The Mayor of Casterbridge

Fifty years ago my teachers strongly recommended to read the "Mayor of Casterbridge" by Thomas Hardy for a study of English. Somehow I never "found the time", though in the meantime I saw the film, read the novel and loved the story of "Far from the madding crowd" by the same author. Having at last watched the two-part DVD-version of Michael Henchard's fate I seem to have won a new part of the world for my horizon ! Ciaran Hinds with all his power represents the rise and fall of a complex character whom you must love, pity and despair of, all in the same moment. Such characters do exist, Thomas Hardy knows how to describe them, and the actor seems to have learned every word about them by heart. Luckily his four main partners stand up bravely against this standard. The wonderful picturesque town of "Casterbridge" and the carefully chosen landscape give adequate room to unfold the figures. Strangely enough the fact that this is a tragedy adds to its reality. After watching the film twice I seem to have found in its hero a very valuable new acquaintance. So my teachers were right after all...