T-shirt du Jour

Two different people on the street have pointed out my "I'd Rather Be Reading Thomas Hardy" t-shirt, so I thought I'd re-post this:

It sounds like I liked Jude the Obscure more than my buddy Serge; partly I suspect to the fact that it's a lot less descriptive narrative than any other Hardy I've read, which he is more inclined to like more than myself (I think.) But I do agree that the characters are ATROCIOUS - save Jude himself, whom I found myself (unfortunately) relating to a lot. Both in being led like a fool by women and by pretty much wasting a whole life. Pretty much by being a fool, I guess - I don't think I've ever actually shouted at a page before "oh no no, DUDE!! CAMON!!!! No!!" quite as many times as with this book. And in years I have already outlived him - EFF YOU, suckah!!!

Jude's "love" makes you want to hunt her down and slap her "what the fuck is wrong with you?" - at no turn does she make sense, she zigs when you think she'll zag EVERY FUCKING TIME, and the ups and downs (prolly due to the novel being serialized, as in every month you need something whackshit to happen) make you seasick to the point of whats the point of this repetitive dithering?

But you plow on; and the big blow comes and it's fucking crushing. I've read books where sad shit happens, but never before have I hated the goddam author for delivering it. Beyond tragic/depressing, made me hate anyone and everyone for being a part of the human race. Too much.

But it is what it is; and by the time I reached the final page I have to admit I was severely more attached than I had been 100 pages earlier. Even though to the bitter end the girl was a fucking lunatic.