The Vicar of Wakefield (English Library)

My review must be taken with a grain of salt, as I am not a great fan of 18th century literature. However, in all frankness I must say I did not enjoy this book. I found the tension between Dr. Primrose's role as both moral center and unreliable narrator (who, in his hypocrisy, condemned many vices to which he fell prey) distracting, and most of the plot twists were amateurish and absurd (it...more

My review must be taken with a grain of salt, as I am not a great fan of 18th century literature. However, in all frankness I must say I did not enjoy this book. I found the tension between Dr. Primrose's role as both moral center and unreliable narrator (who, in his hypocrisy, condemned many vices to which he fell prey) distracting, and most of the plot twists were amateurish and absurd (it was like reading an 18th century Days of Our Lives). Also, I found the standard "deus ex machina" ending (so common among such novels), in which the three hundred pages of narrative are wrapped up in ten pages of inconceivable explanation, irritating. Stick to "Tom Jones." It may possess the same flaws, but it is a thousand times more enjoyable.   hide