Who: Mostly about two couples. Jude, Arabella, Sue, Richard. There is some mixing and matching going on among them. I liked Jude. He started out with dreams to make something of his life. He ended up fairly sad but still keeping true to himself.
What: A little bit of everything that you might expect in some good 'ol English literature. Strong characters. Class struggles, hard times. Pig slaughtering. For me, the most interesting aspect of the book was the very good commentary on marriage and what constitutes a real marriage. Despite being written more than a century ago, those questions really still resonate today - especially with the battles we have now with marriage equality.
Where: Rural villages in Wessex England. Christminster (probably Oxford), Marygreen, Alfredston. All fictional, but I want to visit them now.
When: I am guessing the mid to late 19th century.
Why: This was a book club selection. I have never read any Hardy - so I am glad it was chosen this month.
How: Slowly (but surely). Not a quick read for me. Lots of detail. Lots of symbolism. Lots of old English. Lots of footnotes. I read them for the first chapter then skipped them.
And The Bottom-line:
Go get a copy and read it? Yes. Especially if you have someone to discuss it with.
Try a few chapters and see what you think?
Don't waste your time?
Saw the movie version with Christopher Eccleston years ago and really enjoyed it, but haven't gotten around to reading the book.
Posted by: Mel | October 29, 2009 at 07:49 AM