Reading 1001 discussion

5 stars

I have a comparison to make. Early this year I finally read John Steinbeck and fell in love. I quickly named him my literary crush and set about to read everything he had ever written. As I delved into his books (both fiction and non-fiction) I discovered a man with a true understanding of humanity and what makes us think and feel. I adore Steinbeck. I will reread some of his books many times because they are so deep, nuanced, and they resonate with my mind and heart.

Thomas Hardy has given me the same depth of feeling. Discovering his books this month has given me joy! I will be reading everything he has written in the coming months because of the same reasons that I read Steinbeck. He has his finger on my pulse; he makes me laugh, cry, think. His writing is so beautiful that I find myself rereading entire pages simply to enjoy his words. He is clever and funny and smart. His places are characters and his characters are real people.

The story in this wonderful book is filled with dark moments, and is sometimes even horrifying. But somehow he takes the ugly moments and builds a lovely story of people, place and time. His characters linger in my mind and I wonder about them and about what happens next in their lives. Months later I still think about the Okies stuck in California starving to death and judged harshly by the locals, wondering how they survived or if they did. I think Steinbeck's characters will live with me forever and I think Hardy's will too.

Their writing styles are not at all similar so it may seem like an odd comparison, but both make me feel the same.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. I read this as part of the traveling bookswap here at 1001 in 2018. What a great story. Thomas Hardy writes with such description and character development as well as plot. He captures the period of the time as well as creates a book you can still relate to. This is a story of man with a tendency to isolate himself, to be impulsive and to do something that will forever affect the lives of many people. A 4.333 rated book for me. Thanks for sending this book my way. I was happy to read it.

My third Hardy and I think my favorite. His prose was always great, and this one has a great story with several plot twists and turns to go with it. Also not one but two interesting female characters. Five stars

Kelly_Hunsaker_reads wrote: "...Thomas Hardy has given me the same depth of feeling. Discovering his books this month has given me joy! I will be reading everything he has written in the coming months ..."

Kelly, how have you done on your Hardy reading resolution from 2+ years ago? Have you managed to read all seven Hardy books listed in editions of 1001 Books You Must Read? I have read three of them now: Tess, Far from the Madding Crowd and now Mayor of C. I plan to read Jude the Obscure eventually also and possibly Return of the Native.

Rating: 5 stars


I love Hardy. This is my fifth list book of his, so far. Even though all of the books of his I have read have been seriously depressing, I still count them among my favorites. This one is no exception. Does he even have a book with a happy ending? Happy endings are overrated and too boring, anyway.

This one had a lot of nice plot twists, too. The main character made a big mistake in early adulthood, then gets a chance to redeem himself. Things go awry, however, and his mistake continues to haunt him. Great stuff.

I haven't read Thomas Hardy for far too long. I fell in love with his writing when I read The Woodlanders in 1962. This is one that I had missed and it was such a good read. The Mayor in question was a complicated fellow, hot of temper but capable of self discipline. He was a realistic character whose flare ups kept the reader guessing about what would ensue. The female characters were less convincing, particularly one episode which was melodramatic and inexplicable. Nevetheless, Hardy was particularly good at describing country life and practises which were already obsolete when he was writing. In this book it is the growing, harvesting and selling of hay which is described. Hardy is always bleak and there are no happy endings to be expected in his novels, but one enjoys them nevertheless.

Overly long, but still some great characters and a few truly surprising soap opera style twists and revelations.


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