Anyone dig the English novelist and poet?
Anyone dig the English novelist and poet?
I read "Jude The Obscure" back in college. I liked it a lot, but very grim and depressing stuff!
I've read "The Return of the Native" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and even though I liked them both, there's so little action that I couldn't read a large chunk at a time.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
I've read seven of his novels, a few times each. I love his portrayals of Victorian rural life, and the struggles -- usually by the hand of fate -- that the protagonist has to overcome. Many of his characters are unhappy and struggle with feelings of enstrangement -- it's easy to empathize with them. I don't know much about him as a novelist and poet. Are you a Hardy fan?
Yes, glad someone else digs him a lot. His take on human nature is very perceptive, and I can relate to his sense of the English countryside. Which are your favourites of his novels?Originally Posted by VickiLynn
I have some of his books as I am a book collector(mostly classic literature)but haven't read anything by him yet. I'll have to read the ones I have since I like Vicki's description of them.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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Woodlanders -- can you imagine being Giles? Unrequited love is where it's at for a heart-wrenching read!
Tess of the d'Urbervilles -- can you imagine being Tess? So much tragedy for one person to bear. I'm not sure I would resort to murder, but I can understand her despair.
In both novels, it's interesting to see how men and women interact. My father had an affair when I was in middle school, and my mom never got over it. They stayed together, but the whole relationship was twisted/distorted. I guess that's why I find it interesting to read about women who are "wronged" by men and how they deal with it. It's not an issue for me now, but when I was younger, I was intrigued by people I had met who had affairs, wanting to understand their motives and so forth.
The Mayor of Casterbridge -- I haven't read this one for a while, but again, I love the portrayal of rural England. I lived in Newcastle for a while before moving back to the states, which is when I moved to Virginia, and I think of England as my second home. Again, tragedy for the mayor because of his impulsive decisions. Fate always seems to play a big part in Hardy novels.
Jude the Obscure -- more tragedy. Bad decisions lead to suffering. Fate or God that "curses" Jude and his cousin (I can't remember her name right now) and causes them to lose their children through murder and suicide.
I guess it's the tragedy that draws me to Victorian literature in general. The reader gets to live vicariously -- because who would want to live any of these characters' lives for real -- and the suffering is cathartic. Any one of us could make these stupid decisions -- trying to conform to societal mores, listening more to our heads than our hearts, becoming deceptive instead of owning up to past actions. As for Hardy's novels in particular, the setting is so thoroughly described that it's easy to insert yourself into the character's life, which is what I enjoy about books and movies.
I love Thomas Hardy and other British writers of that era. I am especially fond of Return of the Native and Jude the Obscure. I love Tess, too. Oh hell, all of Hardy's books are awesome! He portrays such strong and memorable characters in their natural setting. I devoured Hardy in college, along with his contemporaries. I highly recommend D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, a brilliant book!
"The mountains are calling and I must go" - John Muir
"To breathe the same air as the angels, you must go to Tahoe" - Mark Twain
I think he was a superb poet but a mediocre novelist (an opinion he pretty much shared).
The collection "Poems of 1912-13" are some of the best writing on grief you'll find. Honest and withering.
Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?
Not a fan.
I'm a fan. Like his novels, most of them, but love his poetry.
Read his stuff years ago. I was heavily into English writing and he's considered one of the best. He's much easier to understand than Dickens and Eliot, but with enough depth in his characters to make them interesting. Jude the Obscure is the one I remember the most.
Rick
I like his earlier albums.
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