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edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved Bathsheba as a main character. Her independence and intemperate nature in the beginning of the story wasn't like the "strong, independent, not-like-other-girls" trope, which tends to be tacky and overboard. (Sometimes the author seems like they're trying reallllly hard for an inclusivity point, if you know what I mean.) Some people don't like the way her character changes over the course of the novel, but I think it is perfectly reasonable.
The one part of this novel that kept it from being five stars was Troy. Oh, Troy. A rakish, cajoling, manipulative man, the epitome of the folk song "The Rambling Soldier".
If anyone's interested in watching the 2015 movie adaptation, I'd recommend it! It's a pretty faithful adaptation -- it necessarily cuts out a lot of the side character happenings for the sake of time, and I don't quite like the way they represented Boldwood, but I'll forgive it all for the talented Carey Mulligan :)
Graphic: Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Animal death, Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death
priya_can_read's review against another edition
Graphic: Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Classism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol
I mean, it's a Thomas Hardy novel. It is sad and weepy, but the language is such a treat, and it's a fascinating look into the time period, and the tensions between the trend of rapid industrial development in Britain and its agrarian heritage.bloomingpear's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Stalking, Violence, and Toxic relationship
nerdkitten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy and War