Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Book Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ม.ค. 2017
- It's February: let's discuss a classic romance!
UPDATE:
Review of the 1967 adaptation: • Far From the Madding C...
Review of the 1998 adaptation: • Far From the Madding C...
Review of the 2015 adaptation: • Far From the Madding C... - บันเทิง
![Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy | Book Review [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JTZOz8THCZc/mqdefault.jpg)
Your remarks on Hardy's nature descriptions remind me of a (positive) review I've heard of this book in the past: "IT'S DICKENS IN THE FIELDS!!"
Although it is not a long review, it is excellent in its conciseness, because it leaves the reader in the mood to read and doesn't shy away from further analysis. Anyway, lovely review of one of my favorite novels! What you said about the penultimate chapter in which Hardy contrasts youthful passion with mature love is one of the most fascinating and surprisingly "modern" aspects of this book for me.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the review!
Hardy is great, but I have not read "Far from the Madding Crowd". He is famous for his generosity of spirit toward women which is manifest in "Tess of the Durbervilles". Martin Seymour-Smith has written a fabulous biography of Hardy titled, "Hardy". Seymour-Smith's prose is first rate and engrossing. He really has a distinctive voice of his own with his writing. He was a chief British literary critic and a poet in his own right. Hardy's wife died and Hardy suffered greatly. He felt remorse at not being a better husband as he coped with his loss. This was a driving force in his work.
I’m currently reading Far From The Madding Crowd and it helped to hear your thoughts on it. I’m not alone in my thoughts on Bathsheba’s decisions lol, I’m like come on lady. The drama has had me eye rolling sometimes lol. But I want to be fair and give it chance, he does write well. Farmer Oak is the only one that seems to have sense. And it is interesting what you mention about the workers and their commentary. What has been causing me to stick through is his way of capturing the setting, really lovely.
I don’t know who she ends up with so I’m really curious to see how that turns out. 😊
I'm glad to be of assistance! I hope you can stick it out. The ending is pretty rewarding after all that drama. :)
I always liked the way he explains country people's lives and work. For example, I thought Hardy had made a mistake about the sheep lambing in winter, but Dorset Horn sheep lamb all year around. I thought he was dramatizing about Oak nearly suffocating in his shepherd's hut, but people did occasionally die like that.
Yes, and he does so in such a way that catches and holds your interest, even if you know next to nothing about farming and shepherding.
I'd start with the 1967 movie. The critics were a bit sniffy when it came out - Julie Christie looks too modern blah blah blah. But it looks absolutely gorgeous. It was filmed in Abbotsbury Dorset and Nicolas Roeg was the cinematographer. It was only John Schlesinger's fourth movie and the first time he had had a 'Hollywood' budget. Terence Stamp (who was Julie Christie's lover at the time) IS SERGEANT TROY. Accept no other. He didn't get on with John Schlesinger, and the iconic sabre scene was filmed with Nicolas Roeg directing him. Alan Bates as Gabriel Oak manages to hold on to his Dorset accent throughout the film, but Julie Christie's is all over the place (it's much stronger at the beginning). The 1998 BBC version is very good but you can't imagine Bathsheba being driven to distraction by this Sergeant Troy. I don't know anything about the 2016 version other than that they decided to set the story about fifteen years later than the book.
Brilliant review, can't wait to read this! I am also intrigued by the film adaptations.
You are not wrong. Jude the Obscure is the most depressing work in the English language. It feels like Sylvia Plath wrote it from inside the oven.
So helpful! Thank you for the review!
your voice and way of expressiions while narating is outstanding and engaged throughout d video :) loved it
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Jerome Weiselberry :) would lv to b in toucj wid dis channel :)
Good point on Hardys weather notes.
He'd come back today and notice within a week that OUR weather is being manipulated via geo engineering.
Those who don't are too young to remember the seasons, too ignorant to feel it or just plain cowardly...
I have not read Far From the Madding Crowd but you have me thinking I should. I read Mayor of Casterbridge in high school and have to say that it actually caught my attention and interest and I found it a very interesting read.
Thank you! This really helped me in our European Literature report
I just finished Far From The Madding Crowd. It's the first Hardy I've completed, and I loved it. I read 1/3 of Tess and put it down, so I'll need to try to finish that next, by the way, I collect owls too, and they also live on my bookshelf! Hahhaa
Congratulations! I'm so happy to hear you loved it. I can't promise you'll feel the same about Tess, but hey, you never know. :) Yay, another owl fan!!
Thank you. Love the way you reviewed the book. Proffesionally.
Thank you!
Going to pick this book up thank you.
Glad you liked the book!! :D So far I've only seen the recent film adaptation.. it's okay (the soundtrack and scenery are GORGEOUS though); imo it tries too hard to be like the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, but I could tell that it must be a very luscious, satisfying read. I can't remember if I own this particular Hardy novel, but I'm definitely looking forward to picking it up soon ^^
You should! It's interesting that you say the new movie reminds you of 2005 P&P because that's the same impression I've gotten of it from the trailer and some video edits on YT. I'm not expecting greatness in terms of an adaptation, but I am looking forward to it as an enjoyable sensory experience. We'll see!
Jerome i think you love owl so much... I see them everywhere in the background ...
Thanks for your review. And I'm reading it this weekend.
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it!
Jerome Weiselberry, I hope so. Hey, do you write book reviews? If yes, did you write some post-reading review after reading this particular novel?
Well said!
Thank you!
Great review, sounds like a sad but masterful book!
Thanks! Sad, but rewarding. And thank goodness there's a good ending, otherwise I might not have been so enthusiastic!
Yep you can't get more satisfying than a happy ending!
SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT! I keep meaning to email you so I will tomorrow and now that you are finished we can talk all the spoilers! XD i'm also very interested to know how you like the films. The 1967 one is on TCM at like 3 something in the morning this Friday morning. (i think). And the 1998 one is here on youtube if you can't get a hold of the dvd. I love the 98 one because it was the first I saw and was able to get so much more detail being a mini series but for the 2015 one, the 2 leads were just as good and the scenery was gorgeous and grand and the music was beautiful and Matthias Shoenaerts as Gabriel Oak...omg!
I thought you'd be happy! :) I think I'll order all the versions from the library, although my mom says she's game to stay up to watch the old one in the wee hours, haha. I'm looking forward to the 60s one for its cast (particularly Peter Finch and Terence Stamp), the 90s one for its accuracy and depth, and the 2015 one for its aesthetic. I'm telling myself to space them out, but I'm so eager, I might not be able to!
Jerome Weiselberry No idea why I thought the 60s one was one as soon as Friday, it isn't til next week because they are going in alphabetical order and only on the Bs today. Do y'all have recording capabilities? the library is a great idea if they have all 3, mine only had the most recent one I think. The 60s one has a bias that I heard about that makes me iffy about seeing it but I like Julie Christie so I'll try it anyway. I need to watch the 2015 one now lol.
We have a temperamental timer on our dvd player, so we might try setting it, but fortunately it looks like I can get all three versions through our library network, which is awesome!
Thank you ♡ was good
I've always reread this book,I don't get why I like the story
Bathsheba Weiselberry.
I love classics and romance and character driven pieces, but I did not love this book. I loved Bathsheba, she was great, but I hated all of her suitors. I thought that Hardy made them all superior in the way that they thought Bathsheba and women in general were lesser and frivolous beings. I always hope for a happy ending, but the story being told through mostly male eyes it just had an air of self congratulatory entitlement to it. I felt that had the story only be told through a woman's eyes, Hardy would not have rewarded her folly with happiness, but because a man was essentially the protagonist, he should be rewarded with the vain and silly girl.
I hated it.
You mean you didn't like Gabriel Oak? A man who always placed Bathsheba's happiness above his passion for her and who not only sees her as a beautiful woman, but also admires her personality. Or that you don't think that the vision of love that Hardy espouses, based on friendship, companionship and shared experiences, is relevant? He wrote a fascinating woman, in a unique social position, which she occupies with skill, and realistic in my opinion. I also didn't understand what you say about the three being presented as superiors. Hardy spends two pages just describing Troy's bad character and demonstrates Boldwood trying to manipulate Bathsheba and suffering mental degradation. As for Gabriel, he is not shown as superior, but as someone who has gone through a giant loss and has gained a moral perspective above the ordinary. Anyway, literature is a matter of taste, but I think you would not have that opinion if you reread the book or study it.
Being English IS depressing
See the 67 version.
All else is futile.
In my opinion.