L Reads a Classic: The Mayor of Casterbridge

One day an out of work hay-trusser imbibes in too much rum-laced furmity and auctions his wife and daughter off to the highest bidder.  This was, apparently, a fairly commonplace practice in the Victorian era.  When a sailor takes him up on the offer, Michael Henchard takes his five pounds, says good riddance to the wife and kid, and promptly passes out in his furmity.

 

The next day, when the reality of his deeds sets in, Henchard is filled with remorse and vows he won’t touch another drop of liquor for as many years as he’s been living.  He then attempts to find his wife and daughter only to discover they’ve already set sail for America.

 

Twenty years pass and Henchard is now the mayor of Casterbridge and true to his vow, has remained sober, raising his stature in the town from a lowly working man to owning a business and employing many of the townsfolk.  Not having much head for business, he has however succeeded more on luck than skill.  Into his new life appear his long-lost wife and daughter and Henchard sees an opportunity to fix past wrongs.

 

It is interesting that the book’s subtitle is “The Life and Death of a Man of Character”, for what is told is the tragic tale of Michael Henchard who rises from poverty to wealth and loses all again, due mostly to weaknesses in his character.  Having found his wife again, and made all right by re-marrying her, and approaching the end of his vow of sobriety, Henchard takes up drinking and once more finds that every decision he makes leads to tragic consequences, until this man who has raised himself out of poverty into circumstances of wealth, once more finds himself thrust down into a life of misery and want.

 

Hardy’s novel is a decent commentary on the ills of addiction, as well as the place of women in society.  There are also plenty of plot twists to make for an interesting story, and despite the depressing nature of the book (nothing much goes right for Henchard and just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do), still the book ends on a positive note for his hard-done-by daughter, giving readers a sense of hope for the future, which I quite like.  Though it is well known that all of Hardy’s books tend to be very dark and depressing, after enjoying reading The Mayer of Casterbridge, he is definitely an author I would pick up again.

 

Till next time, happy reading!

L J

 

 

“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”

~ Steve Martin