Colleen Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 If you've read a bit of Hardy, which of his novels is your favorite? Did you appreciate The Mayor of Casterbridge and/or Tess of the D'urbervilles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 If you've read a bit of Hardy, which of his novels is your favorite? Did you appreciate The Mayor of Casterbridge and/or Tess of the D'urbervilles? LOVE Hardy! I much preferred The Mayor of Casterbridge and Jude the Obscure to Tess. Just IMHO. You're not going to make me say why, are you, Colleen? :001_huh: Cuz I can save you the time: Don't know. Just do. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samba Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I also prefer Jude the Obscure, although that wasn't one of your choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 If you've read a bit of Hardy, which of his novels is your favorite? Did you appreciate The Mayor of Casterbridge and/or Tess of the D'urbervilles? Mayor. That said, and I'm mortified I have forgotten this, but the first 3 chapters of either Return of the Native or Far from the Madding just smoke. It starts out with a man who has sheep, but his young dog kills them, and this puts him back years, financially. I read once that after the first three chapters, Hardy was admonished about it being too racy (a man and a woman who are strangers actually talk) and toned it down. The rest of the novel was a sleeper. But those first three chapters. If I could write like that, I'd die happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele B Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I love Hardy. He was also a poet and that shows in his beautiful writing. I love to read some of his passages out loud. My favorite is Return of the Native. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Tess is one of my favorite books of all time. It's one of those books that, sometimes on a long rainy day or an evening at home by myself, I find myself wishing I had never read so that I could read it for the first time again. I found The Mayor of Casterbridge depressing. But oh, I do love Tess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I absolutely loved "Tess". However, that was in my high school days, and I was able to take "dark" stuff much better than I can now. I also loved "Wuthering Heights" which I re-read in my thirties and reacted far more emotionally to it. In any case, Thomas Hardy had a special talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritAnnia Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Of the few I've actually read, I prefer Mayor of Casterbridge. It's on my personal favourite books list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Return of the Native. It took me a good long while to get in to it. I almost gave up. But then, suddenly, it was really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I agree with Layla - hated Tess, enjoyed Mayor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Of the two I'd say Tess, but the best of Hardy is Far From the Maddening Crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Of the two I'd say Tess, but the best of Hardy is Far From the Maddening Crowd. I have to agree with Stacy. This thread has reminded me, too, that I have all my Penguin paperbacks of Hardy in a box somewhere - need to find them and make them accessible as it has been a while since I have Hardied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPair Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Colleen, I love you for posting this! My favorite is Jude the Obscure, ashamed to say I haven't read Mayor, so I'll vote for Tess (good book). I have all his books upstairs in a back room, I think. Hmmmm...fall and winter reading project? thanks for the idea!:001_smile: The one thing I miss about college (and I don't miss much) is talking about literature. Love Hardy's poetry, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I'm not a Hardy fan (I'd call Tess my "least un-favorite"), but just jumped in to note that the most recent Thursday Next novel by Jasper Fford, First Among Sequels, has some great Hardy stuff in it. I'm not done yet, so I can't say more... http://www.amazon.com/Thursday-Next-Sequels-Novels-Penguin/dp/0143113569 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Only read Tess, absolutely loved it. Maybe its more of a girl book though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibbyl Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Jude the Obscure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelda Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Definitely, "Tess". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I have Mayor of Casterbridge on my shelf to read, because my mom loves it. ~Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Of the two I'd say Tess, but the best of Hardy is Far From the Maddening Crowd. I agree. I got completely lost in Far From the Madding Crowd the first time I read it. As I recall I didn't surface for two days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom to Aly Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I don't really like Tess, but did like Mayor a lot, and Far From the Madding Crowd very much as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Another vote for Far From the Madding Crowd. This was a fascinating book. I never read Tess as it looked SO depressing to me. I didn't need depressing and don't do that well. I was furious at the ending to Mill on the Floss (Eliot). I have not read Mayor, but saw the very well-done movie with Ciarán Hinds and James Purefoy. It was absolutely brilliant. If you have to chose between the two you mentioned I would go with Mayor. If not, I would go with Far From the Madding Crowd first and Mayor second. :) This is my favorite genre as you know! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted September 28, 2008 Author Share Posted September 28, 2008 Silly me, I was hoping there'd be a general consensus.:) I read the first couple of replies and thought, "Oh, good! Everyone's going to agree on Mayor!". And then came the positive comments about Tess. And some people ~ including my dear friend Kate CA ~ prefer other titles. What's a woman to do?!;) I am asking because my small book club ~ just a few of us close friends ~ are choosing our books for a new year of reading. One woman suggested something from Thomas Hardy and, much as hate to admit it, I've not read any of his books. She did mention both Mayor of Casterbridge and Tess, so I feel we should decide between those two. I'm leaning toward the former. I've considered in the past reading Tess but was never particularly drawn to it. I'm happy I posted; I didn't realize there were so many Hardy fans here!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Silly me, I was hoping there'd be a general consensus.:) I read the first couple of replies and thought, "Oh, good! Everyone's going to agree on Mayor!". And then came the positive comments about Tess. And some people ~ including my dear friend Kate CA ~ prefer other titles. What's a woman to do?!;) I am asking because my small book club ~ just a few of us close friends ~ are choosing our books for a new year of reading. One woman suggested something from Thomas Hardy and, much as hate to admit it, I've not read any of his books. She did mention both Mayor of Casterbridge and Tess, so I feel we should decide between those two. I'm leaning toward the former. I've considered in the past reading Tess but was never particularly drawn to it. I'm happy I posted; I didn't realize there were so many Hardy fans here!:) I like and re-read A Pair of Blue Eyes, but not because I'm such a discriminating fan of Hardy, just that I'm somewhat limited in my reading of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I've only read Tess, but I loved it. Thanks for the reminder--I think another Thomas Hardy book is in order. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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