Elfride Swancourt has pretty blue eyes, and they fall upon the boyish Stephen Smith. They fall in love, but his family aren't well-to-do like Elfride's so her dad denies. They run off to London to marry but she freaks out so they head back home. But then architect Stephen is offered excellent job in Bombay. Off he goes. But then...
Enter Mr Henry Knight, Stephen's mature and well-read friend. He falls in love with Elfride, Elfride idolises him, and she forgets all about poor Stephen. But what happens when Stephen returns from India? Aaah~ I love love triangles, and Hardy does them so well.
Who would I choose? Stephen. Hands down. He's charming, and caring and full of ambition; an adventurer ready to explore the world and do anything he can for the woman he loves. Henry Knight? Don't even get me started. Elfride was an absolute fool to find herself infatuated with the man. Such a pompous, self-important, conceited, horrible man I have never come across in a work of Hardy's. Really, so many times I gave the book a 'oh-no-he-didn't' look. What an absolute idiot. I'm no feminist, but some of the crap he was spouting out was ridiculous. And men say that women are in love with ideas...Tsk, tsk. So yeah, he could get stuffed. As for Stephen - I cried for him. At a particular peak in his disappointment I genuinely cried because I was so moved by how awful he felt, and if anyone can render sadness it's the Hardy.
Let's not pretend that we don't all know that I'm a Thomas Hardy fanatic. My immense love of his writing has not change - and A Pair of Blue Eyes so early on in his career. Once again, it is so delightful to read his work backwards, to note words exchange and scenes played out that are then borrowed and redrawn for later books. Looking for some pretty Hardy romance without the tragic elements? Go for it.
P.S Without spoiling anything, the term 'cliffhanger' is believed to have orginated from this novel. Get that in yr pub quiz!
