Far from the Madding Crowd

by Thomas Hardy

Maxine Linnell and Ann Kronheimer (Illustrator)

Young, attractive and impetuous, Bathsheba has inherited a farm and is determined to be as independent as possible. Her natural beauty is a magnet for men; how will she choose between them? Gabriel Oak is a young farmer, just set up in business with his own flock of sheep. He meets Bathsheba and falls in love with her, but she turns him down. He has to stand by and watch while the woman he loves is courted by others, first by William Boldwood, much older than Bathsheba; then by Sergeant Troy, young, handsome, and reckless. Who will she choose? Throughout Bathsheba’s series of mistakes, Gabriel remains her loyal friend. But will he ever be more than just a friend?

• ISBN13: 9781906230388
• Publish Date: 30 June 2012 (first published 4 April 1874)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Real Reads
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 64
• Language: English

Reviews

[brokentune]

Review first posted on BookLikes: http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/888908/far-from-the-madding-crowd

"All the female guests were huddled aghast against the walls like sheep in a storm, and the men were bewildered as to what to do."

Thomas Hardy and I don't gel. Maybe it's the pastoral setting, maybe it's the rather monotonous way he tells a story, maybe it was the endless descriptions of sheep and the use of sheep-symbolism in this book, but Hardy just does not do anything for me.

I get the book. I get Hardy's writing. But, as with Tess, he just does not persuade me to care about any of the characters.

I will persevere with two or three more titles - two on the recommendation of BL friends and Return of the Native because the audio book is read by Alan Rickman.