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thenovelbook's review against another edition
3.0
Re-read, Victober 2022: Still blown away by a couple of remarkably well-written passages, still adoring the humble shepherd Gabriel, still planning to rewatch the 2015 movie and revel in the beautiful pastoral scenes.
But.
My enjoyment was somewhat lessened this time by Hardy's failure to write a believable female character. Bathsheba is no dummy, except she is. She makes no sense. Here's an example which rubbed me all the wrong ways, a scene between her and Boldwood:
[Boldwood:] "You never liked me.”
“I did; and respected you, too.”
“Do you now?”
“Yes.”
“Which?”
“How do you mean which?”
“Do you like me, or do you respect me?”
“I don’t know—at least, I cannot tell you. It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs."
Now, in my Kindle, this last sentence is shown to have been highlighted nearly 1,000 times. That's crazy. And I can bet that most of the people highlighting it think it strikes some kind of blow in support of feminism, right?
But I don't think it does.
Because below the surface, it simply feels like Hardy is boxing Bathsheba in, as something other than an intelligent human person.
"Look, poor Bathsheba can't use her words. In fact, women are so mysterious and incomprehensible, that there actually aren't any words they can use. What a pity. I guess no one will ever understand them."
Yeah, right, Hardy.
It's funny, as time goes on, I am becoming less inclined to buy what I'm sold in books like these. But, truly, most of Hardy's female dialogue is just terrible. As well as his attempts to explain what makes them tick. Ugh.
But Gabriel Oak is still amazing, and that movie is still the sole catalyst for me wanting to have a sheep farm in Britain some day, so I guess you could say there are highs and lows here.
Best writing in the whole book was early on, when Gabriel is keeping vigil over his flock by starlight. Truly gorgeous words.
----------------------------------
Original 2016 review follows:
This was a pretty satisfying read because the language is just so great, and unlike a lot of Thomas Hardy's other books, there's a reasonably happy ending. I mean, there's some tragedy, but not an unbearable amount.
The story is worthwhile for Gabriel Oak aside from anything else. He's amazing! He's the solid pillar in Bathsheba's otherwise uncertain world. He's in love with her, but after a first rejection, he relegates himself to the post of friend, advisor, and employee. He's a humble shepherd, a deeply moral man, and hugely unselfish.
I have varying feelings about Bathsheba. She has three suitors. One can respect her initial decision about Gabriel (sort of, maybe), and her later hesitation over middle-aged Boldwood... but then there's Troy?? He's not all bad, but he really doesn't fit into the life she's building, and that's a bit painful to read.
I watched the new movie and was very taken by it, which prompted me to read the book. I'm also in the process of watching the adaptation from the 1990s, which is much longer and therefore can include more from the book. I like them both.
But.
My enjoyment was somewhat lessened this time by Hardy's failure to write a believable female character. Bathsheba is no dummy, except she is. She makes no sense. Here's an example which rubbed me all the wrong ways, a scene between her and Boldwood:
[Boldwood:] "You never liked me.”
“I did; and respected you, too.”
“Do you now?”
“Yes.”
“Which?”
“How do you mean which?”
“Do you like me, or do you respect me?”
“I don’t know—at least, I cannot tell you. It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs."
Now, in my Kindle, this last sentence is shown to have been highlighted nearly 1,000 times. That's crazy. And I can bet that most of the people highlighting it think it strikes some kind of blow in support of feminism, right?
But I don't think it does.
Because below the surface, it simply feels like Hardy is boxing Bathsheba in, as something other than an intelligent human person.
"Look, poor Bathsheba can't use her words. In fact, women are so mysterious and incomprehensible, that there actually aren't any words they can use. What a pity. I guess no one will ever understand them."
Yeah, right, Hardy.
It's funny, as time goes on, I am becoming less inclined to buy what I'm sold in books like these. But, truly, most of Hardy's female dialogue is just terrible. As well as his attempts to explain what makes them tick. Ugh.
But Gabriel Oak is still amazing, and that movie is still the sole catalyst for me wanting to have a sheep farm in Britain some day, so I guess you could say there are highs and lows here.
Best writing in the whole book was early on, when Gabriel is keeping vigil over his flock by starlight. Truly gorgeous words.
----------------------------------
Original 2016 review follows:
This was a pretty satisfying read because the language is just so great, and unlike a lot of Thomas Hardy's other books, there's a reasonably happy ending. I mean, there's some tragedy, but not an unbearable amount.
The story is worthwhile for Gabriel Oak aside from anything else. He's amazing! He's the solid pillar in Bathsheba's otherwise uncertain world. He's in love with her, but after a first rejection, he relegates himself to the post of friend, advisor, and employee. He's a humble shepherd, a deeply moral man, and hugely unselfish.
I have varying feelings about Bathsheba. She has three suitors. One can respect her initial decision about Gabriel (sort of, maybe), and her later hesitation over middle-aged Boldwood... but then there's Troy?? He's not all bad, but he really doesn't fit into the life she's building, and that's a bit painful to read.
I watched the new movie and was very taken by it, which prompted me to read the book. I'm also in the process of watching the adaptation from the 1990s, which is much longer and therefore can include more from the book. I like them both.
brisingr's review against another edition
4.0
first read: idk sometime in eight grade, ~2011-2012 but ofc no exact dates
second read: 1st of april 2022 - 2nd of may 2022
was this book much longer than it had to be? yes. did that make it really difficult to get into reading it, whenever i had to pick up the book? yes. was the writing style SO beautifully descriptive and so satisfying because of it? also yes, yes, yes. while i took an accidental hiatus from reading this in april, i am so satisfied to finally have finished it. i obviously couldn't remember much from my first time reading it, and this was one of the rare instances (?? maybe, or maybe tess d'urberville just traumatized me) where thomas hardy actually lets me feel some happiness. was everyone but angelically named gabriel an absolute bitch-ass though? yes. entertaining drama though
second read: 1st of april 2022 - 2nd of may 2022
was this book much longer than it had to be? yes. did that make it really difficult to get into reading it, whenever i had to pick up the book? yes. was the writing style SO beautifully descriptive and so satisfying because of it? also yes, yes, yes. while i took an accidental hiatus from reading this in april, i am so satisfied to finally have finished it. i obviously couldn't remember much from my first time reading it, and this was one of the rare instances (?? maybe, or maybe tess d'urberville just traumatized me) where thomas hardy actually lets me feel some happiness. was everyone but angelically named gabriel an absolute bitch-ass though? yes. entertaining drama though
outoftheblue14's review against another edition
Ci ho messo tutta la buona volontà, ma getto la spugna. Già leggere ogni tre righe i nomi tradotti in italiano mi dà lo stesso fastidio delle unghie che grattano la lavagna (passi Gabriele Oak, ma Giuseppe Poorgrass? Guglielmo Boldwood? Matteo Vattelappesca? Abbiate pietà), ma la cosa peggiore di quest'edizione è l'impaginazione. Non ha margini. In alto e in basso non è un problema, ma al centro del libro, dove c'è la rilegatura, non riesco ad aprire le pagine a sufficienza per leggere il margine destro (delle pagine a sinistra) o quello sinistro (delle pagine a destra). Tutto questo, unito al fatto che la traduzione sente davvero il peso dei suoi anni (più di quaranta), e che le infinite descrizioni di paesaggi mi annoiano alquanto, mi fa pensare che non arriverò mai alla fine (avrò letto poco più di cento pagine in un mese). Basta così.
Avrei fatto meglio a vedere il film e basta!!
Avrei fatto meglio a vedere il film e basta!!
daphudil's review against another edition
Saving for a time when I can actually concentrate enough to read a classic
aliteraryprincess's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
jolou's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
marina_claveria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
4.0
I like the atmosphere Hardy buids - the rural surroundings, characters hardened by lots of daily hard work but still having a naivete. That said, there was something lacking toward the end of book - toward the point when Bathsheeba's husband Troy decided to come back. Until then, Hardy seems to be doing an incredible Hardy job but the later chapters seemed to me a bit forced- it was like Hardy didn't know what to do with extra two lovers so let one of them kill another and then himself. I didn't particularly like the happy ending. I probably would have liked it more if Bathsheeba had realized her love for Gabriel after he had left and it was too late. I'm sadistic that way but given Bathsheeba's character that ending would have made more sense because that's how Bathsheeba realizes her blindspots - too late. The mistakes she committed in sending the letter to Boldwood and in falling from Troy were results of such blind spots in her knowledge of how her mind works.
Unlike Tess, which was a tragedy, Far from Madding Crowd is more of a caution tale on vanity. Easily admirable as Bathsheeba is, her good qualities are undone by her vanity and her, what Milan Kundera would have called, 'inexperience'. It is because of this naivity that she is unable to see through tricks Troy plays. Her naivete doesn't excuse what she did to Boldwood either, although later is probably culprit of a lot of stocking and guilt tripping. Still, I mean reverse their genders and I don't think I would have faulted a woman for guilt tripping a man who evoked her emotions like that.
Two things that are important to Bathsheeba that I don't think get remarked enough are - 1. She has a desire to be strong desire to be true to her word (which is how Boldwood holds her prisoner to her words) and 2. Loyalty (she stays loyal to her apparently dead terrible example of a husband until she is sure about his death).
Third thing is that she has a way of getting used (addicted) to people around her; that's really only reason she decided to marry Gabriel - she was just used to his company. While Gabriel does look after her, he probably would have left her service long ago if he hadn't been so financially strained. To want to leave her alone at her weakest moment (toward the end) hardly does him credit - but it is this threat that works on Bathsheeba. And you could bet, had he never thought of leaving and instead always stayed loyal servant, he would never have got her to marry him.
All affairs Bathsheeba had seemed to be toxic in one particular way - her suitors are more likely to be rewarded by their flaws (Boldwood for emotional blackmail, Troy for lies and Gabriel for wanting to leave a friend in weak moment) than when they are acting decently (atleast Boldwood and Gabriel did; Troy didn't, he didn't love her and never suffered for her, only made her suffer- making him Bathsheeba's favorite) but then I guess that's what normal people are like.
Unlike Tess, which was a tragedy, Far from Madding Crowd is more of a caution tale on vanity. Easily admirable as Bathsheeba is, her good qualities are undone by her vanity and her, what Milan Kundera would have called, 'inexperience'. It is because of this naivity that she is unable to see through tricks Troy plays. Her naivete doesn't excuse what she did to Boldwood either, although later is probably culprit of a lot of stocking and guilt tripping. Still, I mean reverse their genders and I don't think I would have faulted a woman for guilt tripping a man who evoked her emotions like that.
Two things that are important to Bathsheeba that I don't think get remarked enough are - 1. She has a desire to be strong desire to be true to her word (which is how Boldwood holds her prisoner to her words) and 2. Loyalty (she stays loyal to her apparently dead terrible example of a husband until she is sure about his death).
Third thing is that she has a way of getting used (addicted) to people around her; that's really only reason she decided to marry Gabriel - she was just used to his company. While Gabriel does look after her, he probably would have left her service long ago if he hadn't been so financially strained. To want to leave her alone at her weakest moment (toward the end) hardly does him credit - but it is this threat that works on Bathsheeba. And you could bet, had he never thought of leaving and instead always stayed loyal servant, he would never have got her to marry him.
All affairs Bathsheeba had seemed to be toxic in one particular way - her suitors are more likely to be rewarded by their flaws (Boldwood for emotional blackmail, Troy for lies and Gabriel for wanting to leave a friend in weak moment) than when they are acting decently (atleast Boldwood and Gabriel did; Troy didn't, he didn't love her and never suffered for her, only made her suffer- making him Bathsheeba's favorite) but then I guess that's what normal people are like.
imperrterritus's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0