Member Reviews

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  2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “Forget the infamous “love triangle”. In Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy introduces us to the precarious “love square”. At the core of all the turmoil is beautiful farm girl, Bathsheba Everdene - spirited, vain, intelligent and adept at toying with the hearts of men.
  
  Inevitably beguiled by her charms a humble and kind farmer, Gabriel Oak, fervently attempts to win Bathsheba’s affections. Enter the competition: (suitor#2) Farmer Boldwood - a wealthy and temperate middle-aged man respected in the community, eventually plunges into maniacal obsession at the mere possibility of making the beloved Miss Everdene his wife; and (suitor#3) Sergeant Francis Troy - a dashing young philandering soldier, with his share of inner demons, ruthlessness and vanity, vies for Bathsheba’s hand in marriage. Bathsheba’s ultimate decision, and the cataclysm it evokes, lies at the epicenter of Hardy’s unforgettable ambivalent story.
  
  Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy’s fourth novel, saw publication in 1874 and earned him widespread popularity as a writer. A delicately woven tale of unrequited love and regret, set in the mid-19th century, Far From the Madding Crowd is a masterpiece of pure story-telling. Hardy’s classic style is a pleasure to read as he masterfully brings his characters and their dealings to life.
  
  I would not hesitate to say it definitely captured my heart as another favourite. ”

  book yeti wrote this review Saturday, July 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “An amazing novel. My heart went out for Gabriel and i hated Bathsheba since she was introduced. And though it doesnt seem initially like an interesting novel, it is a great novel to read”

  reyne625 wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 1 stars

  “Heavy and flowery. Hardy seems to have an interest in creating very ordinary and honest heroes that the reader has no option but to root for. All that does for me is create one route through the novel, go with it or get bored.”

  Richard H wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “I suffered through this in Major Briitsh Literature in high school and found later it was still one of the more gruesome of the Hardys. Much anguish over a valentine sent in jest, if I recall rightly.”

  Amy M wrote this review Tuesday, September 16 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “difficult.the journey ended hardly before i got midway”

  arinum wrote this review Sunday, September 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “What a beautiful book! Teaches you much about life...Read it at 14...Must read for all.”

  Nandanandanan wrote this review Saturday, September 6 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “This rates as one of the best books I have read recently. Perhaps the only other book that had a greater impact on me was Rebecca by ”

  Rajan Roy wrote this review Wednesday, June 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “I love this book, as I do all of his novels. They are sad in many ways, and Fate is always a main character. This one has such richly drawn characters. Gabriel Oak, Bathsheba Everdene. How does one ever forget them? The movie with Alan Bates and Julie Christie is wonderful too. See it if you have a chance.”

  andee L wrote this review Saturday, June 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “Although the story isn't actually my type, I liked the way the author depicts that society, the relationship between the characters and their environment. I also like the focusing on the setting and the descriptions.”

  Stargazer wrote this review Monday, June 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “This book is only second to Tess as my favorite book. Its not quite so melodramatic (which I appreciate) but has a charm that only Victorian rustics can bring.”

  Kaisha J wrote this review Saturday, June 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )