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A review by unfetteredfiction
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
4.0
“We learn that it is not the rays which bodies absorb, but those which they reject, that give them the colours they are known by; and in the same way people are specialised by their dislikes and antagonisms, whilst their goodwill is looked upon as no attribute at all.”
- Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd
I loved reading this book. Hardy’s vision of country life and country folk, although sometimes drama-filled, provides so much comfort to a reader.
Even though the characters and their way of living is far removed from modern life, there is something about Hardy’s portrayal which feels familiar. As always, Hardy’s characters suffer in various ways, but the suffering doesn’t feel overwhelming and in this case it is almost exclusively tied to romance.
Three men fall for and attempt to peruse Bathsheba Everdene, who inherits a farm in the small village of Weatherby. There were plenty of things I liked about Bathsheba, she’s independent and intelligent, but she did also have some irritating traits, as humans often do. Each of the three suitors were much different, although there is one who you will undoubtedly root for beyond the others (don’t worry, this wasn’t a Mamma Mia-type scenario).
Despite the long length of the novel, the story had a good pace. I appreciated that the scenes weren’t all action packed as it helped me feel immersed in the environment. For me, feeling within the story was the main achievement of this novel, it was pure escapism in the best way. Hardy paid attention to detail and I just as much enjoyed the quirks of the minor characters as the downfall of the major ones.
After reading Tess, Jude and now this, I’m not sure which Hardy I will read next, but whichever it is I’m looking forward to it.
- Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd
I loved reading this book. Hardy’s vision of country life and country folk, although sometimes drama-filled, provides so much comfort to a reader.
Even though the characters and their way of living is far removed from modern life, there is something about Hardy’s portrayal which feels familiar. As always, Hardy’s characters suffer in various ways, but the suffering doesn’t feel overwhelming and in this case it is almost exclusively tied to romance.
Three men fall for and attempt to peruse Bathsheba Everdene, who inherits a farm in the small village of Weatherby. There were plenty of things I liked about Bathsheba, she’s independent and intelligent, but she did also have some irritating traits, as humans often do. Each of the three suitors were much different, although there is one who you will undoubtedly root for beyond the others (don’t worry, this wasn’t a Mamma Mia-type scenario).
Despite the long length of the novel, the story had a good pace. I appreciated that the scenes weren’t all action packed as it helped me feel immersed in the environment. For me, feeling within the story was the main achievement of this novel, it was pure escapism in the best way. Hardy paid attention to detail and I just as much enjoyed the quirks of the minor characters as the downfall of the major ones.
After reading Tess, Jude and now this, I’m not sure which Hardy I will read next, but whichever it is I’m looking forward to it.