Rating: 
Summary: A Classic Work
Review: The story twists and turns and Hardy takes the reader on a journey exploring the hopes and shattered dreams of the book's central characters.This is a masterpiece. I, like many reviewers above, had to study this text aged 16 for school exams. At the time, I remeber thinking that the long winded descriptions of the countryside irritated me. Perhaps now, aged 28, I would appreciate this book more. I feel that those who criticise it are entitled to do so - but the criticisms (if genuine) ought to be more constructive than those above - which are just bitter and inmature! As a story, this is first class and a must. Read it and savour it.
Rating:
Summary: A truly tragic novel
Review: I began reading The Mayor of Casterbridge as an ISP (Independant Study Project) novel, as it was reccommended to me by my English teacher. At first, I found the book to be unbearably boring, but beautifully written. The language is something to be admired. But I soon became absorbed in the story, and I have to say it was one of the most compelling ones I've ever read. I might just say it's the best book I ever have read. And it's sad. I'm a 16 year old guy, and I cried at the end. I don't want to sound prissy, but it's true. And you will cry too, I'm sure. If there is one thing I can say to you, it's this: read The Mayor of Casterbridge. It would be a great injustice to one of the most profound stories of our time.
Rating:
Summary: Astonishing
Review: I had to read this in book in high school and now again in college... and I hope to read it again in the future. It is a stunning portrait of secrecy and scandal, conceit and deceit, and the frustrations of being human...
Rating: 
Summary: Hardy hits the big one!
Review: Ah, the small town of Casterbridge, or rather the outskirts to start. Michael Henchard's drunken stupor leads to the sale of his wife and child. Years later, now a successful mayor of Caterbridge, the two women come back into his life, and his world falls apart all over again. Read about his chaotic journey into his own personal hell and the resulting reactions from the rest of the townspeople. Mystery, scandal, betrayal, all wrapped into one delightful package!
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of paper
Review: I recently had to read this book as part of my English GCSE and I can honestly say that much paper has been wasted and our trees are being destroyed to churn out a book, which is quite frankly absolutly awfull. I also am very glad that I was not around to ever meet Thomas Hardy as from this book it sounds to me that he may well of been a manic depresent, also in most, if not all, of his other books they all end in a very sad a depressing way. Hardy describes Henchard as 'dogged' and i feel if you want to read this you too will have to be dogged and determind to start and finish this book.
Rating:
Summary: WHY?
Review: I have recently read this book (not out of choice) and I am at a loss to understand why Hardy wrote this and why anyone would willingly read this for "fun". I agree wholeheartedly with the author of "Classically Boring" as this book is complete excrement. People are always going on about how we should stop cutting down the rainforest etc. and if this is what all those trees are turned into, then I'm with them 100%.
Rating:
Summary: Snoring
Review: This book was originally written to be printed in newspapers, newspapers were then used to wipe one's posterior. I feel i have already said enough.
Rating:
Summary: Classically boring.
Review: I read this book for my English exam and after reading it, I cannot understand how it can be described as a classic novel. The only possible reason that I can come up with is that people in 19th century England, did not have things like T.V. and so were absolutely desperate for anything to entertain themselves. This is possibly the most boring book that I have ever read. Nothing happens! I feel that a lot of people call this book a classic simply because some literary expert happened to like it once, and so these people, in a vain attempt to appear more intelligent than they are, simply churn out someone else's opinion, without actually thinking of their own response to the novel. I don't know how many copies of this book have been printed, but it is bound to be a large number, and all I can say is that it is a huge waste of paper which could have been put to better use elsewhere. I wish that I had not wasted some of my life reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful tragedy
Review: The notes on the back of my copy of this book describe it as a "Sophoclean" tragedy. This is a very apt description. Like the plays of Sophocles, Hardy's novel proceeds directly from one mistake and misunderstanding to the next with very little padding in between. As a result, the plot can seem unlikely (as several below have commented). It's sad, however, if people reject it for that reason. This novel contains one of the more fascinating characters in literature. Michael Henchard is a man of the "old school" who conducts business on a hand shake and who constantly acts and reacts to the visible world. Despite this, he is often aware of his mistakes after the fact, yet is unable to use this knowledge to avoid future pitfalls. He's contrasted brilliantly with Donald Farfrae, who is a "new man" who trusts in the future. Ironically (and I suspect intentionally) Hardy make Farfrae seem a far shallower man than Henchard. Yet, the "new man" ends up on top. The end of this novel is one of the bitterest in all of literature. Henchard's will being an almost total negation of his existance. What could be more tragic than that for a flawed, but essentially good man?
Rating:
Summary: Excruciatingly Boring
Review: I began reading this novel since it has such a great reputation as being a "classic." However, after reading well over a hundred pages, the book failed to keep my attention in the least bit. The plot is weak and pathetic, and the characters are too one-dimensional. Although it may pick up later, it certainly is not worth it.
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