The Mayor of Casterbridge

Tragic heroes bring about their own destruction. Michael Henchard in Hardy's 1886 classic does so in spades. The novel starts with a bang: Henchard, drunk, sells his wife and baby daughter at a fair and, when sober, cannot find them. He moves to Casterbridge, where, flash-forward 18 years, he has become a successful businessman and mayor. Enter again his wife and daughter, and Henchard doesn't know quite what to do with them. Meanwhile his business is failing. Bad decisions continue, yet listeners can't help liking Henchard, despite his flaws. What adds to these feelings is the able reading by Pamela Garelick, who has a host of memorable characters firmly in her grasp. She enjoys her story, and so will her audience. T.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine