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A review by catherine_t
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Beautiful, spirited Bathsheba Everdene arrives in the sleepy Wessex village of Weatherbury to take over her late uncle's farm. She attracts three suitors: faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, dour gentleman-famer William Boldwood, and dashing Sergeant Francis Troy. Bathsheba's independent nature and fickleness lead her into relationships with all of these men that lead to disastrous consequences.
Or so the blurb on the back of the book says. I could write an essay (at least one, probably more) on why Bathsheba isn't the cause of all the disasters that befall her. She is almost as blameless as Tess, quite frankly, barring the incident of the valentine.
Bathsheba is endlessly fascinating, far more than her three suitors, whose names express their characters: Gabriel Oak, a stalwart good man; William Boldwood, a staid yet impulsive man; and Francis "Frank" Troy, a fickle, wayward man.
Far from the Madding Crowd deserves the designation of classic. It was the first of Hardy's Wessex novels, and is still one of his best-known and most read. Highly recommended.
Or so the blurb on the back of the book says. I could write an essay (at least one, probably more) on why Bathsheba isn't the cause of all the disasters that befall her. She is almost as blameless as Tess, quite frankly, barring the incident of the valentine.
Bathsheba is endlessly fascinating, far more than her three suitors, whose names express their characters: Gabriel Oak, a stalwart good man; William Boldwood, a staid yet impulsive man; and Francis "Frank" Troy, a fickle, wayward man.
Far from the Madding Crowd deserves the designation of classic. It was the first of Hardy's Wessex novels, and is still one of his best-known and most read. Highly recommended.