From the two books I've read of his I have decided that he is like Woody Allen in that he writes excellent female characters. This book had several fascinating female characters including Grace Melbury, Felice Charmond, and Marty South. Much could be said about all three. All I will say is that Hardy seems to have a soft spot for the plights of women and the unfair things that they had to endure back in the day.
I look forward to reading another Thomas Hardy because only reading two is obviously not enough.
My only serious complaint from this book involves not Thomas Hardy but the genius who included several extreme spoilers in the Notes to the edition I read. It's obvious that I'm going to read the Notes as I go along reading the book, so don't put huge spoilers in there. Did they really think that I would read the Notes with no context after I finish the book? I assume the Note is put in to inform and aid the reader as he reads. So don't put in huge spoilers, duh.
Some quotes:
"Why should Death alone lend what Life is compelled to borrow - rest?"
"[T]he determination to love one's best will carry a heart a long way towards making that best an ever-growing thing."
"[T]o every bad there is a worse."
No comments:
Post a Comment