The Mayor of Castrbridge is a Classic novel about a man by the name of Michael Henchard who in a drunken state sells his wife and daughter to a passing sailor at a country fair. From there on things get more and more dramatic. Henchard moves to the town of Casterbridge and achieves mayorship while presuming his wife dead, and his daughter lost to him. But when they arrive in Casterbridge, Henchard's life get's turned upside down. The reader experiences his ups and downs of his life narrated in parts by Henchard himself, and in parts, his daughter, Elizabeth-Jane.If I had a choice, I would never read classics, the language is tough, and the setting is constantly being thickly described. However for this classic, I wouldn't say it was too bad, like most modern novels it carries with it dramatic twists and turns, the reader doesn't experience too much of a lull between one shocking event and the next. Hardy knows exactly how to write too, he has a nice balance in the book, the shocking events don't overshadow each other, and they have a reason for being. I haven't read too many classics in my life, I tried Pride and Prejudice, but the extensive plot, and descriptions lacked the proper action and drama to hook a reader. With the Mayor of Casterbridge, you sympathized with characters more, it was easier to understand, though a longer read, it's not exactly the kind of story you'd find in a small farming village.
Considering my bias against classics and the fact that it's homework rather than leisure reading, I would give this classic a 7/10, for originality, a surprising amount of action and drama, sympathize-able characters, and a nicely scripted, and yet not overwhelming setting.
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