What are you wrapping up in March? What are you going to read next month?
By omnify18
Just finished Moby-Dick and it was really good. Next I’m thinking of reading The Brothers Karamazov.
Reader discussion: The Mayor of Casterbridge
Public reader discussion about The Mayor of Casterbridge in the WeRead Catalog by Thomas Hardy.
Modern readers might believe that Thomas Hardy was plunging into deep fiction when he wrote about a man selling his wife in The Mayor of Casterbridge. He wasn't. On this day in 1832, a farmer called Joseph Thompson sold his wife because he said she nagged him too much.
By MuddyCarrot
I didn’t really love The Mayor of Casterbridge—it just felt kind of irritating to me. And Hardy’s view of people overall feels pretty bleak, like everybody just keeps doing dumb stuff and then it’s over.
Classics that deal with themes of depression and loneliness
By chapter-lilac
Can someone suggest some classic books that deal with loneliness and depression? I’m not picky about the format—could be a novel, some poetry, or even a nonfiction book.
The Mayor of Casterbridge
By springTiger9
Is it actually worth picking up? I read *Tess* a few years ago and it was one of those really depressing books. Does *Mayor* feel just as bleak?
A Story Where You Hate All The Characters
By BookmarkMarten4003
I honestly can’t figure out why this book even got written, let alone published. It just feels so obvious from the start—Hardy sets you up for basically everything and then you can pretty much see every turn coming. There aren’t any real surprises, not even in the way things happen. And the whole “two mayors rising and falling” setup isn’t exactly grabbing either. It’s there, it’s clear, and it doesn’t really feel like it adds anything interesting. The main guy, Michael Henchard, is just awful. Like, there’s basically nothing to like. First chapter and he’s already selling his wife and daughter, he’s a drunk, and even when he “realizes” he’s messed up, it’s still all about him and what he wants. He’s a terrible boss too—doesn’t seem to care about anyone else. The rest of the people don’t feel great either. His wife and daughter, Susan and Elizabeth, are pretty dull, and when they do act it comes off as a mistake that they should’ve known better than to make. And it’s hard to buy that everyone’s being written to be that clueless. Donald Farfrae is the only one who seems more likable, but he’s not the main focus, and he mostly exists to highlight how bad Michael is. Plus once Farfrae starts rising, he kinda falls into the same arrogant/self-righteous mess as Michael did before. So it’s not like there’s a real escape from the cycle. There’s also this whole idea that you’re supposed to feel bad for Michael since his downfall gets dragged out in detail. But even at the end it doesn’t feel sympathetic—more like it’s still self-serving. Elizabeth does at least try to get away from Michael, especially when she thinks he’s her father, but then she ends up in Lucetta’s world and it’s like… she didn’t learn anything. Lucetta treats her terribly too. So yeah, what’s good? The side characters are honestly the best part. Even if they’re kinda simple, they feel more real and they’re at least easier to like. The setting is kinda interesting too, I guess. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you don’t mind wasting time on slow details about people you don’t really care about—and aren’t bothered by unbelievable, unlikable choices. Maybe you’d be into it if you like watching drama unfold like it’s inevitable, kind of like a guilty reality TV binge.
Book where Regency society is scary, not romantic?
By FolioComet1987
I can’t really get into the whole fantasy of some “only one” guy who gets to own you, even if he’s trying to act polite about it. It honestly freaks me out. Are there any books that do the Austen/Bridgerton-type vibe but also really sit in that dark, uneasy feeling? It doesn’t even need to be historically accurate.
The influence of Thomas Hardy on character names in the series.
By smallViolet
I just grabbed The Mayor of Casterbridge to help my daughter with her vocabulary. I opened to some random page (chapter 20) and within like 30 lines I’d already seen both “dumbledores” and “hag-rid.” I haven’t read all of his stuff, so I’m kinda wondering how many other weird names are just sprinkled throughout the books.
The Mayor of Casterbridge - Thomas Hardy
By Stone_Brown1977
When she got near her mother’s grave, she noticed this single dark figure out on the gravel path. It looked like the person was standing there reading too, but not from a book—more like taking in the words carved on her mother’s tombstone. The stranger seemed to be around her age and build, so it crossed her mind it might’ve been some kind of double or even her own ghost, except the woman was dressed way more beautifully than Elizabeth-Jane. Elizabeth-Jane isn’t usually picky about clothes, but she couldn’t help staring at how perfectly put-together the lady looked, like her whole appearance was just… too good. Even the way she walked was smooth and kind of winding, not stiff or awkward. It honestly freaked her out a little, because she hadn’t realized people could look like that. And it made Elizabeth feel like some of the freshness and grace had been snatched right out of her just by being near. It’s even more annoying when you think Elizabeth could pass as pretty enough now, while this girl was only “pretty.” She wasn’t even jealous enough to hate her, though—she just ended up being totally caught up, like she couldn’t help being fascinated.
Books about people whose big ambitions destroy their lives?
By thyme_drift9069
Not sure what genre it is, but I’d usually rather go with literary fiction.
The Mayor of Casterbridge
By hiddenWolf
Honestly, the first half of this book felt pretty painfully dull to me. More than once I almost gave up and put it aside without much guilt. But I didn’t, and I pushed through hoping something would brighten up, and it did—once I got past the early stretch it started moving faster. This was also my first Thomas Hardy, so I didn’t know what to expect from his style, and I figured there’d be some annoying hurdles along the way. The main thing that bothered me is that a lot of the main characters seemed kind of numb at times, like their inner lives were pretty empty. Anyway, I’m curious—did anyone else feel similarly about this one, or about any other Hardy books you’ve read?
Found a 1970 Thomas Hardy book
By narrow_epilogue
I just picked up a 1970 edition of *The Mayor of Casterbridge* by Thomas Hardy. Does anyone know what it might be worth these days, or if it’s smarter to hold onto it a bit before selling/putting it up for auction?
After reading Thomas Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge" I wrote a composition for 'cello and piano. I'm a musician so this is my form of a review... (Hope that's ok!)
By Mirror_Late
I can’t believe that hit me like it did. I’ve been reading Hardy for ages, so it really pulled at my heartstrings. Nice work. P.S. The cows in the video were an awesome little touch.
In Victorian literature, was the dialogue embellished, or is that how they actually spoke?
By SharpAnnotation
I’ve been stuck on this for a while because I just can’t get the characters to sound like that in my head. Like, this bit from Helen Burns in *Jane Eyre*: “Life appears to me too short…” and all that rest of the speech about faults and eternity. She’s fourteen. Fourteen! I try to imagine a 14-year-old talking like that and it just feels wrong to me. But then *Tom Sawyer*—it came out like 29 years later, and sure there’s some old slang, but the kids sound way more like they could be from now. I even saw that *Tom Sawyer* was one of the first popular books to lean into “vernacular speech,” which makes me wonder: does *Jane Eyre* use this more formal, written-up kind of language? Or did people actually talk that formally back then? I’m honestly not sure, and I’d love it if someone could clarify.
What does this sub think of Charles Dickens?
By dunegold
I grew up in the UK hearing that Charles Dickens was one of the biggest writers ever, but online it feels like not a lot of people are into him. He doesn’t seem to show up in those annual top 100 “best books” lists much, and if he does, it’s usually toward the bottom. I just got Great Expectations for my birthday and I’m kind of unsure what I’m walking into. Is it actually one of the all-time greats, or is Dickens mostly overrated?
The moment you felt a writer understood a feeling in your life better than you did.
By simple-market5111
There are some books where you hit this little line or tiny scene and it feels like the author somehow got into your own head. Not some dramatic twist, not some mega emotional thing—just this small, true moment that lands really quietly. That’s what I felt in *The Alchemist* when it talked about people kind of giving up on listening to their own heart once life starts feeling too heavy. It was simple, but it felt real. And I got the same vibe in *The Kite Runner*—not in a big, obvious way, but when a small moment made it clear how guilt can stick with you even if you’re trying to keep going. It wasn’t loud. Just honest. I think that’s why those parts stay with you. It’s like someone finally said the thing you couldn’t quite explain yourself. Does everyone have a moment like that in a book? Like one line, one scene, one sentence that just feels truer than the rest. What book was it for you, and what part made you feel understood?
The Mayor of Casterbridge | Thomas Hardy (MacMillan, London, 1922)
By ShelfHeron6057
It’s not some super rare find, and it’s not in perfect shape, but this 1922 edition of Hardy’s *The Life and Death of the Mayor of Casterbridge* is honestly a really nice-looking book. It’s pretty small (around 4.5 by 7 inches), has a debossed cover with gold, and there’s even a map of Hardy country in it—love that kind of thing. I do kind of wish newer hardcover editions would come back in smaller formats like this.
Thomas Hardy adaptations
By TGrand8
I saw that post about harvest festival stuff on film, and it made me think I should look at some Hardy adaptations. That turned into me realizing I haven’t watched any in ages. I noticed Under the Greenwood Tree and The Mayor of Casterbridge are both on Amazon Prime UK right now, so I’m giving those a go again. It’s been years, so I’m also planning to rewatch Little Dorrit with Claire Foy (I’ve got it on DVD). If anyone wants to check them out, here you go 😁
A cello composition I wrote inspired by Thomas Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge". Performed by Vesislava Todorova and me. Hope you all have a great weekend!
By Crimson_Saddle3913
This looks like a filmed performance out in some field with cows, near a bridge. Not totally sure what I’m supposed to make of it, but here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBmpDwvoMzM&lc=Ugxn00Lc5u592ZMgNBl4AaABAg&ab_channel=LukeFaulkner
The Mayor of Casterbridge (2003). A drunken farm worker sells his wife and child at a market and begins a new life of wealth and respect as the Mayor of Casterbridge.
By RedBright
Thanks for the recommendation! I really liked Ciaran Hinds in Persuasion, so I’m definitely going to check this out, even though it feels like it might be way more intense and painfully dramatic than Austen. The stills look awesome though, and whoever that actress is in slide 13—her eyebrows are so very early-2000s 😂
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
By HawkBirch2001
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I rounded up to 5) One of my big reading goals for 2021 was finally filling in some “classic” gaps. Thomas Hardy was honestly pretty low on my list…until I stumbled on some random online summary of the first chapter of *The Mayor of Casterbridge*. The whole setup—this guy selling his wife and daughter and then everything that follows—sounded so absurd I couldn’t not try it. I figured I’d like it, sure, but I didn’t expect to end up loving it as much as I did. The plot is definitely over-the-top at times, and Hardy goes in on melodrama, but somehow it doesn’t feel random. Even when the stuff is wild, the reactions and consequences feel like they actually make sense. The pacing also felt kind of more “modern” to me than what I was expecting from something labeled Victorian. His writing is kind of formal and can get wordy, but once I found the rhythm, it’s honestly beautiful. Also, I liked that you can have people who are bitter and kind of desperate living in this lovely, idyllic-looking place like Casterbridge and the countryside around it. What really pulled me in, though, was the cast. Henchard, Susan, and Elizabeth-Jane basically felt like they jumped off the page right from the beginning. And every new character had their own voice too. Henchard is fascinating in a way that’s almost painful—he can sort of be aware of himself sometimes, but emotionally he feels like a kid. He’s always stuck in this loop he made: he messes people over, realizes it, tries to fix things, then gets blindsided by his own feelings (usually jealousy or fear), and ends up hurting someone again. The man cannot get it together. Elizabeth-Jane (EJ) felt the most tragic to me. A lot of the people around her think she’s slow or dim, but I kept feeling like she was actually the sharpest and most observant among the main group. She’s also the only one who genuinely tries to improve herself, even though she has basically no real control over her life. And she’s the only one who gets dragged into the scandals in Casterbridge, not because she did anything, but mostly just because of where she was born—into a messy situation. I do think Hardy is making some kind of point about women in Victorian society, but I also get the feeling he’s still working within what his era allowed. So EJ doesn’t fully turn into the heroine I wanted her to be. Still, that kind of makes the tragedy hit harder, because it feels believable for the world the book puts her in. By the end, it’s pretty clear Hardy keeps pushing the idea that secrets don’t stay buried forever—and that wrongdoing done “in the dark” will eventually show up. Time feels like a huge deal here too, like it’s practically a character. It’s like Time is yanking the strings of everyone and messing with them, and you can watch characters panic as their secrets get uncovered. I had fun spotting the references to Time—sometimes they’re obvious, sometimes they’re a little more subtle. This is my first Hardy, so I don’t really have anything else to compare it to, but I can say for sure I’ll be reading more of him soon—I just have to figure out which one to pick next.