Review -The Second Mrs Clare

                                                   Novel by Mike Langridge 



I had not really been convinced about the value of sequels and prequels written by modern novelists inspired by well known works by dead authors : But have to say that I enjoyed this book very much. Certainly some knowledge of the  plot of 'Tess of the 'd'Urbevilles' and perhaps a familiarity of Thomas Hardy's main novels, are a great help. 

Starting with Angel Clare and Tess's sister Liza-Lu seeing the black flag raised marking the hanging of Tess for the killing of Alec D'Urbeville whose malign actions had contributed to Angel Clare abandoning Tess shortly after he had married her. Alec had at least financially supported Tess's family,and with his death. a crisis soon looms. Angel Clare, still feels contrite for his treatment of Tess, and for leaving her once she disclosed on their wedding night that she had previously had a child out of wedlock after being seduced by Alec. 

Angel takes Liza-Lu to meet his father, who is a rural vicar and the rest of the family. They have a pleasant enough supper party. It is almost getting too cosy, nearly everyone is being far nice too Liza-Lu. But thankfully the troubles start , everything goes wrong for Liza-Lu, and a whole chain of calamities begins. New characters are introduced who are not from the cast of 'Tess'. A convincing range that includes a villain, or two, a busybody, some quite good natured and sympathetic individuals, along with a Victorian feminist. The plot is lively and unpredictable at times. And the identity of 'the second Mrs Clare' takes some time to emerge. 

'The Second Mrs Clare' seems far more representative of the 1890's than the original. Train travel is in the financial reach of huge swathes of the population, agriculture is in crisis, women's suffrage, trade unionism make an appearance . Though 'Tess' was published in 1891 , I always felt that the novel was evoking the world of a generation or so earlier. The story line takes in more urban settings than 'Tess', though Talboathy Dairy, and the trio of milkmaids, Izz, Retty and Marian,come back briefly. 

Jude, as in the lead character of 'Jude the Obscure' makes a cameo appearance. Casterbridge, Hardy's fictional recreation of Dorchester, as in the county town of Dorset, provides a setting for a large part of the novel. The nearby hill fort of Maiden Castle, provides the backdrop for a scene or two, which is a welcome touch. We do need some mysterious earthworks for a work inspired by a Hardy novel. The questioning of Christianity becomes a theme, which would have pleased Hardy himself. 

The Second Mrs Clare was published independently in January 2022. Available in paperback or kindle via Amazon or  The Thomas Hardy Society online shop

Thank you to the Thomas Hardy Fans on Facebook  ( public group) for wider discussion about Hardy's influence on subsequent novels. 

Other posts from this blog of possible interest to Thomas Hardy readers: 

Bonfire Night as featured in 'The Return of the Native'.

Egdon Heath as featured in 'The Return of the Native'.

Lady Dedlock ('Bleak House') v. Tess of the d'Urbevilles , a comparison concerning women characters who had children before marriage. 

Thomas Hardy Society 


OTHER BLOGS BY THIS WRITER 

A Burnt Ship  17th century war & literature 

World War 2 poetry 

Contact Michael Bleak 

Twitter 

Mr Bleak 5@ShipBurnt 

Mastadon 

Michael@BleakChesneyWold

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