Scan barcode
lydiacherith's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
heidi_meredith's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
This reminded me of 'Middlemarch', 'Wuthering heights' and 'Mill on the floss'. I enjoyed the perceptive reflections. I found the plot a little too much like 'Eastenders' but kept the high rating as the writing style made up for it.
dylan_loves_classics's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite Hardy that I've read so far. I pretty much knew after finishing the extended opening sequence (an eventful Guy Fawkes night that introduces all but one of the major characters) that I would love this book.
The first thing that sets this book apart is the wonderful setting of Egdon Heath, a space that is simultaneously agoraphobic and claustrophobic (the heath is vast and awe-inspiring, but also serves as a kind of prison for the characters). This unsettled atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a story of misunderstandings, incompatibility, and duality.
Enter Eustacia Vye, the passionate and capricious young woman at the center of the novel. I rank Eustacia above the returning native, Clym, simply because her development and motifs were my favorite part of the novel. Eustacia hates the heath, but both are described using the same allusions to ancient history and mythology. There's that unstable sense of duality again. My other favorite character was Diggory Venn, the borderline supernatural reddleman (someone who dealt ochre for marking sheep) who pops up throughout the story.
Like some of Hardy's other novels, parts of the chain of unfortunate events that bind the plot together do strain credulity, but given how geographically bound and small the community of the story is I don't mind as much.
Overall an excellent novel, some of the scenes are simply unforgettable.
The first thing that sets this book apart is the wonderful setting of Egdon Heath, a space that is simultaneously agoraphobic and claustrophobic (the heath is vast and awe-inspiring, but also serves as a kind of prison for the characters). This unsettled atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a story of misunderstandings, incompatibility, and duality.
Enter Eustacia Vye, the passionate and capricious young woman at the center of the novel. I rank Eustacia above the returning native, Clym, simply because her development and motifs were my favorite part of the novel. Eustacia hates the heath, but both are described using the same allusions to ancient history and mythology. There's that unstable sense of duality again. My other favorite character was Diggory Venn, the borderline supernatural reddleman (someone who dealt ochre for marking sheep) who pops up throughout the story.
Like some of Hardy's other novels, parts of the chain of unfortunate events that bind the plot together do strain credulity, but given how geographically bound and small the community of the story is I don't mind as much.
Overall an excellent novel, some of the scenes are simply unforgettable.
karfiddler's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First 100 pages were slow but it’s well worth persevering!
an0987's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Beautifully written but the characters didn’t feel fleshed out enough, especially compared to those in Hardy’s other books
Edit: Somehow Hardy’s books seem to hit me harder a few days after reading. I now find myself reflecting often on the characters and their motivations, and find myself a lot more sympathetic to them all around.
Edit: Somehow Hardy’s books seem to hit me harder a few days after reading. I now find myself reflecting often on the characters and their motivations, and find myself a lot more sympathetic to them all around.
aislingnuttall7's review against another edition
4.0
Good tragic plot, bit slow getting there though.
allan_p's review against another edition
4.0
"And even while they sit down and weep by the waters of Babylon, invent excuses for the oppression which prompts their tears."
jo_doth_read's review against another edition
4.0
Sparknotes saved me on this one. I was so confused in the first few chapters. Hardy tends to do that with me. Once I got oriented with the story, it went much better. This is my second Hardy read. I enjoyed this MUCH more than Under the Greenwood Tree. I was also able to treat myself to the movie afterwards, which was nice. But, the characters, in the book, were quite different, in my opinion.
molly_vi0let's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0