The Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge. Thomas Hardy. Dover Publications 2004. 256 pages. (Source: Betterworldbooks.com)

First sentence: 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 villiage of Weydon-Priors, in Upper Wessex, on foot.

Plot: A cruel joke at a country fair goes too far when a drunken laborer auctions off his wife and child to the highest bidder. So begins The Mayor of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy's gripping tale of a man's rise and fall amid the natural beauty and human brutality of a rural English community.

First published serially in 1886, the novel was praised by critics for its realism and poetic style. Most agreed, however, that its plot hinges upon unlikely turns of events. Hardy replied, "It is not improbabilities of incident but improbabilities of character that matter." In this book — originally subtitled "A Story of a Man of Character" — the author perpetually tests his characters with frequent intrusions by the hand of fate. Rich in descriptive powers and steeped in irony, this timeless tale offers a spellbinding portrayal of ambition, rivalry, revenge, and repentance. 

My thoughts:  I LOVE Thomas Hardy!  He is a very intreguing author.  He makes me focus on the words that are written and not just read them quickly (you can't).  From the first I was struck by this strange tale.  Though it took me longer to get through than I planned due to being busy with the holidays and our son home I am happy to say this one did not let me down!  

It was not a predictable tale that's for sure.  Michael Henchard gets his wife and daughter back 18 years after a terrible mistake he made by selling them while drunk only for his wife to die and leave him with a terrible truth.  Life is not what Henchard has expected it to be.  There were many twists to this tale but it's strange how life works out for him.  

I enjoyed this one very much!