Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd is a novel by Thomas Hardy which is often read only by the people who are either academically compelled or are the best among the readers of fiction. Otherwise, a very limited number of people get to know about this novel. Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece is a romance, a tragedy, a Christian novel and might be a novel based on the theory of Karma. Today, Desi Readers will tell you whether you should invest your time reading this novel or not. And I am Ravi for Desi Readers, writing this book review in Desi style for you.

Oak and Bathsheba Everdene are the central characters in the novel around whom the plot revolves. Many come and go in between the beginning and the end but these two remain throughout. There are murders; there are instances of betrayal; there are instances or pride; there are examples of servitude and truest form of love; there is insanity and there is the triumph of the best among them! In short, this is the novel’s story. However, if I am said to highlight the major things in the novel which might help you decide whether to read this 464 pages of a voluminous novel or not, I will do it as below.

The Romance: You will get to read various forms of romance in the novel Far from the Madding Crowd. One is between Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene which is, undoubtedly, of the purest form and Oak has no intentions behind his affection and love (and a constant want) for Bathsheba. Another is between Boldwood and Miss Everdene which is rather Sportful and proves to be fatal towards the end. And the last one is between Troy and Bathsheba which is cunning and of the lowest level – physical and worldly!

Feminism: Bathsheba is shown managing the entire business of her uncle and she is mostly supported by her female aides. (Yes, Oak is always there to support her and guide her.) Her strong personality comes up when she appears on the market alone to sell her grains. And on several instances in the novel, you will get to read about Bathsheba’s self-dependence (which might seem boorish at times).

Happy Ending: The best part of the novel is it ends the way we want it to end – the people who are supposed to stay together stay and those who are supposed to be the bad asses are pushed away.

And to conclude, I will say that this novel will offer you the desired reading pleasure and it might not seem loooong and boring at all! You have to read this one for sure! And it will also boost your profile update on Facebook when you post – just finished a classic piece by Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd’!

Ravi for Desi Readers