the mayor of casterbridge..

I have read this book a few years ago..and there were just about 5 to 6 pages left when I was about to board on an airplane (I was going on a vacation)
I prefer paper (hard) books over etext (soft) books..so I was debating should I bring the book with me or not on the vacation..because as I wrote above, there were just 5-6 pages left till the end..

The vacation was going to last about 6 weeks, far from my home country (about 20 hours of flight) .. so I was really debating hard - like, after a 6 weeks of long vacation, would it be the same feeling and state when I would come home and pick up the book from where I had left??

so eventually, I brought the book with me on board..finished it even my plane took off lol

..what I'm trying to say here is that the book..the mayor of casterbridge..was that much enticing..
I've loved thomas hardy's books I have read so far.. tess of the d'urbervilles..wessex tales..
and this book didn't disappoint me again

I am about to start reading far from the maddening crowd.. so is there anyone who's read this book?
how was it..compare to the mayor of casterbridge, or tess of the d'urbervilles, or wessex tales?

and are there any thomas hardy poems you would recommend to other people?
I know thomas hardy has written very large amount of poems..heard he was the first or the second prolific poet of the british literature.. (unsure because I'm writing this off from my unreliable memory off the moment lol) .. unfortunately so far I have not had a chance to enjoy his poetic works..
so recommendations would be appreciated.. 🙂

one of the reasons I decided to learn english seriously (I was thaught english at my school, but never took it seriously.. like I did not like math..whilst I liked physics and chemistry..so with math I just went with 'fuck this..I'm not writing this exam paper' .. and checked whatever answers on the sheet .. and got a horrible grade lol) ..was that the time when I was exposed to british literature..there were books with full of mistakes in their translations.. sometimes they were so severe mistakes..even made a reader hard to understand nor follow the story.. I got fed up with that and decided to learn the english language..so I could read the original texts..without having have to deal with that butchering of poor translations..

the book in the title of this thread.. has no translation versino in my first language..
I wonder why anyone hasn't translated the book..I think the book is one of thomas hardy's best..

The Ruined Maid



"O 'Melia, my dear, this does everything crown!
Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town?
And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty?" —
"O didn't you know I'd been ruined?" said she.

— "You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,
Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks;
And now you've gay bracelets and bright feathers three!" —
"Yes: that's how we dress when we're ruined," said she.

— "At home in the barton you said thee' and thou,'
And thik oon,' and the?_s oon,' and t'other'; but now
Your talking quite fits 'ee for high compa-ny!" —
"Some polish is gained with one's ruin," said she.

— "Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak
But now I'm bewitched by your delicate cheek,
And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!" —
"We never do work when we're ruined," said she.

— "You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream,
And you'd sigh, and you'd sock; but at present you seem
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!" —
"True. One's pretty lively when ruined," said she.

— "I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown,
And a delicate face, and could strut about Town!" —
"My dear — a raw country girl, such as you be,
Cannot quite expect that. You ain't ruined," said she.


- Thomas Hardy