Jude the Obscure | Thomas Hardy

It's been more than a month since I finished reading "Jude the Obscure", and I'm a little frightened that I won't do this book justice with my review.  Thomas Hardy, as always, is best reviewed in layers... and there are so many layers it is impossible to do the book proper justice without writing a 20 page disertation.  I've likened Hardy to a master chess player, as noted in previous reviews of "Tess of D'Urbervilles" and "The Mayor of Casterbridge," as he seems to always be thinking a few steps ahead and in the end, all you can do is look at your fallen king with horror and a strange feeling of awe and wonderment at what has transpired.  There are so many themes present, so many jabs at english society and cautions for the future.  As such, "Jude the Obscure" was set in prototypical Hardy style.

The theme of the novel is primarily an assessment of societal constructs, and how these norms influence people in society.  Most critics of this work at the time, felt that the attack on the church (and the sanctity of marriage) was disgraceful.  In addition, "the book caused further strain on Hardy's already difficult marriage because Emma Hardy was concerned that Jude the Obscure would be read as autobiographical" [from Wikipedia].  Hardy never wrote another work of fiction again, after the reception this novel received.  Little did he know that his thoughts would become more accepted over time amongst the majority in english society, and that divorce would become so prevalent in society that more than half of the people in North America have experienced it.

The character development was something you would expect from a Hardy work.  Fringe characters were microcosms for the evil inherent in society and human beings in general, and women were portrayed in the extreme - stereotypically and one-dimensional.  The main protagonist, Jude Fawley was a flawed man with a good heart... and he was a dreamer.  His upbringing, like characters in Dicken's english works, was a difficult and lonely one... Jude being left to his aunt who put him to work and treated him harshly.  As such, Jude never grew up with other children or with an authority figure to steer him in the right direction.  His extremist nature caused him to lose track of his dreams to become a scholar, and he was entrapped into a marriage with the first girl he had feelings for.

After becoming estranged from his conniving wife, Jude falls in love with his cousin Sue who eventually weds out of obligation to Jude's old school teacher.  However, Sue is in love with Jude, and eventually leaves her husband to be with him.  Things go well for a time, and both become divorced from their spouses.  Sue is relectant to wed, and the two live 'in sin', moving from town to town as their welcome is worn out.  They have a few children together and tragedy eventually strikes the couple soon after little "Father Time" arrives, a child from Jude's first marriage. Sue believes that God is punishing her for her sins, and attempts to rectify them at the sake of her happiness.  I will leave Hardy to tell the rest.

The work was typically Hardy in its inevitable tragedy, a point Hardy defends by stating that authors should write what they know, because it produces better literature.  I tend to agree.

Hardy's extensive vocabulary is usually restrictive in the flow of the work.  The two works mentioned above had similar flaws in this regard, but I found no such trouble with the flow in "Jude the Obscure."

It's easy to experience anger at the decisions of both Jude and Sue, the former to abandon his goal to be a scholar and the latter, her constant desire for self-punishment.  Jude's decisions can be chalked up to a naivity about life and a passionate disposition, while Sue seems to enjoy creating her own drama.  Both characters are never fully comfortable in society, either due to society's constructs or due to their own volition. The foreshaddowing of problems with the Fawley's in marriage seems to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy and we are left to question whether the problems exist due to the flaws in the characters themselves or due to fate.

As a whole, Hardy has done a remarkable job and risked a great deal with this book.  It is one of his best.  This is one of those novels everyone should have on their bookshelves, because something different can be gleaned from each read.  It's a shame that this novel was Hardy's last work, because it was evident that he still had a lot left in the tank to give us.  Like a lot of great authors, he was not appreciated for this work in his own time.  After reading various reviews and participating in an enthralling book club discussion, I'm glad he's appreciated for this work in our time.

The Mayor of Casterbridge | Thomas Hardy

Hardy’s novel, “The Mayor of Casterbridge – A Story of a Man of Character” was written in 1886 and is a story about Michael Henchard, a simple hay trusser looking for work, who has a problem with the bottle. He walks into a town down on his luck and attempts to find solace in an alcoholic mixture, which loosens his tongue. Henchard publicly auctions his wife and child, in the midst of a drunken stupor. Eventually, someone accepts his price and leaves Henchard passed out at the town fair.

When he awakens, he shows much regret and vows not to drink alcohol for 21 years. He searches for his family, but unable to find them he continues on in search of work, eventually doing so well in business that he becomes the Mayor of a town called Casterbridge. The rest of the story deals with Henchard repenting for his past mistakes, but never fully learning how to cope with his internal struggles.

As all Victorian novels go, most of the troubles that plague Henchard could have been avoided through honesty. Of course, Henchard is a “Man of Character” and feels there are certain ways in which all events in life should be handled. He insists that his methodologies are genuine and true, while others are vindictive and malicious. As a result, a contempt broods within him and he attempts to take back what is rightfully his. To this end, he epitomizes the traits he claims to be opposing – vindictiveness and maliciousness.

As a reader, you must constantly choose whether Henchard is tragic or sympathetic; a case can be made for each. It is my personal opinion that Henchard’s downfall was his lack of ability to accept others with character and morals different from himself and his emotional reactions to negative events, instead of eliciting rational thought. Henchard was a hopeless romantic that constantly miss-communicated his love by over-thinking and over-reacting.

“The Mayor of Casterbridge” was not Hardy’s best novel. It held glimpses of promise but lacked the imagery and passion exhibited in “Tess of D’Ubervilles.” The story was based in a progressing urban landscape, in stark contrast to the rural landscapes in Tess. If “Tess of D’Ubervilles” was a game played by a master chess player, calculating every move in advance before the inevitable fall of King, “The Mayor of Casterbridge” was a chess game in which the result was a steady stalemate, with little care for the mid-game movements and only faint interest in the ending.

Structurally, Hardy was less sophisticated with his language in “The Mayor of Casterbridge” – choosing to limit the high-brow vocabulary and instead experiment with a simplistic form. However, I must admit that the prose was still fairly ‘chunky’, a common criticism of Hardy’s work.

The novel had some beautiful moments, but I did not find myself running for a pad and paper to capture quotes, themes or general insights into life. However, I can see why this novel has withstood the test of time – due mainly to Michael Henchard, a constant reminder to be honest and direct, and never to dwell too much on the negative.

I personally think that a secret to happiness is to withhold your own personal morals, but not put down others that do not feel the same way. Since we all have different vantage points which dynamically change over time, we can’t all feel and act the same way as in every circumstance. Those who can accept others for their faults as well as accept variances in other’s perception of character and integrity will find they are headed closer towards a harmonious existence.

QUOTATIONS

"I have tried to peruse and learn all my life; but the more I try to know the more ignorant I seem." 316

"And being forced to class herself among the fortunate she did not cease to wonder at the persistence of the unforeseen, when the one to whom such unbroken tranquility had been accorded in the adult stage was she whose youth had seemed to teach that happiness was but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain." 354

Tess of the D'Urbervilles | Thomas Hardy

"Tess knew that she had been thoughtful to excess, and struggled against it." p284. This line, coupled with "All is vanity" p351 are the central themes of this novel.

Without spoilers...

Tess is a simple country girl, somehow with a deeper appreciation of life and the world around her. She makes a mistake as a young adult and continues to punish herself for it. When her husband decides that she is correct in doing so, he punishes her. Instead of standing up for herself, Tess accepts this and punishes herself further. Of course, this punishment is all in the name of vanity. Old customs create obstacles that neither Tess or her husband can get over. When they are finally able to overcome these obstacles, it is too late.

Hardy is a master of literature. While this novel may be very slow for those used to modern day prose (novel published in 1891), Hardy's words are not laid in vain. He sets this novel up like a master chess player. Every move has purpose and all lead to the inevitable fall of the king... and in this case, the king of our story... Tess.

I must admit that Hardy uses a very advanced vocabulary, and while the novel is easy to understand, it is sometimes slow to meander through. There is no running; the story has a way of gripping and moving you, but I never felt like I couldn't put the book down.

That stated, this book has stood the test of time for a reason. It teaches us to throw away modern convention and that if we continue to try to live with a moral character, despite the occasional slip-up, we can live a very happy life. The catch is, we must learn from our mistakes and forgive ourselves, as should the people who really care about us.

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Quotes

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"Tess Durbeyfield at this time of her life was a mere vessel of emotion untinctured by experience." 51

"Tess, locking them all in, started on her way up the dark and crooked lane or street not made for hasty progress; a street laid out before inches of land had value, and when one-handed clocks sufficiently sub-divided the day." 62

"Every village has its idiosyncrasy, its constitution, often its own code of morality." 105

"The night came in, and took up its place there, unconcerned and indifferent; the night which had already swallowed up his happiness, and was no digesting it listlessly; and was ready to swallow up the happiness of a thousand other people with as little disturbance or change of mien." 305

"The pair were, in truth, but the ashes of their former fires. To the hot sorrow of the previous night had succeeded heaviness; it seemed as if nothing could kindle either of them to fervour of sensation any more." 307

"Within the remote depths of his constitution, so gentle and affectionate as he was in general, there lay hidden a hard logical deposit, like a vein of metal in a soft loam, which turned the edge of everything that tempted to traverse it." 311

Note to self: Foreshadowing on 313

"Yet Clare's love was doubtless ethereal to a fault, imaginative to impracticability. With these natures, corporeal presence is sometimes less appealing than corporeal absence; the latter creating an ideal presence that conveniently drops the defects of the real." 315

"When two people are once parted - have abandoned a common domicile and common environment - new growths insensibly bud upward to fill each vacated place; unforeseen accidents hinder intentions, and old plans are forgotten." 316

Thomas Hardy & John Irving

"Tess of D'Ubervilles" and Thomas Hardy's work in general, has been reference quite frequently in "A Prayer for Owen Meany." So much so, that I find myself deeply moved enough to warrant reading one of his novels in the near future. Irving cautions us, that Hardy is so difficult to comprehend and unravel that one would even be better off reading Dostoevsky's "The Brother's Karamazov." I was told, by my best friend's mother that this was a book that I needed to read, when I was ready for it. I still don't know if I am. I find it quite ironic though, that at a book club meeting I suggested two novels: "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "The Brother's Karamazov" (both of which were turned down). However, "The Brother's Karamazov" was unanimously consented to in my book club... so I wager that we will get to it either this year, or early next.

Anyhow, I digress. I came onto the blog, to share you a quote from Thomas Hardy (which I excerpted directly from "A Prayer for Owen Meany." I hope you enjoy it... it encompasses a lot of my feelings towards literature.

"A story must be exceptional enough to justify its telling. We storytellers are all ancient mariners, and none of us is justifed in stopping wedding guests, unless he has something more unusual to relate than the ordinary experiences of every average man and woman."

And one more, from the point of view of Owen Meany, a chacter of Irving's:

"Think of Hardy as a man who was almost religious, as a man who came so close to believing in God that when he rejected God, his rejection made him ferociously bitter. The kind of fate Hardy believes in is almost like believing in God - at least in that terrible, judgemental God of the Old Testament. Hardy hates institutions: the church- more than faith or belief - and certainly marriage (the instituion of it), and the insitution of education. People are helpless to fate, victims of time - their own emotions undo them, and social institutions of all kinds fail them.

Don't you see how a belief in such a bitter universe is not unlike relious faith? Like faith, what Hardy believed was naked, plan, vulnerable. Belief in God, or a belief that - eventually - has tragic consequences... either way, you don't leave yourself any room for philosophical detachment. Either way, you're not being very clever. Never think of Hardy as clever; never confuse faith, or belief - of any kind - with something even remotely intellectual. That's why I say he was 'almost religious' - because he wasn't a great thinker, he was a great FEELER."