Far from the Madding Crowd

Rating:
Summary: An Absorbing and Rewarding Read
Review: "Far From The Madding Crowd" is the story of Gabriel Oak who lives a simple life as a lowly shepherd on the farm of the woman he once, unsuccessfully, proposed to, back when he was a man of some substance, having his own prosperous farm until tragic events lost it to him. The main elements of the story are the unfortunate, often tragic ramifications of Bathsheba Everdene's thoughtless, vanity-driven actions, and the steadfast, selfless love she has engendered in Oak, who undergoes much anonymous, behind-the-scenes labor in order to make smooth the rocky path Bathsheba has embarked upon.

As one reviewer already mentioned, I do believe Hardy chose the unusual name of "Bathsheba" for his heroine because of her likeness to Bathsheba of the Bible; a beautiful, sought-after woman who unwittingly causes catastrophe for the men who love her. I will go further to suggest that Gabriel Oak's name was deliberate; he is a "guardian angel" of sorts who works on behalf of Bathsheba, and his character is strong, solid and dependable as a stalwart oak.

Bathsheba's vanity, poor judgment and thoughtless behavior bring about the destruction of two men she becomes entangled with, and the once vital and carefree girl grows into a grave and repentant woman who finally begins to realize the wisdom and worth of her long-ago suitor, now servant, Oak.

The novel is rich with pathos, romance, tragedy, and even absurdity (Oak's fellow laborers on the farm are a comical lot, and their hilarious conversations are a pleasant occasional reprieve from the dark world of Bathsheba and her lovers.)

A great Hardy novel with an unusually happy ending.

Rating:
Summary: one of my favorite novels...
Review: ...it's ironic, it's exciting, it's a little scary, and i dig it! bathsheba everdene is a young, beautiful, and rather naive woman who stumbles carelessly through the emotional minefield that is her new life...though she becomes economically successful as a farmer, she has almost no clue about how to interact in a psychologically healthy way with men. though she may think she knows what's best for herself and those around her, she manages to bungle it without even trying. this makes for a fair amount of passionate angst. ;o)

austen fans will be able to relate to many of the characters...there's a lot of emma and marianne dashwood in bathsheba, quite a bit of frank churchill in sgt. troy, and a fine blend of col. brandon and mr. knightley in farmer oak.

Rating:
Summary: Dogs and other philosophers...
Review: ...should enjoy this book. This book is a lot lighter in tone than Hardy's later work, and is just a fun read. It's particularly enjoyable to see the twisted relationship of Gabriel, a good shepard graced with a dumb dog, and Bathsheba, the object of his attention and affection. Yes, plot contrivances abound, but the rest of Hardy's plot makes up for it nontheless. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Far from the Madding Crowd
Review: A beautifully written, well-crafted novel of love and passion among the farming folk of Wessex. A thoroughly enjoyable book that evokes the atmosphere of 19th Century England and explores the relationships between men and women during this time.

Rating:
Summary: Great book about the underdog getting the girl.
Review: A good love story with a number of different subplots to keep the story exciting. The characters become very real, especially Oak and Bathsheba. Great story about life and love.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful love story set in rural England
Review: Another five star review to make it number 4 who loved this book. Madding Crowd unlike so much of Hardy has amusing and charming characters without the dreary fatalistic endings we've come to expect from so many of his works. Basheba his heroine is believable, courageous and like many of us occasionally foolish. Oake though too good to believe is just the hero we'd like to know on a daily basis, a good kind man that we can trust. A very pleasant read.

Rating:
Summary: Far From the Madding Crowd - An Honestly Good Story
Review: Far From the Madding Crowd is a wonderful story about an honest and good man. This man is Gabriel Oak, a small time shepherd trying to gain his independance as a farmer. In his quest for independance he meets Bathsheba Everdene, a very pretty young woman, and falls instantly in love. On a whim he goes and askes Miss Everdene for her hand in marriage, eventhough he has barely known her for a week. She rejects farmer Oak's proposal. The next week Batsheba moves away to a far away town. Eventhough he is rejected by Miss Everdene he vows that he will always love her, and being the honest man that he is Oak did exactly that. Not long after Miss Everdene's rejection Oak finds himself in financial ruin. A young, inexperienced sheep dog that farmer Oak owns, carelessly chases all two hundred of Oak's sheep off of a cliff killing them. After this devestating blow Oak sells everything that he owns and moves away in search of new work. On the road to finding new work Oak happenes upon a small structure that is on fire. Oak immeaditly jumps into action to help save the surrounding structures from also burning to the ground. After he has accomplished this good deed Oak Finds out that the owner of the buildings he has just saved is no other than Miss Bathsheba Everdene. He also finds out that she is now the mistress of a large estate on which these buildings are located. In his desperate situation he askes Miss Everdene if she would like to hire a shepherd and out of her thankfulness she gives Oak a job. Oak continues to work for Miss Everdene through good times and bad, he is very faithful to her. Even after Miss Everdene marries a man that is less than good Oak's good nature and love for Miss Everdene forces him to stay by her side. Through Oaks good nature and honesty he earns the respect of all his neighbors and Bathsheba's farm prospers with his help. In being honest and good does farmer Oak earn Bathshebas love? Does Honesty really pay off? To learn the answers to these questions you will have to read this wonderful novel.

Thomas Hardy spares no expense in developing the characters in this delightful novel. Reading it made me feel as if I really knew the characters and I identified with most of them. His sense of depth and detail really brought the book to life. Although some things were too detailed and a bit boreing this book is definatly worth the time. A great story.

Rating:
Summary: after a terrible storm, the sun warms the earth...
Review: Far From the Madding crowd is filled with the heartwrenching depiction of humanity that Thomas Hardy created so well, but unlike most of his other significant works it also has a satisfying ending a la Jane Austen. Perhaps it isn't his MOST perfect work, but it's definately the pleasantest to swallow.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: Far From the Madding Crowd is one of Hardy's weaker efforts. The character development, which was so strong in The Mayor of Casterbridge and Jude the Obscure, is lacking here. Hardy pays little attention to the one character that really matters in this book, Gabriel Oak. The plot is contrived and the ending is incredibly hokie. This is one of Hardy's earlier novels and it is apparent that, at that stage of his career, he was far from perfecting his craft.

Rating:
Summary: Wild and wooly in Wessex
Review: Few literary settings are more distinctive than Thomas Hardy's Wessex, a hilly, chalky, bucolic quilt of pastures and villages occupying the southwest of England, its residents sworn to the immutable cultural traditions of centuries long past. But it is not the goal of "Far from the Madding Crowd" to be merely a sentimental portrait of a region for which Hardy has a great affection, but a grandiose drama about the eventual union of a man and the woman he loves. In summary, Hardy does accede to a Happily Ever After ending, but how he gets to this point is why his novel deserves to be read.

It's not surprising that the novel was originally attributed to George Eliot because the protagonist, Gabriel Oak, as the novel's moral anchor, is very similar in character to Eliot's Adam Bede. Oak is trying to make a living on his own as a farmer, but a stroke of bad luck compels him to take a job as a shepherd for a beautiful young woman named Bathsheba Everdene who has recently inherited her uncle's farm and commands a large number of workers and servants. Oak iconically personifies the rustic setting, not only because of his surname but because of the intimacy with which he communes with nature, and his fondness for playing the flute seems designed to evoke an image of Pan.

Oak has an awkward history with Bathsheba -- he had known her before her windfall, but in her independent spirit she spurned his love. As the head of Weatherbury farm, however, she can't get by on her independence alone, and she needs Oak's expertise in ensuring her sheep are healthy and fit for wool production. Her romantic attention turns toward a profligate soldier named Francis Troy who, through an unlikely error, has just barely avoided wedding Fanny Robin, one of the Weatherbury servants. Bathsheba's eventual marriage to Troy breaks the hearts of Oak and another rival, a neighboring farmer named Boldwood whose affections she had once teased and whose obsessive nature erupts at a most climactic moment in the novel.

The plot developments are a flamboyant display of contrivance, but Hardy masters his devices so well it's impossible not to go along with him for the ride. As an example, consider the jilted Fanny who is so weary from sickness that she has to use a dog as a crutch to get to her destination where she finally dies; not until Hardy reveals what's written on the lid of her coffin do we (and Oak) realize the role Troy played in her death. Likewise, Troy's impulsive reaction to this incident seems like a purposely destructive measure that intends to stir even more turbulence into the story.

A large part of Hardy's appeal is his prose, which maximizes the value of a mastery of language; his sentences are like finely cut gems that demand to be held up to a light and studied for their craftsmanship. I believe that Hardy is the consummate novelist; he approaches the art of the novel as a painter looks upon a canvas, a weaver upon a tapestry, a composer upon an opera -- as the supreme representation of man in harmony with nature and in conflict with fate.