I’ve been having a wonderful time experiencing some of Thomas Hardy’s novels in the #greatthomashardyreadalong2022 with some wonderful bookstagrammers. The Mayor Of Casterbridge was a novel I had been aware of but never read so it was fun to pick it up, especially with such an intriguing premise. Michael Henchard sells his wife and baby daughter when drunk for five guineas and regrets it shortly afterwards. He manages to make a respectable living for himself as the Mayor of Casterbridge but his past comes back to haunt him when his wife and grown daughter arrive in Casterbridge, seeking him out. I love the idea of “reaping what you sow,” which seems to be a common theme of Hardy’s through his books. Henchard is an utterly unlikeable character from the very beginning and even though he pledges 21 years of sobriety following his catastrophic mistake, he still makes bad decisions and treats those he professes to love in a terrible way. It was interesting to read a book from Hardy where his female characters don’t take centre stage as much and I’m not sure if it suffered a little for that - I didn’t feel as if they were as fleshed out as what I’ve come to expect with Hardy. Saying that, perhaps writing Henchard was exhausting enough for any author! I did even feel sorry for him at some points but within a chapter or two I was reminded what a fool he was and that my sympathy was better placed with his wife (former wife?) Susan. I also enjoyed that Hardy does still throw a few surprises in through the novel. There were a couple of unexpected twists, food for thought and moments where I just had to admire him for the amazing author that he is, holding my attention right until the end. It might not be my favourite Hardy but like Jane Austen might say: “it may improve on closer acquaintance.” 3.5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 💫 #bookstagram #scottishbookstagrammer #themayorofcasterbridge #thomashardy #readingclassicnovels #readingthomashardy #bookreview #hardyfanclub #thomashardybooks #thomashardyauthor #gettinglostinabook #buddyreadingfun https://www.instagram.com/p/ChnIh17r2DN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
