Hardy's MoC

[Kenneth]

I recently read Thomas Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge in my AP literature class. I have been wanting to read more of his work and I'm not sure where to start. His most popular novels seem to be MoC, Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the obscure, Return of the Native, and Tess of the D'urbervilles. I've read the plot descriptions of these books and have been leaning towards Jude the Obscure. Which do you recommend that I start with? Which is most similar to MoC? Which is the least similar? How so?

Much Thanks,
Kenneth

[neilgee]

Of those I think Far from the madding crowd is the closest in style to MoC, although there are huge differences between the novels they do both have that same sense of inevitability about the way the plots work themselves out.

Of the four novels mentioned Jude the Obscure is the only one I have not read so I can't completely answer your question but the most enjoyable of the ones I read is Tess, in my opinion.

[Rachel]

Whenever I even think of Tess, I could lay down and cry myself to sleep. Loved far from...... I don't know the others.

[margaine]

I am really tempted to look into Far From the Madding Crowd because the half-of-a-movie I saw - Tamara Drewe - is based on the book. And I really like the storyline, so it might be my next librivox download. (for some reason, I really like listening to 19th century British novels on audiobook)