The Mayor of Casterbridge

Finished The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. Each summer I switch off between reading a novel by Hardy or one by George Eliot. Sadly, I was a bit disappointed in this summer's choice. I find no fault with the book, I just didn't like the title character, AKA Michael Henchard. Seldom have I encountered a character who behaved so stupidly and made such terrible decisions, except perhaps Undine Spragg. This was less bucolic than most of the Hardy novels I've read so far, something I found lacking as well. I much prefer my Hardy read from summer 2010, The Return of the Native.