WeBuzz
Reader discussion: Far from the Madding Crowd
Public reader discussion about Far from the Madding Crowd in the WeRead Catalog by Thomas Hardy.
Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) Thomas Hardy: Entrepreneurial shepherd Gabriel proposes to Bathsheba but she wants romance. She leaves the village and a sheepdog destroys his flock and hopes. Later they meet again but she is now wealthy and he's looking for work but his leadership gets him a job.
By careful_bottle
Just started this one and it feels like it’s setting up a proper love story, but it doesn’t go the way Gabriel Oak probably hopes. He’s taken with Bathsheba Everdene, she turns him down because she wants “real” romance, and then somehow everything flips later on—he gets knocked down while she comes up and ends up with the power.
It’s Thomas Hardy, first published in 1874, and I’m not sure yet how I feel about it, but the cast sounds good (Alex Tregear and Shaun Dooley especially) and it’s been done in three parts for Radio 4.
I'm starting Thomas Hardy and George Eliot for the first time. What are your favorites by them?
By CrimsonPencil
I’ve got Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Mill on the Floss—what else should I grab as a first-time starter pack?
Tess of the D'urbervilles by T. Hardy
By shelf-bookmark
I picked this up because a friend told me to, and honestly it took me forever to actually finish it. It’s one of those books that just messes with you in a deep way—like something in me shifted, but I can’t really explain how. Tess just feels so innocent and real, and I don’t even know what to say about how I felt when I got to the end. Now whenever I think about it, I catch myself wondering if there’s any love out there that’s as clean and true as Tess’s love for Angel.
I didn’t like either of the men in the story at all. Tess really didn’t deserve what happened to her. I’m still left with a bunch of questions and all these emotions that I struggle to describe because they’re kind of… too much.
Tess loved so hard. My heart aches for her.
Has anyone else read Thomas Hardy—if you have, how did you feel after you finished it?
Mayor of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
By basketCold
This is only the second Hardy book I’ve read, but it really feels like it has a lot in common with *Tess of the d’Urbervilles*. I can’t decide how I feel about either one. I genuinely like the way Hardy writes, but I’m so annoyed that everything always ends up going wrong. It’s like nobody gets to just have a decent, happy life—he always finds the most disastrous path for everyone. And it seems like he’s really fixated on “proper” marriages too. A bunch of the mess feels like it starts from some small issue with how someone’s marriage is supposed to be, and then it turns into a total social blow-up.
I do feel for Elizabeth-Jane, especially with what’s going on with her family, but I also can’t help thinking about how Henchard has to deal with it. I’ve been through something similar in the 21st century, so it hits a lot harder than I expected. I’d love to hear what other people think, both about this book and about Hardy in general, because right now I’m just all over the place.
I’m not sure I’ll grab another Hardy novel for a while. I usually want something more upbeat—like *East of Eden*—where the themes are similar but the ending isn’t so brutally different in every direction.
Just finished Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy.
By libraryhidden
Hardy’s take on all the Victorian rules about law, religion, marriage, and what people are “allowed” to do feels like it’s pointing toward modernism. I didn’t end up feeling super close to the characters the way I did with *Tess* (I still tear up a little thinking about her), but I still found it gripping and honestly pretty tragic. Some of the specific stuff about religion, sex, and marriage might be dated now—society’s moved a long way from those old taboos—but the big idea about nature and desire getting pushed around by social expectations still feels true.
Has anyone else read it recently? What did you think?
Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd
By hardcoverStorm
Hey all! I just finished Hardy’s book over the last couple weeks, and I had already seen the movie with Carey Mulligan, so I went back and forth in my head a lot.
Overall I’ve got super mixed feelings. The writing is gorgeous, no doubt, but sometimes it felt like it went on a little too long and slowed everything down. Some parts dragged, and a few scenes with characters talking/interacting felt kind of pointless to the bigger plot. Like sure, it helps build the world, but it didn’t really change what I thought about the main story or the main people.
I think the character work is stronger in the book, mainly because there’s more space for it, but the adaptation had me stuck on Boldwood. Even though I love Michael Sheen, his reaction in the movie didn’t click for me. In the book, his whole spiral into madness makes more sense.
Troy was the one I could at least understand on a narrative level. I wasn’t exactly rooting for him, but his portrayal felt more complete—both in the movie and the book—and his actions, even when they’re awful, felt more like they followed logically from who he is.
Gabriel Oak though—he’s great. I don’t really know what else to say.
Bathsheba is where I kept getting whiplash. She’ll seem pretty steady and “real,” and then she’ll do something really childish just because, like the Valentine’s card. And then the marriage thing really bothered me. She’s so stubborn about something for a long time, but then after six years she agrees to marry Boldwood… and it just felt like her conviction was picking and choosing what worked for the plot. I never felt like she was growing into it in a clear, believable way.
Also the ending didn’t land for me. I wanted Oak and Bathsheba together, sure, but it felt kind of forced. In the book, she doesn’t really come across like she loves him—more like she’s used to him and doesn’t want to lose him. She refused Boldwood because she couldn’t love him, so I was expecting something similar to show up clearly with Oak… but I didn’t. She respects him and values him, and she appreciates his experience, but right at the end I felt like we skipped too much time. After Troy’s death, I wanted to see more of her actually falling for Oak so it wouldn’t feel like it happened just because the story needed it to.
Maybe I’m looking at it the wrong way though. Curious what everyone else thinks.
Far From The Madding Crowd
By OtterReader
I’m curious what people think about Bathsheba’s character too, because she really does feel more real than just “main character.” What is it about her that makes her seem three-dimensional, and how exactly does Hardy pull that off?
To me, she comes off like a feminist type—she has her own farm and she’s not ready to fall in line with the whole patriarchy/“do what you’re told” thing. She’s also practical, but she still messes up, and that’s what makes her believable. She pays attention to her own feelings and knows how marriage could box her in, so at first she turns down Gabriel.
But then she goes and commits to Sergeant Troy, even though he’s got a bunch of red flags. He basically feeds her ego with flattery and all those pretty metaphors, and she chooses to go with that feeling anyway. Her vanity is kind of the whole weak spot here—it’s not just a flaw, it’s what makes her feel like someone who would actually fall for fleeting emotions, like most of us do.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles or Far From the Madding Crowd?
By will_miami1990
I’m planning to start a new book today, and I’ve got nice copies of both of the ones mentioned. I’ve never read Thomas Hardy before, so I’m not sure which one would be the best place to begin. My usual favorites are Wuthering Heights and basically anything Austen (I know, I know), but I also really love The Secret Garden, Rebecca, and The Scarlet Letter. I’m excited to try a new author—what do you think I should go with first?
[Discussion] Gutenberg - Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy | Chapters 15 to 28
By LittleMarble
Okay, quick heads-up first: I hit this weird thing while looking at my version—there’s a whole chapter in the Gutenberg copy that doesn’t seem to be in the Penguin one. It’s that “All Saints’ and All Souls’” bit (Chapter 16). So if you’re reading Penguin (or anything where it’s called “In the Market-Place”), you might’ve gotten an extra chapter this week. I’m honestly annoyed/confused about it, but whatever.
Anyway, can we talk about fencing and sheep right out of the gate? I did not expect actual fencing in this book, and last week I joked about Hardy basically not showing much animal husbandry… and then this week is basically all about sheep with gas and everything going belly-up. Like, TIL sheep can die of indigestion and that sounds horrifying. I also fell into a rabbit hole about some barn-exploding match urban legend and now I just feel sick. Thanks, Wikipedia, for that mental image.
So the chapter starts with the maltster (no name, of course) eating breakfast and gossiping about Bathsheba, and Gabriel storms in mad that they’re talking about her. Joseph Poorgrass says Bathsheba should’ve made Gabriel bailiff, Gabriel gets defensive, and then Boldwood shows up with a letter from Fanny—she’s giving back the money and basically saying she’s marrying Troy. Boldwood also shows Gabriel the valentine, and Gabriel recognizes the handwriting as Bathsheba’s.
Then I got *super* lost because Gutenberg has extra stuff: Troy waiting at church to marry Fanny, Fanny not showing because she goes to the wrong church, and Troy basically says “God knows!” like… yikes. (Did he mess her up on purpose, or was it truly an accident?)
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old virgin situation is spiraling fast—he’s got this huge crush on Bathsheba because of that valentine. He tries not to talk to her at first, then finally ends up proposing to her while she and the workers are washing sheep. Was that normal back then, or does Bathsheba just attract the weirdest dudes? She’s mortified, apologizes for the valentine, says she’s not interested, but won’t fully shut it down right away.
Next day she and Gabriel talk while they sharpen shears. She basically asks if he’s noticed what’s going on with her and Boldwood. He goes on about sharpening shears (as if that’s the point), then tells her everyone is gossiping about her and Boldwood getting married. He promises he’ll set it straight… but then he can’t help sharing his opinion, and Bathsheba is so pissed she fires him.
And then disaster: the sheep get into clover and bloat. They’re going up in the air and belly-up, like goldfish, and it’s awful. Bathsheba has to go back to Gabriel because he’s the only one who knows how to cure them. Gabriel shows up kind of smug, uses this trocar, and basically saves the sheep—then Bathsheba offers him his job back and he takes it.
After that, sheep shearing chaos continues, Boldwood shows up, Bathsheba and Boldwood disappear together, and Gabriel is distracted and “snips” the sheep the wrong way. Naturally, everyone gossips after, including Maryann asking about finding her someone “crooked” or “lame” or whatever. I swear this book keeps turning into a matchmaking circus.
Later there’s dinner, Bathsheba sings (The Banks of Allan Water), Boldwood proposes again, she again says ask later. Then that night Troy ends up running into her in the dark and flirts while she’s untangling her skirt from his spur. She’s cold to him, but she’s asking Liddy about him later anyway.
Next day Troy comes back again, keeps pursuing her, gives her his gold watch (and apparently it changes depending on the version?), and helps her with beehives and sword stuff. Then he’s all “here’s how dangerous it is” but he literally stabs his sword right near her, chops a caterpillar off her dress, cuts off a lock of her hair… and then (I cannot believe this) the chapter ends with them kissing. Like… holy crap. I did not see that coming at all.
[Discussion] Far From the Madding Crowd - Book vs. Movie Discussion
By Reed_Shadow
Hey all!
For Far From the Madding Crowd, I went with the 2015 Thomas Vinterberg version, and I really liked it. It was done so well, and the Craig Armstrong soundtrack honestly made a big difference for me. What parts of the screen version(s) stood out most to you?
Just as a reminder, there are a few adaptations out there:
- The 2015 film by Thomas Vinterberg, with Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, and Matthias Schoenaerts.
- The 1998 TV film by Nicholas Renton, with Paloma Baeza as Bathsheba.
- The 1967 film by John Schlesinger, with Julie Christie as Bathsheba.
- Tamara Drewe from 2010, which is a really loose modern-day take on the book. Directed by Stephen Frears, and starring Gemma Arterton, Luke Evans, and Dominic Cooper.
Curious which one(s) you saw, or if you watched some other version that isn’t on this list!
TIL Thomas Hardy, author of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "Far from the Madding Crowd", gave up writing novels by 1900 and exclusively wrote poetry until his death in 1928. Hardy's poetry has been set to music and influenced poets like Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas.
By ChapterDelta96
I really liked him in Peaky Blinders.
Which British Literature books should I teach for high school? And which Dickens novel is best for seniors?
By LauraReads1972
Our school’s switching things up for English so we can offer more electives for the upperclassmen. Before it was basically just a regular English 4 for seniors, but now they’re splitting it into more focused classes. I’m going to be teaching British Literature, which will be my third year doing this. For the last couple years I’ve stuck mostly to British stuff for English 4 just out of tradition, but I’ll probably need to add more titles to make it really fully British.
Here’s what I’ve already got on the list:
- *Rebecca* by Daphne Du Maurier
- *Macbeth* by William Shakespeare
- *1984* by George Orwell
I usually end up drawn to more Gothic novels like *Jane Eyre*, *Frankenstein*, and *The Picture of Dorian Gray*. I’m not sure if adding one (or more) would be too much, since *Rebecca* already has a pretty Gothic vibe.
Also, bonus question: if I have to pick between a few Dickens novels, which one would actually work best for 12th graders? I’ve taught *Great Expectations* before and it went okay, so I’m just wondering if another Dickens title would be better for this group.
The sentence in the text below is from "Far from the Madding crowd" by Thomas Hardy. Should it not be"there were" instead of "was" because two things joined by and (pony and a waggon) are being mentioned.
By river_pepper
They’d sometimes send along a pony and cart from the farther spots to bring the weaker ones along for the rest of the trip, just to cover whatever might come up.
Far From The Madding Crowd - 2015 - What the actual f***
By paperbackmarket2003
Okay but seriously, what the hell was this movie?
I did genuinely love the scenery, the outfits, and the whole vibe—like it actually felt right for a period drama and the big singing moments were on point. But then… what was up with the woman and the guys she chose?
Also, spoilers ahead, I guess.
I felt really bad for the neighbor guy. I honestly couldn’t figure out what he even saw in her. And the more he tried to convince her to marry him, the worse everything got. By the time he was basically begging her to marry him, even with all that pity, I was like nah—bro should’ve tried harder, like for real.
And I have no idea how she ended up marrying that soldier guy. He was such a dumbass.
Plus I didn’t buy the “love” for the farm hand at all. They just seemed like decent friends to me—there wasn’t any real romance happening in my eyes.
I also hated that she basically shut down his whole plan to go to the US.
And the rich guy who shot her first husband—he was right to do it, but it still made me feel awful for him too, since he got stuck with that whole mess.
The ending was just… the worst. I’m sitting there thinking, what the actual f*** was this movie?
"Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy. The highest praise he can give a woman.
By Porch
Am I the only one who thinks that sentence is kinda bad? It feels really jarring and the wording is awkward, like it doesn’t flow right. I could also just be reading it wrong though lol.
In the vernacular: what are some novels written in 'the people's tongue'?
By WildBowl8
The first ones that popped into my head are Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and then Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh.
Also maybe A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
What else fits that kind of vibe?
Edit: Another one I thought of is Forrest Gump & Gump & Co. by Winston Groom.
Thoughts on: "It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in a language chiefly made by men to express theirs." - Bathsheba Everdene
By moon-kind37
I just read Thomas Hardy’s *Far from the Madding Crowd* for the first time, and wow—I really loved it.
There was this line from Bathsheba that kept popping back into my head (along with a couple other moments), and I’m curious what everyone else thought about it.