It's a Hard Knock Life.

The Mayor of Casterbridge - Thomas Hardy

Another classic to add to my reviews, and again it's difficult to review something written over a hundred years ago. Nevertheless, I shall say a few words.

I chose to read Thomas Hardy having studied some of his poetry for an A/S Level exam last year - you'll be pleased to know I got an A. If there's one thing I found about Hardy's writing, it's that it is extremely depressing. He obviously disagreed with the popular 'happily-ever-after's and went for something a bit different. However, it definitely does not make his writing bad - if anything, it's bit more interesting (and realistic) to see things not always going right. The Mayor of Casterbridge is the perfect example.

The period of the novel is supposedly the late 1820s, so a lot of the agricultural activity and the vocabulary is native to that time. The storyline is one of deceit, death and mistakes, and if there's one thing to learn from this novel it's, always speak up when you have the chance and never lie! Valuable lessons, but here the characters suffer sometimes to the extreme. Yet, Hardy is clearly a very intelligent writer - he includes elements of mythology, foreign languages and other famous literature, obviously owing to a good Victorian education.

Another clever feature of Hardy's novel is to write speech in such as a way as to emphasise the accent of each character. Farfrae, the Scottish character, says "cannet" rather than "cannot" and "weel" instead of "well" - it is a nice touch to add to the reality and individuality of the characters, who are all well described and consistent in behaviour and attitude throughout the novel. However, there are quite a lot of characters and there is a lot of action, so the characters feel quite distant from the reader - I didn't feel particularly sympathetic or upset or even happy at certain pivotal moments in the story. Yet, this isn't necessarily a negative element of a novel - I believe Hardy uses this particular technique so as not to lead the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. He simply doesn't want to depress them!

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading The Mayor of Casterbridge, the first I've read of Hardy's novels. It was exciting because it is not a classic that is raved about, so I didn't already know the storyline or the outcome of each character's strife. Perhaps the only slight downfall is that almost too much happens throughout the text - time seems to move on almost too swiftly, not leaving enough time to take in one event and prepare for the next. However, this novel has encouraged me to read more of Hardy's novels, my next choice being the popular Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Finally, I'd like to leave you with the final words of the book, just to illustrate the general tone of the novel - "happiness [is] but the occassional episode in a general drama of pain."

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "The Mayor of Casterbridge".

One of My Favourites

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - The most famous quote from one of the most "universally" loved classics.

Published in 1813, four years before Austen's death, it has since become one of her most famous novels. It was initially titled First Impressions, but obviously it was never published under that title. Austen also first published it under the pseudonym, A Lady - there's an interesting fact for you.

Anyway, to the real business of blogging - the review. Now, I find it very difficult to review something that's both widely loved and nearly two hundred years old, but I'll give it my best shot.

The best thing about this novel is that, despite being set in a different society from today's, it's still funny. Austen's satire highlights the ridiculous characters in her society - the fussy, melodramatic mother (Mrs Bennet), the husband that regrets marrying (Mr Bennet), and the seemingly charming gentleman (Wickham). Of course, we still have these characters portrayed in modern satires - Monica from Friends, Ben from My Family and Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones' Diary. Therefore, Austen's novel is humourous to both the nineteenth and twenty-first century reader - we can all find a character in her novel that we can recognise.

The character of Elizabeth Bennet, from whose point of view the novel is mainly based, is very interesting; she is stubborn, a seemingly intelligent and independent woman. Quite similar to many modern heroines. However, Austen undermines these characteristics by showing her folly in falling for the dodgy Wickham, and how she eventually comes to depend on Darcy for love and money. Austen constantly ridicules the position of women in her society; they are expected to marry the first man who proposes to them; they are expected to marry for money and not love; and they are expected to marry for high status, connections and a good inheritance. Not exactly the same criteria we look for today. Clearly, Austen disagrees with them too; she herself never married, probably because she didn't believe in a loveless marriage. However, Austen is proof that a woman could be successful without having to marry someone already well-established.

The role of women is a very important theme in Austen's novel; the author suggests that in her society it was up to the woman to marry well first for their family's sake, then their own and to behave properly. Jane Bennet is the proper lady of the family; well groomed, well spoken, good natured and obedient; the perfect asset to her family. Whereas, Lydia Bennet acts as the complete opposite; flirtacious, irresponsible and a shame to her whole family when she elopes with Wickham. Austen has just about covered all the characters in her society, obviously conveying them to the extreme, from the arrogant Catherine de Bourgh to the stubborn heroine of Elizabeth. Austen clearly displays the ridiculous nature of her society and the people in it and with Catherine's obvious ill-breeding and Lydia's irritable immaturity, she makes the novel the successful, comical satire that it is.

Without a doubt, every book lover should read Pride and Pejudice, if you haven't already done so - it's guaranteed to become one of your favourites to be read over and over again.

A Lady.

PS. I've never seen the film - my love stems purely from the novel!

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "Pride and Prejudice".