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Far from the madding crowd by thomas hardy [a review].

book review of far from the madding crowd

Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer with a modest sized farm, lives a solitary existence consisting of long days of unending toil. The hard life out of doors has made Gabriel look older than his 28 years. His only companions are his two sheep dogs; the reliable but old George and George’s energetic but disobedient unnamed son. Not yet of independent means, his knowledge, fastidiousness and strong work ethic appears to ensure a prosperous future for him.

With the arrival of a young woman to his environs, Gabriel finds his thoughts affected, his heart provoked. Though his first impressions of Bathsheba Everdene is that she is a vain, possibly immodest, young woman who exceeds him in education if not in social class, he finds himself inescapably drawn to her.

His proposal of marriage, however, is rejected. Though she has no other suitors, she does not love him back and his vision of their life together does not appeal to her. Bathsheba sees herself as a wild and independent woman and does not want to have a husband constantly around her.

I hate to be thought men’s property in that way – though possibly I shall be to be had some day.

Though disheartened, Gabriel is not one to dwell on such matters. He soon learns that Bathsheba has left the locale and is unsure if she will ever return. Not long after, disaster strikes as George’s son drives his flock to their deaths and ten years of Gabriel’s striving towards independence is ruined.

Forced to start over, Gabriel takes to the road to try and find work as a bailiff or even just as a shepherd, but the story of his decline turns off prospective employers. An opportunity arrives when Gabriel is able to play a lead hand in saving a farm’s crop from ruin and establish favour with the farmer. To his surprise, the farmer is Bathsheba who has come into an inheritance and finds herself owning a moderately sized farm. Desperate for employment, Gabriel must bury his past feelings for Bathsheba and accept that, as their fortunes have changed, they are no longer social equals.

Bathsheba’s conduct as lady farmer soon attracts a lot of attention. She dismisses the existing bailiff and declares she needs no replacement as she will manage the farm herself. She insists on working as long a day as her employees, in overseeing every operation on the farm and is not above getting her hands dirty in farm work.

Neighbouring Bathsheba’s farm is that of William Boldwood. Though rumoured to have had his heart broken when he was young, Boldwood has never exhibited any romantic interest and is a confirmed, though eligible, bachelor. But a Valentine’s card, sent as a prank, from Bathsheba stirs Boldwood’s fancy. Though Bathsheba turns Boldwood down as well, again citing a lack of love on her part, she admittedly feels guilty for her prank and that she owes Boldwood a debt for rousing him so.

It troubled her much to see what a great flame a little wildfire was likely to kindle. Bathsheba was no schemer for marriage, nor was she deliberately a trifler with the affections of men, and a censor’s experience on seeing an actual flirt after observing her would have been a feeling of surprise that Bathsheba could be so different from such a one, and yet so like what a flirt is supposed to be.

Boldwood’s obsession for Bathsheba only grows and he remains hopelessly optimistic that her feelings for him will change.

The great aids to idealization in love were present here: occasional observation of her from a distance, and the absence of social intercourse with her – visual familiarity, oral strangeness.

Soon after, Bathsheba has a chance encounter with Francis Troy; a soldier, though native to the area. Cocky, forward and imprudent, Troy excites Bathsheba as a man as wild as she is. Unable or unwilling to see past his seduction, Bathsheba becomes vulnerable to his charms. Unknown to Bathsheba is the fact that Troy was recently due to wed another woman, Fanny Robin, a former servant of Bathsheba’s house, who disappeared after Troy abandoned her following a misunderstanding.

The navigation of this intelligent, ambitious woman, through the desires of three very different suitors, in the precarious world of 19th century English farming, not to mention the rigid social rules in play as well, is the heart of this novel of Thomas Hardy.

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it will become one of my favourites. Whenever I start a ‘classic’ novel, I expect something slow, something that will force me to take my time with it. It is rarely true. The plots of so many classics actually move along quite swiftly and, if anything, it is more contemporary writers who dawdle along with overly lengthy pieces of descriptive writing. In Far from the Madding Crowd the pace of the plot is brisk and descriptive pieces are effective but short.

That being said, there were a few instances where long, complex sentences with adjectives that have fallen out of use were employed. I admit I did not pause to consume them properly as I should have, and deserve a rap on the knuckles as a bad reader for passing them too quickly, eager as I was for the story to continue.

Elsewhere, those descriptive pieces are quite something and add considerable colour to the novel. An architect by training, Hardy displays his architectural knowledge in one scene in particular, but otherwise displays ample knowledge and ability in describing the rural setting, various farming practices and a knowledge of botany and art as well as the works of Keats and Milton. Hardy’s use of the pathetic fallacy is somewhat transparent, but I rather like it.

The writing contains a pleasant bit of humour as well.

A brisk young man – Mark Clarke by name, a genial and pleasant gentleman whom to meet was to know, to know was to drink with, and to drink with was to pay for.

Like a lot of novels of the time, Far from the Madding Crowd was published in periodical form and the writing reflects this. Dickens gets considerable acclaim for the way he manages the ebb and flow of the pace of his stories and the timing of plot twists and turns to suit a periodical audience, particularly for his influence on the writing of the modern equivalent – the TV show. Hardy, though writing after Dickens, displays similar skill and control.

Far from the Madding Crowd represents my first foray into ‘Victorian Realism’ and it was not what I expected, though, in hindsight, my expectations may have been lacking. For example, I thought realism would have meant a restraint on emotionality in scene and dialogue. This is certainly not the case for Far from the Madding Crowd which contains several emotionally charged scenes. Realism, I think, can refer to many things. In the case of Far from the Madding Crowd , it takes the form of an aversion to the sentimental or the ideal rather than an avoidance of emotionality or unexpected plot turns.

Far from the Madding Crowd can be interpreted as a somewhat progressive novel. Hardy was influenced by Enlightenment philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and he takes the opportunity in this novel to question various aspects of society in his time. The obvious example is that of Bathsheba assuming traditional male roles as head of her house and overseer of her farm.

On one hand, she is a symbol for progress in her assumption of traditionally male roles, her ‘unladylike’ ambition and her willingness to get her hands dirty. On the other hand, she is still portrayed as being subject to traditional female weaknesses for vanity and an inability to be as rational on matters of the heart as she is elsewhere.

Bathsheba’s was an impulsive nature under a deliberative aspect. An Elizabeth in flesh and a Mary Stuart in spirit,

In scenes where she is absent, Hardy shows how she is scrutinised in ways she would not be if she were man. As the story unfolds, the men around her are unsure what to make of the events; either Bathsheba is capable of being an equal to a man and she therefore deserves, or at least should take some responsibility for, her fate, or she is not equal and is therefore mostly innocent of any outcome. Bathsheba too is only too aware of the difficulties of being her own woman in a man’s world.

It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.

Carey Mulligan, who plays Bathsheba in the 2015 film adaptation said in an interview:

Thomas Hardy wrote this incredibly authentic woman. Don’t you think that it’s amazing that a man, so long ago in Victorian Britain, could do this? There are so many passages in the book where the narrator dives into her head. You can see her thought processes, and they are all spot on.

While these questions of women’s role in society is an aspect modern readers can relate to, and Bathsheba remains a character of enduring intrigue and complexity, other aspects of Hardy’s social progressiveness are less obvious to the modern reader but were deliberately created by Hardy to provoke and antagonise his Victorian readers. Religious hypocrisy, though not a strong focus in the novel, is nevertheless present when characters misinterpret or misapply Biblical passages, or when characters fail to love their neighbours or to judge not. Such moments, though are less obvious to the modern reader who is less indoctrinated in Biblical technicalities than their Victorian equivalent.

The same is true for social rules; the inequities and quandaries of which do have a large and deliberate role in the novel. I’ll only share one example here; the relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel. When they first meet they are on similar social footing – Gabriel as a sheep farmer still a few years away from financial independence, Bathsheba as an orphaned young woman reliant on what little family she has. His offer of marriage is in complete accordance with the social rules of the time. But Gabriel’s subsequent misfortune and Bathsheba’s inheritance has the effect of blurring the social rules and it is clear that neither they, nor the reader, is entirely sure how they should now behave.

Sometimes they share an understanding of their past familiarity and at others they remember they are now master and employee. Sometimes Gabriel is valued for his knowledge and encouraged to share his thoughts, at others he is punished for the impropriety of his opinion. To the Victorian reader, any outcome that sees Gabriel and Bathsheba together would not be a happy ending in the romantic sense. Again, this may not be immediately apparent to the modern reader for whom such rules have lapsed, but the social confusion the events of the plot create is certainly intentional from Hardy.

The conflict between these social rules and the requirements for a good matrimonial match is another theme of the novel, in fact, the question of what makes a good match could be considered the main theme of the novel.

It appears that men take wives because possession is not possible without marriage, and that women accept husbands because marriage is not possible without men.

This edition of Far from the Madding Crowd is the second printing of the 2000 edition that used Hardy’s original manuscript for the first time. All other versions include changes made by censors, publishers and later, Hardy himself. It was Hardy’s questioning of social rules that drew the censor’s ink to his work. Rosemarie Morgan’s introduction to this edition focuses on this aspect of the novel and what Hardy was trying to say before his work was altered. She also discusses Hardy’s subtle and complex use of irony and satire in depth.

I could only think of one relatively minor flaw in this otherwise superb novel. For all of its ability to keep the pace of the story up through various turns of plot, there was one event where the realism broke down somewhat – the sudden disappearance of Troy. It occurred a little too suddenly, with too little expectation and a little too conveniently for the direction Hardy wanted the story to take. As I say, it is a minor grievance.

On a side note, I must say this is the first instance where I have been disappointed by the explanatory notes provided in a Penguin Classic. I have otherwise found explanatory notes to be enlightening but in this case they caused issues. Most of the notes concern revisions from the original manuscript. Some of these revisions and the reasons for them are worth noting; as mentioned the text has been amended repeatedly by censors, publishers and Hardy himself. These might have been put in a separate appendix for textual notes. Most of the rest explain Hardy’s frequent Biblical, historical and mythological references and his deliberate creation of issues of social etiquette. Again, these notes are worthwhile to explain what may not be obvious to modern readers.

But my main issue is with the fact that some notes were spoilers; pointing out Hardy’s foreshadowing of future plot events. I expect Introductions to contain spoilers and I therefore avoid reading them until I have finished the book and Penguin often give a spoiler warning at the beginning of their introductions. But I expect explanatory notes to avoid them and was disappointed to find spoilers without warning in the notes as I was reading. I’m also not a fan of the black-and-white photo cover and would have preferred the oil panting covers that predominate their books from this period.

The two main film adaptations – 1967’s with Julie Christie and 2015’s with Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba respectively – are fair. The Christie version contains more of the novel but this makes it quite long, over two and a half hours. Long period films work best when what we are seeing is a microcosm of larger events such as wars and revolutions – Lawrence of Arabia , Gone with the Wind , Doctor Zhivago . The scale of Far from the Madding Crowd is too small to suit an epic film. It has also not aged well; some of the filming techniques are noticeably amateurish by modern standards.

The Mulligan version is overall a much better film, but partly because it is shorter and omits much of the story. In particular, much of Troy’s story is left out, making him a much more sympathetic character than he is in the novel and the earlier film. The minor roles are also greatly diminished and with it the story loses the social commentary they provide.

Condensing the story into a film format means that the already well-paced drama proceeds even more rapidly without much pause for the characters to dwell on them or to build toward the next one. The story would be much better served by a TV miniseries adaptation along the lines of what the BBC achieved with their 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation. The novels of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens have enjoyed multiple TV miniseries adaptations. Those of Thomas Hardy perhaps deserve the same.

Far from the Madding Crowd is the first of six Hardy novels I plan to read over the next couple of years. Judging from this first outing, it is going to be a pleasant experience. From here, I expect Hardy to push his satire and exposure of social and religious hypocrisy further and test the tolerance of his contemporary censors and critics. That being said, my impression is that Far from the Madding Crowd is to Hardy’s oeuvre what Pride and Prejudice is to Austen’s. That is, not necessarily the favourite of critics and academics, but a clear and enduring favourite with the majority of readers.

Carey Mulligan quote reference:

Totara, Paola; The Carey Factor ; The Age , 6/6/15.

For reviews of other Thomas Hardy novels, see here .

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In fact, there is a very successful BBC television series 1998, with Paloma Baeza as Bathsheba and Nathaniel Parker as Oak. It is over three and a half hours long and is quite true to the book.

Thanks! I will have to check it out if I can find it

Good luck Jason! I’m so happy to see a young person interested in Hardy. He’s my favorite author! Michelle

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Thanks Catherine! I don’t think I count as a ‘young person’! LOL! He was my father’s favourite too and I think I was always curious to know what he liked about him. He’s become one of mine too, mostly for Far From the Madding Crowd and Tess

Is it difficult to read? Is the English language sort of older, like Jane Austens books?

Apologies for the late reply Liv, I didn’t see a notification for your comment. Yes, I would say Far From the Madding Crowd is easy to read, easier than some other English classics. It was published in 1874, so more recent and modern than Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Thank you! I will definitely read it then.

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The Last Critic - Book Reviews

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

  • December 15, 2019
  • The Last Critic

Talks about Thomas Hardy can lead readers to various novels by him. And, for me, discussions on Hardy often come to one of the best novels by him (for me, again) – Far from the Madding Crowd, an 1874 novel. Though Hardy’s pessimism often comes to the fore when critics sit to hound his writings, we must appreciate that he never let his characters lose hope and lose what they loved (love, in most of the cases). Far from the Madding Crowd is a novel that celebrates the constancy of love – Oak for Bathsheba. I am Gaurav Shashi and here is my review of this novel for The Last Critic. 

In the Sphere:  

The book has been printed and reprinted many times since its first publication in 1874. There are many reasons behind this cycle of print-reprint. The book can be divided (assumingly) into three major parts – Oak’s revealing his love, Bathsheba flirting with Boldwood and Troy’s precise deceit with her, and finally Oak and Bathshebha’s reunion. There are various editions available for this book and one would prefer the Penguin edition or maybe Oxford Classics edition. However, the novel remains the same – a Victorian romance classic out and out with certain insertion of Hardy’s love for countryside and nature and his implicit rebellion against the urban adamance.  

The Book:  

I remember very well my professor praising Hardy’s style of writing from the very bottom of his heart. Thomas Hardy, he used to say, is a painter who can paint the flora and fauna with his words. Reading Far from the Madding Crowd offers the same admission and one cannot deny what my professor said. More than that, this novel exhibits Hardy’s command over prolonged narratives. He could stretch his novels just with the sheer quality of his language. 

“I shall do one thing in this life – one thing certain – that is, love you, and long for you, and keep wanting you till I die.”

This is, perhaps, the most-quoted line by Hardy that he ascribed to the shy and devoted lover Gabriel Oak in his novel. Hardy’s descriptions of minute events are wonderful to read and visualise. His characters are wonderfully portrayed and a reader can understand the entire plant just by the hint of a leaf. Implicit voices of women’s freedom and in their choices for life can be heard by the readers with a leaning for feminism. Likewise, the readers with an interest in Eco Criticism in literature have too many instances to extract in this novel. 

At the same time, one should remember that Far from the Madding Crowd might not arouse the reading audience of young age today as it did a century ago. This is chiefly because Hardy’s language and choice of theme are beyond the comprehension limits of the modern audience as the world has changed by many degrees. Hardy’s novel may be read only by those who have to read it – by compulsion or by strict choice. It is a classic in terms of language and set-up. It is not relevant today and this is the bitter truth! 

Conclusion:  

I have nothing against Hardy because I admire him for what he is! His novels are my favourites and I would love to read any of his published materials (except his poems) any day. However, Far from the Madding Crowd, being honest, cannot cross the periphery of intellectual discourse and syllabuses today. It has a limited readership because it cannot accommodate the ambitions of today’s’ lovers. It cannot be liked by many modern readers because it does not offer a happening plot. Things are there but just to be there and they depend on fortune rather than being actively involved in the course of action. Bathsheba strikes and she will strike the conscious of modern readers as well. Oak impresses with his shy and sincere attitude. Troy will a fanciful character for the readers and Boldwood may be judged as a person struck with misfortune and ego of Bathsheba unnecessarily. As a whole, Far from the Madding Crowd may impress you and may depress you as well! 

Should you read it? Yes! If you want to have a taste of Victorian Novels, you should read it. If you want to understand the Hardy-and-Fate theory, you should read it carefully. If you are a student of Victorian literature, you MUST read it. You can get a copy of this novel from Amazon India by clicking the link below. 

Buy the book – Amazon India – click here  

review by Gaurav Shashi for The Last Critic 

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Very wonderfully done book review by Gaurav. You have explained the concerns as well as the ideas you wanted to convey in clear terms. I will certainly recommend this to my friends and I would love to read more from you.

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REVIEW: Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

book review of far from the madding crowd

Dear Reader:

Once upon a time (more specifically, late 2010), my quest for self-improvement led me to Thomas Hardy. “Self,” I said to myself, “you’ve been trying all sorts of classic authors, you’ve tackled a few Russians. But you’ve never read Thomas Hardy. Why not give him a shot?” So I did. I don’t remember the process of elimination that led me to my fateful choice; I only remember thinking that I knew enough about Tess of D’Ubervilles to be fairly sure that it would piss me off. I ended up reading Jude the Obscure .

Big mistake. HUGE mistake. If ever a book perfectly combined soul-crushing boredom with spirit-withering depression, it’s Jude. Man, that book was boring. Man, that book was depressing. (“Done because we are too menny.” Shudder.) How does a book simultaneously manage to be both incredibly dull and astoundingly grim? I don’t know. But that book managed it. I hated it. (Strangely, looking at my log, I still gave it a C, which either means I was a REALLY easy grader five years ago, or more likely I feel like an asshole giving bad grades to classic works. I mean, clearly I’m the problem for not better appreciating this very boring, very depressing classic work of literature.)

Anyway, where were we? Recently I got it in my head that I should give Hardy another try. I remembered that back when I bitched to anyone who would listen about Jude the Obscure , a friend insisted that I should read Far From the Madding Crowd . So I did.

Our main characters are Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene. At the beginning of the novel, Oak is a shepherd who lives very simply and saves for a better future. He meets Bathsheba when she comes to the area to live with her aunt. They form something of a friendship, but when Gabriel proposes, Bathsheba turns him down. She doesn’t have feelings for him and has a desire to remain independent. She’s also proud and seems to see herself as above Gabriel, though she’s also very poor. Soon after, she leaves town, and Gabriel suffers a reversal of fortune: all his sheep die and his plans for a more comfortable future go up in smoke.

The two meet again in Weatherbury, where Bathsheba has inherited an estate from an uncle, and Gabriel is looking for work. Despite some initial discomfort between them, Gabriel ends up hiring on as Bathsheba’s shepherd, and does an excellent job.

Meanwhile, Bathsheba has another suitor, a handsome and wealthy but rather uncharismatic farmer named Boldwood. Boldwood is drawn to Bathsheba after she sends him a valentine on a lark. Boldwood takes the valentine far more seriously than Bathsheba intended it, and falls desperately in love with her. Bathsheba, to her credit, does feel terrible about leading Boldwood on, but she doesn’t have any more desire to marry him than she did Gabriel. She wants to run her farm on her own, making her something of a rare specimen of womanhood to the locals.

However, eventually Bathsheba’s head is turned by the dashing Sergeant Troy, who anyone can tell is bad news. For one thing, he’s already been seen trifling (apparently) with Fanny Robin, a young woman who was briefly in Bathsheba’s employ before running off. Even Bathsheba seems to know that Troy is no good, but she’s drawn to him anyway.

For whatever reason, Far From the Madding Crowd was a lot less boring to me than Jude the Obscure . (It was also nowhere near as depressing – though it has its moments – but the reasons for that are less obscure.) I think the prose and the characters were both less ponderous; Far From the Madding Crowd was originally published in serialized form and the writing reflects that. It’s not cliffhanger-y, necessarily, but there’s a degree of dramatic tension that I don’t recall there being in Jude.

Hardy had quite a fondness for rural life, and at times I did skip over paragraphs lovingly detailing the hay ricks (note: I have no idea what a hay rick is) and the countryside and the dew on the leaves and blah blah blah. I like his writing better when he’s recreating the local dialect in the voices of the workers who populate the area and work for Bathsheba and Boldwood. I often didn’t understand entirely what they were talking about, but the general flavor usually came through.

Bathsheba is sort of a mixed bag as a character – on the one hand, she’s sympathetic as a woman trying to make it in a mans’ world and deal with the expectations and limitations that are forced on her. On the other hand, it’s hard not to see her as flighty; she spurns two good men in favor of one bad one. Hardy’s views on the essential character of women weren’t exactly advanced, I don’t think, and Bathsheba as a character reflects that.

The three men drawn to her each manage to be sympathetic: Gabriel Oak is the pattern card of an upstanding, hardworking, loyal and steadfast man. His last name is a good indicator of his character; he’s solid and sturdy and also a bit unbending. Sure, he’s no romance hero: he’s not dashing or tempestuous in his passions. But it’s clear from the beginning that he’s a good guy. Boldwood seems to have some similar traits: steadiness of character combined with a somewhat uninspiring personality. But his mad pursuit of Bathsheba reveals some hidden depths. On the one hand, his doomed loved for Bathsheba gives Boldwood an air of tragic romanticism; on the other hand, it reveals him to be, well, kind of crazy.

Troy was the one who managed to surprise and intrigue me. I didn’t like him; he’s too selfish and shallow for that. But he could easily have been a cardboard villain, and he’s not. In some ways, in his pursuit of the easy life and comfort, Troy ends up being his own worst enemy.

The ending of Far From the Madding Crowd has a certain rightness to it, a symmetry that I found pleasing. It’s not super-romantic but it’s a far cry from the dreary despair of Jude the Obscure . My grade for this one is a B+.

Best regards,

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book review of far from the madding crowd

has been an avid if often frustrated romance reader for the past 15 years. In that time she's read a lot of good romances, a few great ones, and, unfortunately, a whole lot of dreck. Many of her favorite authors (Ivory, Kinsale, Gaffney, Williamson, Ibbotson) have moved onto other genres or produce new books only rarely, so she's had to expand her horizons a bit. Newer authors she enjoys include Julie Ann Long, Megan Hart and J.R. Ward, and she eagerly anticipates each new Sookie Stackhouse novel. Strong prose and characterization go a long way with her, though if they are combined with an unusual plot or setting, all the better. When she's not reading romance she can usually be found reading historical non-fiction.

book review of far from the madding crowd

FYI, a hay rick is the way hay used to be stored in a huge (but scientifically constructed) heap in the corner of a field. They were often thatched to keep the rain out. You’re welcome.

book review of far from the madding crowd

This is the only Thomas Hardy I’ve read. I know enough about Tess, Jude and The Mayor Of Casterbridge to want to stay far, far away from their depressing pages. I liked Far From The Madding Crowd, though. You’ve nailed the description of the characters; none of them are perfect, yet all of them are intriguing.

I, too, found Bathsheba a bit flighty. I can’t recall, off the top of my head, any 19th century male author who has written a female character I’ve loved. Are there any likable women written by men of that era?

book review of far from the madding crowd

You found “Jude” boring? I find that sad. Just sad. This book is considered the first “modern” novel, shifting from Victorian mode, as well as being thought Hardy’s best (It’s 29 on the Guardian’s top 100 list). Yes, it is angry and even radical for its time, but it’s not a modern romance. What did you expect?

Yes, “Madding” ends on a perhaps an upper note? but it wasn’t the point of the book that the heroine would end up “safely” married. The three very different men and what Bathsheba sees in them is more to the point. Yes, I do indeed like “Madding” too, and it makes a good movie (the 1967 version), but “Jude” is my favorite novel by far.

book review of far from the madding crowd

@ Jean : Okay I get it – people are passionate about books, but this comment seems kind of “judgey” to me and not about the book, about the author of this review. Sometimes people don’t like books you loved. It’s okay. They can like it or not. “What did you expect?” after the comment about modern romance doesn’t seem well played to me. We don’t know what she expected and that’s not necessarily our business. It didn’t work for her. But your comment reads like a romance novel /romance reader slam to me.

book review of far from the madding crowd

Is Bathsheba Everdene the best character name ever, or what? ITA with your assessment of Jude the Obscure. It was a DNF for me, and I’m a Hardy fan. My favorite is Tess of the D’urbervilles, and if you haven’t read it, don’t wait any longer. It’s great. Even if the hero is name Angle Clare, the book is still good. What’s with hardy and names? They’re either off the chart good or so goofy it makes the reader wonder what he was smoking.

@ Jo : Have you not ready any books by Anthony Trollope? His novels are crammed with memorable women characters. The thing I like most about him is that he liked women and wasn’t afraid to show them as strong, independent, intelligent creatures worth listening to. Lady Glencora, Madame Max, Lily Dale, Madeline Vesey-Neroni, and Alice Vavasor are just a few of the names that come to mind. I started reading Trollope in the 1980s after seeing the BBC adaptation of the Barchester novels and have never had a period of time when I wasn’t reading or rereading one of his books. Currently Dr. Thorne is on deck, and Martha Dunstable is the standout female character. I highly recommend watching the adaptation, then dive into his wonderful world. You’re in luck if you like him. He wrote 47 novels, plus travelogs, biographies, criticism, etc. No lack of material.

book review of far from the madding crowd

Am I the only one who ever wondered if the Valentine said, “I Choo Choo Choose You!”

@ Kilian Metcalf : I never got around to reading Anthony Trollope. I will definitely be checking out the BBC adaptation. Thanks!

book review of far from the madding crowd

@ Jane Lovering : Thank you!

@ Jo : Even the 19th century authors that write with some depth of understanding about female characters (maybe Tolstoy?) I think are limited by the societal perspectives they’re rooted in.

@ Francesca : Ha! That would be awesome.

@ Jean : I dunno; it bored me. My comments weren’t meant as an indictment of the novel; I even admitted (somewhat jokingly) that the problem was probably with me.

I definitely wasn’t expecting a modern romance with Jude, but OTOH I have no interest in reading material that is relentlessly grim. I expect 19th century classics to be dense, but there have been plenty that I liked very well in spite of the “boring” parts.

@ Kilian Metcalf : Bathsheba Everdene is an awesome name.

I am wary of Tess because of the whole “girl gets ruined and is therefore DOOMED” trope. I’ll get to it someday.

I might try The Mayor of Casterbridge next, though. I’m familiar with that story from a Michael Winterbottom film called “The Claim” which changes the setting to an American western mining town in the 1860s. It’s a very striking, evocative movie, though I don’t know how true it is to the original story.

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The Literary Edit

The Literary Edit

Review: Far From the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

Far from the Madding Crowd

Having read – and thoroughly enjoyed – Tess of the D’Urbevilles towards the end of 2014, I was keen to read Thomas Hardy’s second entry in the BBC Top 100  as soon as possible. Voted the nation’s 48th best loved book of all time, Far From the Madding Crowd was Hardy’s fourth novel and originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine.

Hardy offers the reader a rich and atmospheric backdrop to the tale as he describes the landscape that shepherd, Gabriel Oak, inhabits before introducing Bathsheba Everdene, the main protagonist with whom three different suitors fall in love.

Having inherited a farm from her uncle, Bathsheba is handsome, determined and independently wealthy and thus considered highly desirable by a number of men, namely shepherd Gabriel Oak, handsome soldier Sergeant Francis Troy and another farmer, William Boyd. Each of the suitors are very different in character, and suffer rejection at the hands of Bathsheba, who is determined to marry for love alone rather than any sort of material benefit a marriage may grant her.

As the novel progresses, the lives of Bathsheba and her suitors are cleverly woven and interlinked against a backdrop of rural Dorset that is as key a part of the novel as any of its central characters. Far less tragic than Tess of the D’Urbevilles, Far From the Madding Crowd highlights Hardy’s beautiful writing and masterful story-telling, making it plain to see why it was his first major literary success.

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book review of far from the madding crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd

Thomas hardy, everything you need for every book you read..

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Madding Crowd : Introduction

Madding crowd : plot summary, madding crowd : detailed summary & analysis, madding crowd : themes, madding crowd : quotes, madding crowd : characters, madding crowd : symbols, madding crowd : literary devices, madding crowd : theme wheel, brief biography of thomas hardy.

Far From the Madding Crowd PDF

Historical Context of Far From the Madding Crowd

Other books related to far from the madding crowd.

  • Full Title: Far from the Madding Crowd
  • When Written: 1874
  • Where Written: London
  • When Published: 1874, first serialized (anonymously) in the Cornhill Magazine and then in a volume edition.
  • Literary Period: Victorian
  • Genre: Novel
  • Climax: Troy bursts in on Boldwood’s Christmas party to reclaim his wife for his own, and Boldwood shoots him.
  • Antagonist: Sergeant Troy is beloved by his wife Bathsheba, and yet he is also the clearest antagonist—not only to her, but also to Fanny, Boldwood, and Gabriel, all of whom he hurts in various ways. One could also argue that Bathsheba is her own worst enemy, as it is her own actions (including marrying Troy) that lead to her unhappiness.
  • Point of View: Hardy uses an omniscient third-person narrator, who moves throughout the various settings of the novel and even among points of view. The first part of the book hews closely to Gabriel’s perspective, for instance, but after he reaches Bathsheba’s farm, the text mostly stays close to Bathsheba’s own point of view to reveal her thoughts and emotions. The narrator, however, also moves between Bathsheba, Boldwood, Troy, and the “Greek chorus” of the farm hands at Warren’s Malt-house. The narrator also at times makes general pronouncements on the characters, women, and rural life as a whole.

Extra Credit for Far From the Madding Crowd

The Good Old Days Although Hardy’s wife died with the couple still estranged, Emma’s death led to a prolific output of poetry as he recalled happier times earlier in their courtship—something that didn’t exactly please Hardy’s next wife, Florence.

Hidden in verse It’s generally accepted that Hardy stopped writing novels and turned to poetry as a result of the controversies around his candid portrayal of sexual relationships and bleak view of human life in his novels. He believed that his ideas could be expounded upon unrestricted in verse.

Far From the Hungry Crowd? As Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games puts it; “Katniss Everdeen owes her last name to Bathsheba Everdene, the lead character in Far From the Madding Crowd . The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts.”

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  • About the Book

book review of far from the madding crowd

An immediate success when it was first published in 1874, Thomas Hardy's 'pastoral tale' of the willful and capricious Bathsheba Everdene, her three suitors --- the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, the lonely widower Farmer Boldwood, and the dashing but faithless Sergeant Troy --- and the tragic consequence of her eventual choice remains one of the most enduring and popular English novels.

book review of far from the madding crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

  • Publication Date: August 5, 1997
  • Genres: Classics , Fiction
  • Paperback: 362 pages
  • Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
  • ISBN-10: 1853260673
  • ISBN-13: 9781853260674

book review of far from the madding crowd

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book review of far from the madding crowd

Book Review

Far from the madding crowd.

  • Thomas Hardy
  • Drama , Historical , Romance

book review of far from the madding crowd

Readability Age Range

  • Adults, high school students
  • First published in 1874 by Corn Hill Magazine. Editions are now published by Oxford University Press, Penguin Classics, New Canadian Library and Harper Collins Publishers, among many others.

Year Published

This book has been reviewed by Focus on the Family Thriving Family , a marriage and parenting magazine. It is a classic romance of the 19th century.

Plot Summary

Gabriel Oak is a 28-year-old sheep farmer of modest means who has just acquired a herd of 200 sheep of his own. Quiet, but well-liked, Gabriel spends most of his time tending his flock. One day he sees a beautiful woman in a wagon filled with boxes. The woman’s beauty intrigues him, and Gabriel finds himself watching her, unobserved, over the next few weeks. When the wind takes her hat one afternoon, Gabriel searches for it and returns it to her. She is embarrassed by his bold, uncultured manner.

Several days later, Gabriel forgets to open a window in his sheep hut before he falls asleep. Smoke from the fireplace fills the room. The young woman breaks into the house and wakes him before he succumbs to the smoke. He asks her name, but she flirtatiously tells him to discover it on his own. He learns that she is Bathsheba Everdene and is staying with an aunt in the area.

Gabriel calls on the aunt and asks if he might marry Bathsheba. The aunt tells him that Bathsheba has had many lovers in the past. Gabriel leaves, but Bathsheba chases after him to explain that her aunt is lying. She has not had any lovers. Gabriel assumes she must like him if she’s gone to such extremes to tell him of her aunt’s deception. He asks if he might court her, and she says that their relationship would never lead to marriage because she doesn’t love him.

Bathsheba moves away to town called Weatherbury, leaving Gabriel behind, still pining for her. Tragedy strikes one night when his young sheep dog runs his entire flock off the side of a cliff. Gabriel is heartbroken, not only for the loss of his future as a self-sufficient farmer, but also for the suffering ewes and their unborn lambs. He sells what little he has left to pay his debts and thinks about how grateful he is that Bathsheba didn’t marry him, as he wouldn’t want her to suffer such poverty.

Gabriel travels to a nearby town that is having a hiring fair. At first he tries to find work as a bailiff — a kind of manager and overseer of a farm. When that fails, he sells his good coat to pay for a shepherd’s staff and tries to find work as a shepherd. Desperate, he earns a little money at the fair by playing his flute. He learns that another town, Weatherbury, is having a hiring fair soon. He hides aboard a wagon to get some sleep, waking as it begins to move. He overhears the owners say they are going to Weatherbury. He rides most of the way with them before slipping off the back.

As he walks to the town, he sees that something is on fire in the distance. He hurries to it. The workers of the barn are frantic. Gabriel takes charge and risks his own life to climb to the top of the hay to stamp the fire out with his shepherd’s hook while organizing the other workers to quench the fire below.

When the veiled mistress of the barn learns of this stranger’s heroics, she asks to meet him. She offers him a reward. He asks if she might be in need of a shepherd. When she lifts her veil, Gabriel is surprised to see it is Bathsheba. She agrees to give him a job as her shepherd, much to the delight of all her workers. She tells him to find her bailiff and tell the man of her order.

On the way to town, Gabriel comes across a young, timid woman who begs him not to tell anyone he’s seen her. He fears she must be in some trouble, but the woman will accept no help. He hands her a few pennies for her journey. Gabriel tries to find the bailiff in the local malt house, but to no avail. He does meet several other workers, however, and has a drink with them before leaving. Once he’s gone, news comes that Bathsheba discovered her bailiff cheating her and so fired him. She’s also asked the locals to be on the lookout for her young servant, Fanny, who has run off.

Fanny makes her way to the barracks where her lover is stationed. She throws snowballs at his window until he opens it to talk to her. He is rather callous to her, but Fanny reminds him of his promise to marry her. He agrees, but tells her he can’t meet her now.

Bathsheba makes the bold move to act as bailiff for the estate she’s inherited. When she attends market day in her new role, the other farmers are rattled by her beauty, except for Mr. Boldwood, a handsome bachelor whom many have tried to court, but none have succeeded. Bathsheba is piqued by his lack of attention.

The following day she makes out a valentine for a young serving boy. Her maid Liddy suggests she make it out to Boldwood instead. Bathsheba tosses a book to decide who will get the card. When the book lands closed, she addresses it to Mr. Boldwood, but leaves it unsigned, and then, on a whim, presses the message Marry Me onto the seal. Bathsheba and her maid think nothing of their prank, but the missive moves Mr. Boldwood to wonder who could desire him. He is obsessed with discovering the identity of the mysterious suitor.

The next day he comes across the mail cart and accidentally opens a letter because the handwriting is the same as on his valentine. He discovers that it is for Gabriel Oak and was sent by Fanny to repay him for the money he lent her. It also tells him that she will wed Sergeant Troy. Boldwood delivers the letter to Gabriel and learns that the handwriting on the envelope is that of Bathsheba Everdene.

Troy waits in the church for his bride, Fanny, as women twitter and gossip. He waits for an hour, but she never arrives. He finally leaves and encounters Fanny running across the square to meet him. She had gone to the wrong church. She asks when they can reschedule the wedding, but Troy doesn’t give her an answer.

The ill-fated valentine causes many problems. Boldwood observes Bathsheba in town, and because of her beauty, falls in love with her. Bathsheba worries that if she approaches him, he will take it as a sign of her interest in him. She decides to ignore him. Gabriel sees the furtive glances between the two and believes there may be a blossoming romance. Boldwood finally gets the courage to speak to Bathsheba and propose to her. She tries to dissuade him, but he insists she wait to give him a definitive answer and allow him to propose again at a later date.

Bathsheba asks Gabriel if he and any of the other workers saw her in conversation with Boldwood. When he admits she was observed by all, she wonders what Gabriel thought of her behavior. He bluntly tells her that it has not been the proper behavior for a woman of her stature. She becomes angry and accuses him of being jealous, but he claims to have long ago given up any idea of marrying her. She fires him on the spot, and he agrees to leave.

The following day, her workers come to beg her to rehire Gabriel. Her sheep have wandered into new clover, and she is in danger of losing them all, as their stomachs will explode if not given an emergency operation. Only Gabriel is capable of performing the procedure. She orders them to bring him back, but he sends a message telling her he will only come if she asks him politely. She begs him not to abandon her, and he returns, saving all but one of the ewes. She asks him to return permanently as shepherd, and he agrees.

At the sheepshearing, Bathsheba’s workers discuss the possible marriage of their mistress and Mr. Boldwood. When he arrives at the ensuing dinner, Bathsheba asks Gabriel to move so Boldwood may sit next to her. She tells him she may be ready to consider his proposal. It’s fortunate she makes him no promises, however, because on her rounds of the farm, she and a stranger become entangled. Troy’s spur gets caught in her dress and the two have a lengthy conversation as they try to separate themselves. She is immediately drawn to his good looks, but pretends to be appalled at his forward behavior.

She and Troy have several other encounters, and Bathsheba is soon beside herself with love. Gabriel, who knows Troy’s reckless character because of the letter Fanny sent him, tries to warn her. As he won’t give details, Bathsheba assumes he’s jealous and merely trying to ruin her relationship with the dashing soldier. She fires him again, but Gabriel refuses to leave unless she hires a bailiff to help her manage the farm. When she gets home, she overhears her servants talking about Troy. She quickly admonishes them but conveys her true feelings to Liddy.

Troy leaves for several weeks for Bath. Bathsheba formally refuses Boldwood’s offer of marriage. He confronts her with the knowledge that he knows Troy has stolen her affections and chastises her for being besotted by a uniform. She confesses that she has kissed Troy, and Boldwood, in a fury, threatens harm to the soldier if he ever returns to Weatherbury. Fearful, Bathsheba sneaks to Bath to warn him.

Two weeks later, Boldwood meets Troy while walking late at night. The farmer offers Troy a large sum of money to leave Weatherbury for good and marry Fanny. Troy agrees, but then they hear Bathsheba nearby. Boldwood hides while they talk. She invites Troy back to her house. Infuriated, Boldwood insists Troy take the money to marry Bathsheba to save her good name. He agrees, but insists the farmer come back to the house to sign a contract.

When they arrive, Troy shows him the announcement of his marriage to Bathsheba several days ago. Troy refuses the farmer’s money and throws him from the house. Boldwood becomes despondent over Bathsheba’s marriage. Although Gabriel is also heartbroken by the news, he diligently works Bathsheba’s farm, single-handedly saving it from financial ruin by protecting the grain and corn from a violent storm.

Several months later, Troy learns that Fanny is still alive, but sick. He vows to get money to help her. He tells her to meet him in a nearby town in a few days. Bathsheba, already upset at his gambling away her money, insists on knowing why he needs more. He admits it’s for a woman he used to know. Bathsheba flees the house after arguing with Troy. He leaves to search for Fanny.

When Bathsheba returns home, a servant tells her that Fanny is dead. Bathsheba insists the body is brought back for burial as Fanny was her servant. She suspects the girl died in childbirth and confirms her suspicions when she peeks inside the coffin and sees the young mother and her child.

When Troy comes home and discovers Fanny is dead, he cruelly admits to Bathsheba that he never loved her and will always love Fanny. He leaves the farm despairing his loss. He pays for Fanny’s headstone, then leaves town. He decides to swim in the ocean to cleanse himself, leaving his clothes and watch on the shore. A riptide threatens to drown him, but he is saved at the last minute by a boat, but doesn’t return to Bathsheba.

Everyone in Weatherbury assumes Troy has died. Bathsheba clings to hope that he is alive. After a year, Boldwood approaches her again and begs her to consider his proposal. He’s heard that she may be agreeable to another marriage if Troy has not returned in six years, the time it takes to be legally confirmed dead. Afraid of his obvious mental unbalance, she agrees to think again on his offer and will tell him her decision at Christmas.

Meanwhile, Troy has secretly returned to the area. He spies Bathsheba at a fair and is again smitten by her beauty. He wonders what her money situation is and decides to wait to reveal himself until he knows if he’ll be held liable for any debts.

Boldwood throws a huge party at Christmas for the entire town. When Bathsheba tries to leave without giving him a firm answer to his suit, he corners her alone. Mad with love for her, she is afraid to turn him away and agrees to marry him in five-and-a-half years. They return to the party but are interrupted by a visitor for Bathsheba. It is Troy. He insists she return with him to their house. In shock, she screams. Boldwood takes a shotgun from the mantel and shoots Troy. Stopped from killing himself, Boldwood turns himself in to the authorities. Several months later, Boldwood is tried and sentenced to hang. The citizens of Weatherbury sign a letter telling the judge of the farmer’s obvious mental instability and beg for leniency. On the eve of his execution, he is granted a stay. He will remain in jail.

Bathsheba is heartbroken when Gabriel tenders his resignation. She visits him in his hut and learns he is leaving because the townspeople believe he is secretly hoping to marry her. When she admits that she would no longer be opposed to the marriage, they wed secretly the following day in a small ceremony. That night as they dine, the farmworkers come to congratulate and serenade them.

Christian Beliefs

As the story takes place in 19th-century England, all the characters seem to have at least some knowledge of God and the church. Characters refer to various biblical stories as illustrations for their own predicaments. They often utter small prayers or talk of others praying, and they refer to the breaking of commandments.

Days are sometimes mentioned in regard to which saint is honored, as in St. Thomas’s day. Gabriel is described as going to church but yawning during the Nicene Creed. Hardy describes him as seeing Bathsheba as Milton’s Satan first saw Paradise. Gabriel is said to walk as a person given over to the study of Ecclesiastes forever. He sings in the church choir. Cattle, and later a man, are described as being as proud as Lucifer. A man is said to edge out another as a Christian avoids the offertory plate and shows dread about loving his neighbor as himself.

A man discusses his grandson’s christening. A mug of warmed alcohol is referred to as the “God-forgive-me.” A character discusses how a gate wouldn’t open because it had the Devil’s hand in it. This same man knelt down and said the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments and several other prayers from memory — and then the gate opened. Another character wonders if a certain woman had the good fortune to get into heaven when she died, or perhaps went downward.

A mother mistakenly names her son Cain because she remembered the story wrong. She was raised by heathen parents who never brought her to church. She’s seen as an example of how the sins of the father are visited upon their children. Bathsheba believes tossing a coin on Sunday would tempt the Devil. A man is said to be as big a betrayer as Judas Iscariot. One man argues that Scripture is wrong because you don’t get rewarded for your good works but often cheated out of your rightful earnings. Another debates him saying that God is a gentleman in that respect. Hardy describes the setting as God being present in the country but the Devil having gone with the world into the town.

A spurned lover’s lack of discretion to a rival suitor is said to be a venial sin. A character has read Pilgrim’s Progress . Bathsheba says she’ll not forgive God for making her a woman.

Other Belief Systems

Gabriel is said to be able to summon the god of sleep instead of having to wait for him. Many Greek gods are referred to, including Eros, Jove, the Pleiades and Diana. The breaking of a key is considered a bad omen.

Authority Roles

As all the characters are adults, there are no real authority roles. Gabriel is seen throughout as a constant, hardworking man, willing to sacrifice his own wealth and happiness to assure Bathsheba’s happiness.

Profanity & Violence

Lord is uttered as an exclamation. God is spoken alone and with O, knows, sake, please, help me , and bless you . Phrases such as heaven’s mercy and heaven be praised are spoken. D–n is used a handful of times. Danged is said. The insults numskulls and gawkhammer is used.

Gabriel shoots the dog that killed the ewes. Boldwood shoots and kills Troy.

Sexual Content

A husband is said to have kissed his wife hundreds of times. One of the hired hands admits he’d like to kiss Bathsheba’s cherry lips. Gossips believe that Boldwood and Bathsheba have kissed. Bathsheba and Troy kiss several times before they are married. Boldwood, not knowing they are married, is furious when he hears Bathsheba ask Troy to come to her house unescorted. It is obvious that Troy and Fanny have been romantically involved. He never marries her, and she and their child die in childbirth.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Alcohol: Many of the characters drink ale throughout the book. Troy insists that brandy be served at a party celebrating his wedding. As the commoners invited aren’t used to hard liquor, they become drunk and fall asleep. Gabriel is unable to wake any of them to help him protect the crops when a bad storm develops.

Stealing: Bathsheba’s first bailiff is caught stealing barley from her, so she fires him.

Gambling: Troy loses a great deal of Bathsheba’s money gambling on horse races. She uses a hymnbook to decide whether to send a valentine to someone.

A new movie of this book was released on May 2015.

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Review: ‘Far From the Madding Crowd,’ the Rom-Com

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Anatomy | ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’

In this anatomy of a scene, thomas vinterberg narrates a sequence from “far from the madding crowd,” featuring carey mulligan and tom sturridge..

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By A.O. Scott

  • April 30, 2015

Bathsheba Everdene — if the last name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s an acknowledged feminist foremother of the “Hunger Games” heroine — is faced with a series of complicated choices. Really, though, her predicament is simple: She wants to live on her own terms in a society where a woman’s freedom is tightly circumscribed by custom and expectation. As she tries to figure out what she wants to do and who she wants to be, the world keeps pushing her to answer a different question: Which man will she marry?

When Thomas Hardy first brought her to life in 1874 in his novel “Far From the Madding Crowd,” Bathsheba was both a bracingly modern character and part of a lively literary sorority going back at least to the novels of Jane Austen. When the book was brought to the screen in 1967, in a slower-moving, sexier version directed by John Schlesinger, Bathsheba was played by Julie Christie, one of that era’s great incarnations of youthful glamour and freedom. The latest adaptation, probably not the last, is a swifter and more superficial movie, directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Carey Mulligan. Her Bathsheba is brisk and practical, frank and friendly, and a little impatient with the trio of suitors who admire her moxie even as they compete for the honor of suppressing it.

book review of far from the madding crowd

They are not bad guys. Well, one of them may be, but he’s also the only one who appeals to Bathsheba’s less rational side. All three, however, are satellites orbiting the planet of her will, which makes “Far From the Madding Crowd” feel like an unusually fresh and surprising romantic comedy. That’s not quite what Hardy or the filmmakers (David Nicholls wrote the script) intended: The story calls for two fatal gunshots and two more tragic and untimely deaths, and the musical score (by Craig Armstrong) swells with melodramatic portent. But for all that — and for the requisite lingering over landscapes and livestock; the scenes of peasant heartiness and genteel reserve; the frocks and hats and Victorian facial hair — there is some fun to be had on this carefully decorated merry-go-round.

“Far From the Madding Crowd” passes a kind of reverse Bechdel test: Nearly every time two or more men converse, they are talking about a woman. When they talk to her, she often responds like one of the women in Mallory Ortberg’s hilariously captioned online surveys of Western art history, who generally have better things to do than listen to men. When Gabriel Oak, a farmer played with understated but unmistakable virility by Matthias Schoenaerts, proposes to Bathsheba shortly after they have exchanged glances over a rustic fence, she brusquely refuses.

Not because she doesn’t like him — it’s clear that she likes him best — but because the prospect of marrying makes no sense to her.

At that point, Gabriel (though for obvious reasons everybody prefers his last name) is relatively prosperous and Bathsheba is penniless. After he loses his small farm and she inherits a much bigger one from her uncle, an awkward gulf opens between them. She hires him to tend her sheep, and he watches as she toys with the affections of William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a neighbor with an even bigger farm and an even manlier last name. (When it comes to the evocative christening of his characters, Hardy rivals Dickens and Shakespeare himself.)

Bachelor No. 3 is a military officer named Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge), who in a scene with no Freudian implications whatsoever impresses Bathsheba with his skilled swordsmanship. He has a former sweetheart (Juno Temple) and a fondness for vice that alarms Oak and intimidates Boldwood.

The narrative conspires to make Bathsheba choose and choose again until she gets it right, and her mistakes and spells of indecision are engaging without feeling terribly consequential. The mood of the film is less Hardy-esque than vaguely Hardy-ish. He rooted his chronicles of desire and its thwarting in a closely observed world of agricultural labor and ancient custom, an earthiness conveyed here by the occasional shot of a toad or a snail and a few bouts of hearty off-key singing. Hardy’s interest in the operations of accident and caprice — in the “purblind Doomsters” who governed human fate — is reduced to a few plot points. A feckless dog chases a flock of sheep over a cliff. A bride goes to the wrong church on her wedding day. It all feels a little flimsy.

Through it all, Ms. Mulligan smirks, sighs and sniffles, Mr. Schoenaerts smolders, Mr. Sheen scowls and Mr. Sturridge enjoys his mustache. They are all fun to watch, though only Mr. Schoenaerts seems interested in testing the deeper currents of longing, shame and pride that course beneath the surface. The most obvious thing to say about “Far From the Madding Crowd” is also the most bizarre, given the source material. It’s buoyant, pleasant and easygoing. That’s a recommendation of sorts, and also an expression of disappointment.

“Far From the Madding Crowd” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Sighs, smirks, sexy swordplay.

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, far from the madding crowd.

book review of far from the madding crowd

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One of the co-founders of the stripped-down Dogme 95 aesthetic might not sound like the most logical choice to direct Thomas Hardy ’s classic, sweeping romance “ Far From the Madding Crowd .”

But Thomas Vinterberg creates a rich aesthetic that combines both vibrant colors and intimate natural light. Whether his film is lush or rolling in the muck, it always has a tactile quality that makes it accessible, which is also true of the performances from his (mostly) well-chosen cast.

Carey Mulligan is radiant as the fiercely independent Bathsheba Everdene, a literary heroine who remains so vital, she inspired author Suzanne Collins when she was choosing a last name for the courageous Katniss in the “Hunger Games” series. Mulligan plays the part quite differently from Julie Christie , who was luminous but a bit more flirty and playful when she starred as Bathsheba in John Schlesinger ’s 1967 adaptation of the novel (which was a bit of a slog at nearly three hours). Christie’s Bathsheba used her girlishness and dazzling looks to assert herself in male-dominated Victorian England.

Mulligan’s simply does not care what anyone thinks of her, which makes her even more exciting to watch. She’ll seek someone’s advice, but she probably won’t follow it—especially when it comes to the complicated love life she never thought she wanted. After strong work in such eclectic films as “ An Education ” (which earned her an Oscar nomination), “ Drive ,” “ Never Let Me Go ” and “ Inside Llewyn Davis ,” this might just be the performance of her career. There’s power behind the depth of her voice that provides a fascinating contradiction with her birdlike frame, and a directness to her that’s reminiscent of a young Katharine Hepburn .

When Bathsheba tells the staff of the farm she’s recently inherited, “It is my intention to astonish you all”—in a bit of a tweak of that famous line from screenwriter David Nicholls —her conviction is clear. Bathsheba’s path to happiness, however, is far more circuitous.

“Far From the Madding Crowd” is all about the capriciousness of fate, and the way it can drastically alter the trajectory of a young woman who thinks she knows exactly what she wants in a place that's meant to be sedate and safe. You lose a scarf in the woods, or you show up at the wrong church for a wedding, or you send an impetuous valentine to a near stranger and suddenly, several lives have changed. Cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen captures the equally variable rural surroundings with breathtaking style, from lens flares on a sunny day and verdant, rolling hills to pinky-purple sunsets and morning streaks of misty light.

At the film’s start, the orphaned but educated Bathsheba is living on a farm with her aunt in 1870 Dorset, about 200 miles outside London. When we first see her, she’s riding exuberantly across the countryside on horseback before leaning backward nimbly to avoid the scrapes of tree branches. (It’s all so symbolic, this early attempt to emerge unscathed.)

But the beautiful Bathsheba catches the eye of a nearby sheep farmer, a gentle giant named Gabriel Oak ( Matthias Schoenaerts ). Her freedom is the very quality about her that appeals to him; he quickly asks her to marry him and is quickly rejected. Schoenaerts, the Belgian star of the Oscar-nominated “ Bullhead ” and the Marion Cotillard drama “Rust and Bone,” offers an ideal combination of physicality and sensitivity, and he has strong chemistry with Mulligan from the start.

Gabriel and Bathsheba’s paths soon cross again, though, when he loses his flock in disastrous fashion and she inherits a farm from her beloved, deceased uncle. Suddenly, she’s a landowner—and she happens to need a sheepherder. At the same time, she connects (sort of) with the neighboring landowner, the wealthy and socially awkward bachelor William Boldwood ( Michael Sheen ), inadvertently enlivening sensations in him he never previously knew. Sheen, the veteran of the cast, prompts great sympathy for this lonely but insistent middle-aged man. If the great Peter Finch was more of a wild-eyed, creepy stalker in the last incarnation of “Far From the Madding Crowd,” Sheen makes you want to give him a hug. When Boldwood asks Bathsheba to marry him—and, like Gabriel, offers her a piano as part of the deal—her response is beautiful but brutal: “I have a piano. And I have my own farm. And I have no need for a husband."

But then she meets Bachelor No. 3—the arrogant and attractive Sgt. Frank Troy ( Tom Sturridge )—and suddenly, all her proclamations of self-sufficiency go out the window. In tackling the task of adapting Hardy’s text, Nicholls has abbreviated quite a bit and spelled out some emotions and motivations to expedite matters. Except for a few gaps, this mostly works, and it helps contribute to the film’s surprisingly brisk, engaging pace. But he was wise to retain the famous scene where Sgt. Troy shows off his swordsmanship in the woods, thrusting at Bathsheba from every possible angle in his regal, red uniform, leaving her breathless.

It is not exactly the subtlest form of foreplay, but it is the boldest moment in Sturridge’s otherwise strangely restrained performance. Terence Stamp was a force of nature in the role opposite Christie; he was confident and charismatic, obviously dangerous and untrustworthy but irresistible all the same. He was a sexy cad, while Sturridge is more of a pouty lad. It’s hard to believe this is the man who sweeps the headstrong Bathsheba off her feet.

Along those lines, Troy’s previous relationship with a servant from Bathsheba’s farm, which is so crucial to understanding his actions, gets short shrift here. It’s a casualty of the screenplay’s cuts and it reduces the presence of the appealing Juno Temple to glorified-cameo status.

Still, Gabriel is clearly the man who’s meant for Bathsheba of all the potential suitors pining for her affections. While Boldwood is too prudent and Troy is too much of a party boy, Gabriel obviously represents the middle ground between those extremes. But it’s not about the destination; rather, it’s about the shared friendship, respect and trust that create the foundation for a love that was always meant to be.

Just try to stop yourself from swooning.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film Credits

Far from the Madding Crowd movie poster

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence

119 minutes

Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene

Juno Temple as Fanny Robin

Michael Sheen as William Boldwood

Tom Sturridge as Sergeant Troy

Matthias Schoenaerts as Gabriel Oak

Hilton McRae as Jacob Smallbury

  • Thomas Vinterberg
  • Thomas Hardy
  • David Nicholls

Director of Photography

  • Charlotte Bruus Christensen

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'far from the madding crowd': counterprogramming writ victorian.

Bob Mondello 2010

Bob Mondello

book review of far from the madding crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd features feisty heroines, sturdy heroes, and three — yes, three --€” men vying for the heroine's affection. Alex Bailey/Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures hide caption

Far From the Madding Crowd features feisty heroines, sturdy heroes, and three — yes, three --€” men vying for the heroine's affection.

Genre flicks on steroids — that's the general rule for this time of year, whether we're talking superheroes, supercharged cars, or romance — and in that context, the lush, overstuffed costume epic, Far From the Madding Crowd is a perfect fit.

It's romance — and in an Avengers-dominated week, also counterprogramming — writ Victorian: a feisty heroine in crinoline, romanced by sturdy heroes who are handsome, reliable, smoldering men of few words. So few, in the case of shepherd Gabriel Oaks (Matthias Schoenaerts), that he's said a total of maybe 10 syllables to pretty, spunky Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) before surprising her one afternoon at her cottage door with a baby lamb and a proposal of marriage.

"I've never asked anyone before," he stammers embarrassedly when she doesn't immediately say yes.

"No," she smiles, "I should hope not."

Carey Mulligan Returns To Period Drama For A Thomas Hardy Classic

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Carey mulligan returns to period drama for a thomas hardy classic.

Now, there's a subtext to this encounter. He's got a herd of sheep and what he figures are pretty good prospects. She's living off the kindness of relatives and has an education, which, for a woman in Victorian England, counts for not much. By that era's lights, he's kind of doing her a favor, with this marriage proposal, clumsy though he is. Still she turns him down, which looks like a smart move a few days later when their fortunes reverse — he watching helplessly as his sheepdog herds his entire flock over a cliff; she inheriting an estate from a wealthy uncle.

In no time, there's another guy — a wealthy land-owner (Michael Sheen) — making goo-goo eyes. And where in most romances, two handsome, sturdy men-of-few-words would suffice, this one has a third — a callow young soldier (Tom Sturridge) who speaks with his, um, sword, let's say (and yes, novelist Thomas Hardy intended that double-entendre).

I confess I wondered why anyone would want to remake Far From the Madding Crowd until I went back and watched some of John Schlesinger's 1967 version. Long, lavish and, Julie Christie notwithstanding, pretty dull, it doesn't stint on landscape, but isn't terribly compelling. Christie was a lovely flirt, but that's kind of all that the pre-women's lib version asked her to be.

This time, Carey Mulligan plays Miss Everdene, and like Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games heroine who would become her namesake a century or so later, she's made of sterner stuff, whether wading into a sheep-bath on a dare, or meeting the skeptical staff of her inherited estate.

"It is my intention to astonish you all," she tells them. And astonish she does, at least judging from the looks she gets from the men in her orbit.

Director Thomas Vinterberg has shaken off all vestiges of the pared-down minimalism that guided him when he made his Dogme classic, The Celebration . Here he's all about lush music, gorgeous landscapes, and romantic action in a story he and his screenwriter have tightened and intensified.

This Far From the Madding Crowd is almost an hour shorter than the '60s one, which means the madding now comes so close on the heels of the gladding and the sadding, that it isn't until the very end, that you realize you've been artfully shepherded — stampeded, really — right off an emotional cliff.

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Carey Mulligan in Far From the Madding Crowd.

Far From the Madding Crowd review: Carey Mulligan shines in Hardy perennial

Thomas (Festen) Vinterberg turns out to be a half-eccentric, half-inspired choice to direct Thomas Hardy’s rural tragedy, nearly 50 years after John Schlesinger’s classic adaptation

John Schlesinger’s 1967 adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd must be the hardest act to follow in cinema history.

Thomas Vinterberg and his screenwriter David Nicholls take a fair stab at it in this eccentrically cast film. It is a faintly rushed, crushed version: a quart-in-a-pint-pot account of the novel without the sunlit expansiveness of the earlier, longer movie. This one skips smartly and with sometimes rather dreamlike suddenness from famous moment to famous moment (although that effect may admittedly be a result of overfamiliarity with the 1960s film).

Sergeant Troy’s disastrous failed wedding day is truncated and his most important scene has been entirely jettisoned – the secret performance at the fairground tent, playing Dick Turpin, and discovering his wife in the audience.

Where Schlesinger loved the landscape and the textures of the outdoors, Vinterberg’s emphasis is on intimacy and interior locations. There are a few conventionally pretty sunset moments, complete with rather hackneyed lens-flare. The famous swordplay scene is repositioned from an open hillside to a woodland gloaming – “the hollow of the ferns”. This is actually a rather shrewd choice, actually an improvement on Schlesinger, bringing out that scene’s mystery and eroticism.

This film’s great advantages are two very good performances – a great lead from Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba, the headstrong young woman in late 19th-century Dorset who is to inherit a handsome farm, and an excellent supporting turn from Michael Sheen as Mr Boldwood, the neighbouring middle-aged landowner who is to become fatally, tragically and self-laceratingly infatuated with Bathsheba, after she sends him an insincere Valentine card.

She has two other suitors: the conceited Sergeant Troy, played by Tom Sturridge, who looks the part without quite conveying his febrile egocentric quality – although the role is arguably underwritten. And there is also the doggedly devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak who once made a rejected marriage proposal to Bathsheba and lost his independent property after failing to protect his herd and has thus devoted his life to taking due care and protection of everything he cares about – chiefly Bathsheba, now his employer.

Far from the Madding Crowd.

This role is very important: the vigilant Gabriel is virtually the spiritual centre of the story. But the part has mystifyingly been given to Matthias Schoenaerts, the hunky Belgian star whose Wessex accent has a strong tang of Antwerp. Everything about his demeanour is careful, tentative – and unrelaxed. He looks like he is concentrating on his diction.

But Carey Mulligan is excellent: her face has a pinched girlish prettiness combined with a shrewd, slightly schoolmistressy intelligence – the sort of face which can appear very young and really quite old at the same time. Her Bathsheba is well turned out with an impressive line in hats; she is a horsewoman and very keen on rough shooting, not activities that much interested Julie Christie, who was almost ethereally beautiful and fancy-free in the part.

She was at her strongest with Bathsheba’s irresponsible and impetuous side. Mulligan is very good playing opposite the sensitive Michael Sheen – the one actor who really matches her quality – but is also very good at conveying her overlapping disdain and erotic excitement at Troy’s insolent advances. The well-known sequence in which she submits to Troy’s phallic sword-twirling is good, but she has a better scene, finding herself confessing to the caddish soldier that she has never been kissed – and realises in that moment that she is utterly lost.

Far from the Madding Crowd.

Michael Sheen also does very well, easily matching the memory of Peter Finch in the role. His face is etched with agony and an awful kind of abject adoration, forever trying to find ways to forgive the loved one in advance for rejection. When Sheen’s Boldwood confides to Oak that he feels “grief” you really can feel his pain.

But there is ultimately something very unbalanced in this movie: the female lead and one male support are outstanding; another supporting male is fine and the third is frankly uncomfortable and miscast. And the context has somehow gone missing: the countryside, the music, the madding crowd itself – in Gray’s poem it means the city’s madding crowd but there is an important crowd in the country too, the crowds of people and faces who should have a vivid if incidental presence. This is an interesting, heartfelt but flawed Hardy adaptation.

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Far From The Madding Crowd Book Reviews

Far From The Madding Crowd Book Reviews: A Classic Tale of Love and Ambition

Thomas Hardy’s novel, Far From The Madding Crowd, is a timeless story of love, ambition, and the complexities of relationships. Set in the rural English countryside, the novel follows the life of Bathsheba Everdene, a strong-willed and independent woman who attracts the attention of three very different suitors. As she navigates the challenges of love and ambition, Bathsheba must confront her own desires and the expectations of society.

Far From The Madding Crowd has received widespread critical acclaim since its publication in 1874, and continues to be a beloved classic of English literature. In this article, we will explore some interesting facts about the book, as well as provide an overview of its themes and characters.

Interesting Facts About Far From The Madding Crowd:

1. The title of the novel is taken from a line in Thomas Gray’s poem “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.” The full line reads, “Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife, Their sober wishes never learn’d to stray.”

2. Thomas Hardy originally wanted to title the novel “Far From The Madding Crowd: A Pastoral Tale of Wessex,” but his publishers felt the title was too long and chose to shorten it.

3. The novel was initially published anonymously, as Hardy was unsure of the book’s reception. However, it was well-received by critics and readers alike, and Hardy eventually revealed himself as the author.

4. Far From The Madding Crowd was Hardy’s fourth novel, and is considered one of his most popular works. It is often praised for its vivid descriptions of the English countryside and its complex characters.

5. The character of Bathsheba Everdene was inspired by a real-life woman named Augusta Way, whom Hardy met while working as an architect in Dorset. Way was known for her beauty and independence, and served as the inspiration for Bathsheba’s character.

6. The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and the struggle between tradition and modernity. Hardy’s portrayal of Bathsheba’s relationships with her three suitors – Gabriel Oak, William Boldwood, and Sergeant Troy – highlights the complexities of love and desire.

7. Far From The Madding Crowd has been adapted into several film and television adaptations, including a 1967 film starring Julie Christie as Bathsheba and a 2015 film starring Carey Mulligan in the lead role.

8. The novel has been praised for its strong female protagonist, Bathsheba Everdene, who defies traditional gender roles and expectations. Bathsheba’s independence and ambition make her a compelling and relatable character for modern readers.

9. Far From The Madding Crowd remains a popular and enduring classic of English literature, and continues to be studied and appreciated by readers of all ages.

Themes and Characters:

Far From The Madding Crowd explores a number of themes, including love, ambition, and the complexities of human relationships. The novel’s protagonist, Bathsheba Everdene, is a strong-willed and independent woman who attracts the attention of three very different suitors.

Gabriel Oak is a humble and hardworking farmer who falls in love with Bathsheba at first sight. He serves as a loyal and steadfast companion to Bathsheba throughout the novel, offering her support and guidance even when she rejects his romantic advances.

William Boldwood is a wealthy and reclusive landowner who becomes infatuated with Bathsheba after she sends him a valentine as a joke. Boldwood’s obsession with Bathsheba leads to tragic consequences, as he becomes increasingly possessive and controlling.

Sergeant Francis Troy is a dashing and charismatic soldier who sweeps Bathsheba off her feet with his charm and wit. However, Troy’s reckless and selfish behavior ultimately leads to his downfall, as he proves to be unreliable and untrustworthy.

Far From The Madding Crowd also explores the tension between tradition and modernity, as Bathsheba struggles to assert her independence and make her own choices in a society that expects women to conform to certain roles and expectations.

Common Questions About Far From The Madding Crowd:

1. Who is the author of Far From The Madding Crowd?

– The author of Far From The Madding Crowd is Thomas Hardy.

2. When was Far From The Madding Crowd first published?

– Far From The Madding Crowd was first published in 1874.

3. What is the novel’s setting?

– The novel is set in the rural English countryside of Wessex.

4. Who is the protagonist of the novel?

– The protagonist of the novel is Bathsheba Everdene.

5. How many suitors does Bathsheba have in the novel?

– Bathsheba has three suitors in the novel: Gabriel Oak, William Boldwood, and Sergeant Troy.

6. How does Bathsheba’s relationship with each suitor differ?

– Bathsheba’s relationship with each suitor differs in terms of their personalities, motivations, and the dynamics of their interactions.

7. What are some of the themes explored in Far From The Madding Crowd?

– Some of the themes explored in the novel include love, ambition, loyalty, and the struggle between tradition and modernity.

8. How has Far From The Madding Crowd been adapted for film and television?

– Far From The Madding Crowd has been adapted into several film and television adaptations, including a 1967 film starring Julie Christie and a 2015 film starring Carey Mulligan.

9. What inspired Thomas Hardy to write Far From The Madding Crowd?

– Thomas Hardy was inspired by a real-life woman named Augusta Way, who served as the inspiration for the character of Bathsheba Everdene.

10. What is the significance of the novel’s title?

– The title of the novel, taken from a line in Thomas Gray’s poem, reflects the idea of escaping the chaos and strife of society to find peace and solitude in the countryside.

11. How does Bathsheba’s character defy traditional gender roles?

– Bathsheba’s character defies traditional gender roles by asserting her independence, ambition, and agency in a society that expects women to be submissive and obedient.

12. What is the role of nature in Far From The Madding Crowd?

– Nature plays a significant role in the novel, as Hardy’s vivid descriptions of the English countryside serve as a backdrop to the characters’ emotions and relationships.

13. How does Hardy explore the complexities of human relationships in the novel?

– Hardy explores the complexities of human relationships through the interactions between Bathsheba and her suitors, as well as the ways in which their desires and motivations shape their actions.

14. What are some of the criticisms of Far From The Madding Crowd?

– Some critics have argued that the novel’s portrayal of Bathsheba’s relationships with her suitors reinforces traditional gender stereotypes and expectations.

15. What is the legacy of Far From The Madding Crowd in English literature?

– Far From The Madding Crowd remains a popular and enduring classic of English literature, and continues to be studied and appreciated for its themes, characters, and social commentary.

16. How does Hardy’s writing style contribute to the novel’s impact?

– Hardy’s lyrical prose and vivid descriptions of the English countryside create a rich and immersive reading experience that enhances the emotional depth and complexity of the novel.

17. What is the ultimate message of Far From The Madding Crowd?

– The ultimate message of the novel is one of love, ambition, and the complexities of human relationships, as Bathsheba navigates the challenges of desire, loyalty, and self-discovery.

Final Thoughts:

Far From The Madding Crowd is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its richly drawn characters, vivid descriptions of the English countryside, and exploration of love, ambition, and the complexities of human relationships. Thomas Hardy’s novel remains a powerful and enduring work of literature that offers a compelling portrait of a strong and independent woman navigating the challenges of society and her own desires. Whether you’re a fan of classic literature or looking for a compelling tale of love and ambition, Far From The Madding Crowd is sure to enchant and inspire readers of all ages.

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  2. Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

    Last modified on Wed 20 Sep 2017 06.28 EDT. This book is set in the 1870s, following a women called Bathsheba Everdene. The book follows her life as she takes a position as a farmer with a big ...

  3. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

    (Book 846 from 1001 books) - Far From the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy, C1874 Characters: Gabriel Oak, Bathsheba Everdene, William Boldwood, Francis Troy, Fanny Robin. Abstract: Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in ...

  4. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy [A Review]

    Far from the Madding Crowd is perhaps destined to become one of my favourite novels. A fast-paced plot with well-fleshed characters, building to unforgettable scenes of great drama and emotion and leaving much food for thought. This edition uses the original text for the first time; showcasing Hardy's satire of the social and religious values….

  5. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

    Far from the Madding Crowd is a novel that celebrates the constancy of love - Oak for Bathsheba. I am Gaurav Shashi and here is my review of this novel for The Last Critic. In the Sphere: The book has been printed and reprinted many times since its first publication in 1874. There are many reasons behind this cycle of print-reprint.

  6. Far From the Madding Crowd: Full Book Summary

    Far From the Madding Crowd Full Book Summary. At the beginning of the novel, Bathsheba Everdene is a beautiful young woman without a fortune. She meets Gabriel Oak, a young farmer, and saves his life one evening. He asks her to marry him, but she refuses because she does not love him.

  7. REVIEW: Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

    The ending of Far From the Madding Crowd has a certain rightness to it, a symmetry that I found pleasing. It's not super-romantic but it's a far cry from the dreary despair of Jude the Obscure. My grade for this one is a B+. Best regards, Jennie. Amazon BN Kobo ARE Book Depository Google

  8. Review: Far From the Madding Crowd

    Review: Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy. Having read - and thoroughly enjoyed - Tess of the D'Urbevilles towards the end of 2014, I was keen to read Thomas Hardy's second entry in the BBC Top 100 as soon as possible. Voted the nation's 48th best loved book of all time, Far From the Madding Crowd was Hardy's fourth novel ...

  9. Far From the Madding Crowd: Study Guide

    Far From the Madding Crowd, published in 1874, is a novel by Thomas Hardy set in rural Victorian England.The story revolves around the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene, who manages her late uncle's farm. Her romantic entanglements with three very different suitors—Gabriel Oak, a shepherd; William Boldwood, a prosperous farmer; and Sergeant Francis Troy, a dashing but ...

  10. Far from the Madding Crowd

    Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth published novel and his first major literary success. It was published on 23 November 1874. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where it gained a wide readership.. The novel is set in Thomas Hardy's Wessex in rural southwest England, as had been his earlier Under the Greenwood Tree.

  11. Far From the Madding Crowd Study Guide

    As his first successful novel, and the first of the "Wessex novels" that took place in Hardy's fictionalized county, Far from the Madding Crowd prefigured other works that returned to this seemingly bucolic, but in fact tumultuous, setting. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, published 17 years later, would also deal with issues of women's independence and vulnerability in such a world.

  12. Far from the Madding Crowd

    Despite its happy ending, Far From the Madding Crowd is an unsettling, unstable book. Its very title - a quotation from Gray's "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard" - is an ironic ...

  13. Far From the Madding Crowd

    An immediate success when it was first published in 1874, Thomas Hardy's 'pastoral tale' of the willful and capricious Bathsheba Everdene, her three suitors --- the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, the lonely widower Farmer Boldwood, and the dashing but faithless Sergeant Troy --- and the tragic consequence of her eventual choice remains one of the most enduring and popular English novels.

  14. Far from the Madding Crowd

    Far from the Madding Crowd, novel by Thomas Hardy, published serially and anonymously in 1874 in The Cornhill Magazine and published in book form under Hardy's name the same year. It was his first popular success. The plot centres on Bathsheba Everdene, a farm owner, and her three suitors, Gabriel.

  15. Far from the Madding Crowd review

    Far from the Madding Crowd review - solid, but needs more mud This article is more than 8 years old Thomas Vinterburg's adaptation of the Hardy classic is handsome and well played but could do ...

  16. Far From the Madding Crowd

    Far From the Madding Crowd is a historical novel that captures the heart of life in 1874 and the steadfastness of true love. ... Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book's review does ...

  17. Review: 'Far From the Madding Crowd,' the Rom-Com

    Far From the Madding Crowd. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Drama, Romance. PG-13. 1h 59m. By A.O. Scott. April 30, 2015. Bathsheba Everdene — if the last name sounds familiar, that's because ...

  18. Far from the Madding Crowd movie review (2015)

    One of the co-founders of the stripped-down Dogme 95 aesthetic might not sound like the most logical choice to direct Thomas Hardy's classic, sweeping romance "Far From the Madding Crowd.". But Thomas Vinterberg creates a rich aesthetic that combines both vibrant colors and intimate natural light. Whether his film is lush or rolling in the muck, it always has a tactile quality that makes ...

  19. Movie Review: 'Far From The Madding Crowd' : NPR

    Far From the Madding Crowd features feisty heroines, sturdy heroes, and three — yes, three -- men vying for the heroine's affection. Alex Bailey/Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures hide caption

  20. Far From The Madding Crowd Book Review

    This Far From The Madding Crowd book review is part of the understanding Classic Books series.Far From The Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy, is one of the clas...

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    John Schlesinger's 1967 adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd must be the hardest act to follow in cinema history.. Thomas Vinterberg and his screenwriter David Nicholls take ...

  22. Far From The Madding Crowd by John Escott

    Far From the Madding Crowd: Book Review ... Victorian novel Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, in my opinion, is a gripping tale that tries to answer the above questions. The novel uncovers the story of a young shepherd Gabriel Oak and his beloved Bathsheba Everdene; the former is a conscientious, loyal and reliable man while the ...

  23. Far From The Madding Crowd Book Reviews

    Far From The Madding Crowd Book Reviews: A Classic Tale of Love and Ambition. Thomas Hardy's novel, Far From The Madding Crowd, is a timeless story of love, ambition, and the complexities of relationships. Set in the rural English countryside, the novel follows the life of Bathsheba Everdene, a strong-willed and independent woman who attracts ...

  24. Far from the Madding Crowd Kindle Edition

    #25,098 in Small Town & Rural Fiction (Books) Customer Reviews: 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 6,266 ratings. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. ... 'Far from the Madding Crowd' is the earliest of Thomas Hardy's novels that I have read (published in 1874) and it is the most optimistic as well. ...