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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Far from the Madding Crowd is melodramatic, and it made me think while I was reading it that serial novels like this would be the 19th century’s version of a soap opera. I won’t go into the plot, but the storyline can fit into just about any soap opera that’s ever been produced, (with the exception of course that it’s set in southwestern English farmlands).
With that said, Thomas Hardy writes beautifully. His descriptions and use of figurative language in this story is just so enjoyable to read. What grabbed me was how well in touch he was with nature and the agricultural aspect of the setting.
This is the second Thomas Hardy novel I’ve read (also have read Tess of the D’Urbervilles) and I recommend them both.
If anyone can recommend other Thomas Hardy novels to me, I’m definitely a fan now of Thomas Hardy and am open for any recommendations of his work.
With that said, Thomas Hardy writes beautifully. His descriptions and use of figurative language in this story is just so enjoyable to read. What grabbed me was how well in touch he was with nature and the agricultural aspect of the setting.
This is the second Thomas Hardy novel I’ve read (also have read Tess of the D’Urbervilles) and I recommend them both.
If anyone can recommend other Thomas Hardy novels to me, I’m definitely a fan now of Thomas Hardy and am open for any recommendations of his work.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An absolutely wonderful story that was such a delight to read. The author has given all his characters such distinct personalities, from the protagonists Gabriel Oat who is staunch, Bathsheba Everdene vain, wishy-washy at times even pitiful to all the towns folk. The story itself has some tragedy, twists and turns and some harrowing times with bits of humor sprinkled in. This is one of the books due to be released this year as a movie, Since most movie screen plays are "based" on the literary work it will be interesting to see how it is translated to the silver screen. I would highly recommend this to everyone,, even though written in 1874 it's a brilliant work of literature,
3.5 stars that I'm upgrading to four because I'm really glad I read it. And I'm sure I'll read it again some day. This was one of those stories where I was engaged and enjoying it but it wasn't until everything came together that I felt like I was really hooked.
Bathsheba (what a dreadful name) inherits a farm, discharges the thieving bailiff, and takes over running the farm. Her spirit and strength draws the love of three men; Gabriel Oaks, Mr. Boldwood, and Sgt Troy. A moment's thoughtlessness sets off a series of events that ultimately leads to a very tragic outcome.
This book had excellent descriptions of the countryside and the lives of the people. I don't think I've often read about 19th century farming unless you count the Little House books, which is not quite the same thing :) So there were actually a lot of little pieces of information that made this very interesting for me. The story goes along at a pretty even pace while you're trying to figure out how the story was going to resolve. I really empathized with Bathsheba throughout the story. She made a couple of foolish mistakes but who hasn't? The three men were all very different characters. I was rooting for Gabriel the whole time. He was one of those very selfless and honest people. I really loved him and his character continually grew on me.
This is only the second time I've read Hardy but I basically wanted to immediately pick up another as soon as I finished this. One thing that surprised me was that the writing was not at all difficult. Aside from a few words it was easily as accessible as anything modern.
Bathsheba (what a dreadful name) inherits a farm, discharges the thieving bailiff, and takes over running the farm. Her spirit and strength draws the love of three men; Gabriel Oaks, Mr. Boldwood, and Sgt Troy. A moment's thoughtlessness sets off a series of events that ultimately leads to a very tragic outcome.
This book had excellent descriptions of the countryside and the lives of the people. I don't think I've often read about 19th century farming unless you count the Little House books, which is not quite the same thing :) So there were actually a lot of little pieces of information that made this very interesting for me. The story goes along at a pretty even pace while you're trying to figure out how the story was going to resolve. I really empathized with Bathsheba throughout the story. She made a couple of foolish mistakes but who hasn't? The three men were all very different characters. I was rooting for Gabriel the whole time. He was one of those very selfless and honest people. I really loved him and his character continually grew on me.
This is only the second time I've read Hardy but I basically wanted to immediately pick up another as soon as I finished this. One thing that surprised me was that the writing was not at all difficult. Aside from a few words it was easily as accessible as anything modern.
I read this book in high school, it was the first Thomas Hardy book I ever read. And I remember thinking to myself... 'huh, I guess I don't like Thomas Hardy' and for years I did not pick up another Hardy book.
Which is crazy because [b:Tess of the D'Urbervilles|32261|Tess of the D'Urbervilles|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434302708l/32261._SY75_.jpg|3331021] is one of my favorite books. This book almost ruined Hardy for me!
I thought it was slow and boring and sheep farming just doesn't do it for me.
Which is crazy because [b:Tess of the D'Urbervilles|32261|Tess of the D'Urbervilles|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434302708l/32261._SY75_.jpg|3331021] is one of my favorite books. This book almost ruined Hardy for me!
I thought it was slow and boring and sheep farming just doesn't do it for me.
I picked this up because I really loved Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Hardy. Tess is one of my favorite fictional characters, so I wanted to meet Bathsheba of Far from the Madding Crowd.
I ALMOST loved this novel. But, it felt too much like a romance novel for men.
Bathsheba is a strong women. She makes her own decisions, she declines a marriage proposal and runs a farm. She’s great, I love her, I want to be her, I can learn from her what it means to be a women… but… Hardy slapped an end on this beautiful novel that turned it into a story about “silly-women.” …oh, watch her fail, watch her ultimately need a man behind the scenes…
It ends with her finding happiness in good old heterosexual love.
She’s still a great character. One thing I love about Thomas Hardy is that, although it’s obvious which men the author wants his readers to like and dislike, none of the men are complete wankers. I’m looking in your direction, Jane Austen.
Thomas Hardy makes me want to write. He uses narrative distance better than I’ve ever seen it used. Sometimes the scenes are being observed from behind a tree so it feels wrong, or far off in the distance so you feel cold and confused, and sometimes you are right there in the room and it is intimate and awkward.
Super good, I’ll read it again some day.
A note on the film starring Carrie Mulligan: She was really good, and I still would have fallen for Mr. Boldwood, even in the film version.
I still need to watch the version with Julie Christie.
I ALMOST loved this novel. But, it felt too much like a romance novel for men.
Bathsheba is a strong women. She makes her own decisions, she declines a marriage proposal and runs a farm. She’s great, I love her, I want to be her, I can learn from her what it means to be a women… but… Hardy slapped an end on this beautiful novel that turned it into a story about “silly-women.” …oh, watch her fail, watch her ultimately need a man behind the scenes…
It ends with her finding happiness in good old heterosexual love.
She’s still a great character. One thing I love about Thomas Hardy is that, although it’s obvious which men the author wants his readers to like and dislike, none of the men are complete wankers. I’m looking in your direction, Jane Austen.
Thomas Hardy makes me want to write. He uses narrative distance better than I’ve ever seen it used. Sometimes the scenes are being observed from behind a tree so it feels wrong, or far off in the distance so you feel cold and confused, and sometimes you are right there in the room and it is intimate and awkward.
Super good, I’ll read it again some day.
A note on the film starring Carrie Mulligan: She was really good, and I still would have fallen for Mr. Boldwood, even in the film version.
I still need to watch the version with Julie Christie.
What a beautifully written novel this was! Hardy explores the dynamics of marriage, courtship, and selfhood through the three suitors of Bathsheba Everdene, and explores the long-standing consequences of the small and large choices we make. This was a thoroughly engaging read for me.
Boring AF. Also this feels like a book designed to show women the punishments for vanity. I smelled the misogyny before I even picked it up and yep it's a real stinker
Far From the Madding Crowd was much more of a challenge than what I was expecting. The language really took me a chapter or so to get used to. And each time I picked it up, I would have to refocus. However, I was very much intrigued by the story after the first couple of chapters that set the scene.
Read more of my book reviews here: https://tildareads.wixsite.com/tilda-reads
The book is set in motion fairly quickly, from the time that Gabriel first sees Bathsheba. It was the kind of story where I knew what the ending would be, but I wanted to know what tragedies would have to come to pass before the characters got that ending. As is typical of Thomas Hardy, that’s a fair amount of tragedy. My first experience of Thomas Hardy was watching Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and this movie has definitely haunted me, so I was emotionally prepared for Far From the Madding Crowd. I will say however, having watched Tess of the D’Urbervilles, I was expecting more heart wrenching tragedy. The majority of the book was quite gentle and had a standard classic romance feel to it with moody descriptions of the landscape and seasons.
The pace of Far From the Madding Crowd is just right, despite being a longer book. The plot-driving moments are very well interspersed with more detailed and descriptive parts which contributed to a pleasing balance.
My favourite character was Gabriel Oak, although after having the opening scenes of the book dedicated completely to him, he didn’t feature so strongly in the middle of the book, which was a shame in my opinion. Gabriel Oak was responsible, respectful and hard-working. I particularly disliked Boldwood’s character in the end. He was far too forceful, possessive and didn’t seem to care about anyone else’s feelings except his own. I just didn’t understand why Boldwood would be so insistent of Bathsheba marrying him when she clearly didn’t want to. My least favourite part was Boldwood’s marriage proposal to Bathsheba at the Christmas Eve party. It made me so uncomfortable.
Bathsheba’s character arc was most interesting to me. Going from the strong-willed and independent young woman at the start, to being beaten down, and wondering if she will ever find herself again. Bearing in mind that she was written by a man in Victorian times, I do feel that Bathsheba is a very well-rounded character. She’s not just a love interest. Her role on the farm is important and she is well respected by her workers. She also has a full range of emotions. However I didn’t see her reaction to Boldwood as being true to her character. I think she should have been stronger in her response to him. However if she had, then the story would probably not have been the same.
I enjoyed reading the different chapters with various characters as the main focus, from Gabriel Oak to Bathsheba, Fanny Robin, Boldwood and Sergeant Troy. I would have liked to have spent more time with some of these characters and seen more of their relationships in order to fully feel the effect of the tragic events. It would have helped to build the relationship with them, before the tragedies that come to pass. It was interesting to see the small mistakes, decisions, chance meetings that all contributed to the climax of the story.
I really enjoyed Hardy’s writing of the Wessex accent. I could vividly hear the voices speaking as I was reading. And I’m not normally one for depicting accents on the page. But this was so well done, it felt completely natural.
I felt plunged into the Victorian countryside. The descriptions of the landscape and seasons were lovely, if a little dark and moody. It was also fun to see so many different types of characters, from wealthy farmers to poor labourers. One of my favourite scenes was in the malt-house. I enjoyed learning about the community of Weatherby from that part.
Far From the Madding Crowd is a romance novel, and this is the type of romance novel that I prefer. I think it’s the fact that it has more layers than just romance. There’s the exploration of country life, the detailed characters and the tragedy.
I would read more by Thomas Hardy although I would go into it with more understanding of his writing style. I am looking forward to reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles. It has made me wonder, Hardy’s stories seem to have the female protagonist choosing between multiple suitors – does Hardy view himself as the person having to choose, or as one of the suitors?
Once I got into it, I enjoyed Far From the Madding Crowd. I am proud of myself for taking on the challenge of reading a classic novel again. I am still aware of how my reading level is not what it used to be but I feel a little closer to being able to read War and Peace eventually.
I would definitely recommend Far From the Madding Crowd to anyone who likes a classic romantic story set in the English countryside, with plenty of interesting characters whose lives are changed by tragedy.
Read more of my book reviews here: https://tildareads.wixsite.com/tilda-reads
The book is set in motion fairly quickly, from the time that Gabriel first sees Bathsheba. It was the kind of story where I knew what the ending would be, but I wanted to know what tragedies would have to come to pass before the characters got that ending. As is typical of Thomas Hardy, that’s a fair amount of tragedy. My first experience of Thomas Hardy was watching Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and this movie has definitely haunted me, so I was emotionally prepared for Far From the Madding Crowd. I will say however, having watched Tess of the D’Urbervilles, I was expecting more heart wrenching tragedy. The majority of the book was quite gentle and had a standard classic romance feel to it with moody descriptions of the landscape and seasons.
The pace of Far From the Madding Crowd is just right, despite being a longer book. The plot-driving moments are very well interspersed with more detailed and descriptive parts which contributed to a pleasing balance.
My favourite character was Gabriel Oak, although after having the opening scenes of the book dedicated completely to him, he didn’t feature so strongly in the middle of the book, which was a shame in my opinion. Gabriel Oak was responsible, respectful and hard-working. I particularly disliked Boldwood’s character in the end. He was far too forceful, possessive and didn’t seem to care about anyone else’s feelings except his own. I just didn’t understand why Boldwood would be so insistent of Bathsheba marrying him when she clearly didn’t want to. My least favourite part was Boldwood’s marriage proposal to Bathsheba at the Christmas Eve party. It made me so uncomfortable.
Bathsheba’s character arc was most interesting to me. Going from the strong-willed and independent young woman at the start, to being beaten down, and wondering if she will ever find herself again. Bearing in mind that she was written by a man in Victorian times, I do feel that Bathsheba is a very well-rounded character. She’s not just a love interest. Her role on the farm is important and she is well respected by her workers. She also has a full range of emotions. However I didn’t see her reaction to Boldwood as being true to her character. I think she should have been stronger in her response to him. However if she had, then the story would probably not have been the same.
I enjoyed reading the different chapters with various characters as the main focus, from Gabriel Oak to Bathsheba, Fanny Robin, Boldwood and Sergeant Troy. I would have liked to have spent more time with some of these characters and seen more of their relationships in order to fully feel the effect of the tragic events. It would have helped to build the relationship with them, before the tragedies that come to pass. It was interesting to see the small mistakes, decisions, chance meetings that all contributed to the climax of the story.
I really enjoyed Hardy’s writing of the Wessex accent. I could vividly hear the voices speaking as I was reading. And I’m not normally one for depicting accents on the page. But this was so well done, it felt completely natural.
I felt plunged into the Victorian countryside. The descriptions of the landscape and seasons were lovely, if a little dark and moody. It was also fun to see so many different types of characters, from wealthy farmers to poor labourers. One of my favourite scenes was in the malt-house. I enjoyed learning about the community of Weatherby from that part.
Far From the Madding Crowd is a romance novel, and this is the type of romance novel that I prefer. I think it’s the fact that it has more layers than just romance. There’s the exploration of country life, the detailed characters and the tragedy.
I would read more by Thomas Hardy although I would go into it with more understanding of his writing style. I am looking forward to reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles. It has made me wonder, Hardy’s stories seem to have the female protagonist choosing between multiple suitors – does Hardy view himself as the person having to choose, or as one of the suitors?
Once I got into it, I enjoyed Far From the Madding Crowd. I am proud of myself for taking on the challenge of reading a classic novel again. I am still aware of how my reading level is not what it used to be but I feel a little closer to being able to read War and Peace eventually.
I would definitely recommend Far From the Madding Crowd to anyone who likes a classic romantic story set in the English countryside, with plenty of interesting characters whose lives are changed by tragedy.