A Pair of Blue Eyes

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

I wanted to read this book because I love another Thomas Hardy book, The Mayor of Castorbridge, that I previously read. I wanted to read a book by an author that I already know I like. The story is of a young girl, Elfride Swancourt, that falls in love with the first man she gets to know, Steven Smith. She plans to secretly marry since her widowed father doesn’t approve of the marriage because Steven is from a lower class. But wisdom overtakes her and she decides against it. They promise one another’s love and Steven goes to India to save money and become wealthy enough to earn the father’s approval. In the meantime Elfride falls in love with another man, Henry Knight. There is a confusing turn of events leaving Elfride alone. The end turns tragically as the two lovers of Elfride race each other to win back her love.

Elfride, the main character, is one that is hard to understand. She is very passionate about her lovers, yet is torn between the two. Her commitment to the first is very strong for quite some awhile, but time and distance makes that love fade and she falls for another man. She believes that her attempt at elopement was a dreadfully wrong deed that ruins her honor. With this belief in mind she keeps it a secret from Knight and leads him to believe that she really did do something immoral. The misunderstanding brings about tragedy. She brings it upon herself with her false beliefs in her actions.

I can almost relate to Elfride in the beginning of the book. Her strong passion for Steven and desire to secretly marry, along with their separation for him to earn a living, are similar to my situation. But once she falls for another man and forsakes her first love, I lose the sympathy I had for her. Elfride’s lovers are very interesting people. As I read I want her to end up with Steven. He is handsome and works hard to make a living and loves her for who she is. Knight is a less emotional character and somewhat dry. I don’t like him very much. Elfride seems to change who she is to match what Knight desires. Part of the problem between them is that Knight wants a woman who has never loved before and Elfride tries to hide that she has loved.

The drama in this story could be somewhat believable. Not to such an extent as the eventual outcome, but I could see the misunderstandings and the broken hearts actually happening. The story is told third person omniscient. I like this point of view because I can know what all the characters are thinking and I know all the facts. This can take the suspense out of story, but in this case there are still striking turns of events that are surprising. The time and location help make the story more romantic. It’s set in nineteenth century England, a picturesque time for romance stories.

This story evokes a lot of emotions. I felt for Elfride in her first passions of love. I also felt angry and frustrated with the characters when they were stubborn or miscommunicated. I really liked when Elfride was sharing romantic moments with Steven. The beginning was my favorite part. I didn’t like how it ended. I won’t give it away. I had to read the last few pages a couple of times to make sure I understood what happened.

Even though the ending wasn’t the way I wanted it to be, I really enjoyed the story. When I read a book and I can’t put it down I’m a big fan. I definitely recommend this book to any one that loves a good romance.