Play Book Tag discussion

This is my third Thomas Hardy’s though I’ve read them well-spaced with years in between. The first I loved, the second was only so-so but this one I very nearly hated.

What I do love is his descriptive language as he described a very English countryside and its people. Such is the opening paragraph of this book:

”One evening of late summer, before the nineteenth century had reached one-third of its span, a young man and woman, the latter carrying a child, were approaching the large village of Weydon-Priors, in Upper Wessex, on foot. They were plainly but not ill clad, though the thick hoar of dust which had accumulated on their shoes and garments from an obviously long journey lent a disadvantageous shabbiness to their appearance just now.”

I thought this sounds promising til the end of the chapter 1 when I found out what the ‘terrible act’ noted on the book description. What a ridiculous notion! Is this for real?!

I thought then I think I’d like to follow the wife’s footsteps but of course, she turned out to be poorly naïve and so much so that she’s very nearly a simpleton. *insert eye rolls* There definitely will not be any interesting story from this perspective.

Instead, this book is primarily told from Michael Henchard’s perspective. The culprit of the whole terrible act who managed to build a very prosperous life omitting any mention of his ‘terrible act’. Until the day the past intrudes and restitutions are to be made. Yet to do so without advertising this ‘terrible act’, there needs be deceptions. Once one lies, there will be other lies to cover that first lie and so on and so forth until the day it all comes tumbling down like a house of cards.

This! This is the kind of plot I’d have avoided in any novels. It’s just too frustrating! And I could NOT stand any of the characters from Henchard himself who’s prideful impulsiveness borders on idiocy, Farfrae who’s ‘oh just so perfect’ *eye rolls!!* to ALL the women who I just wanted to pick up and shake shake shake.

I am tempted very much to remove all other Hardy from my TBR but according to Wikipedia those I’ve read are not his best so… I’ll try one of those first before I say goodbye to Hardy.