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Diane , Armchair Tour Guide
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May 15, 2015 03:14PM
Start discussion here for Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
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Diane , Armchair Tour Guide
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from LitLoversSummary
Far from the Madding Crowd, Hardy's first masterpiece, received wide acclaim upon publication and remains among the author's best-loved works. The tale of a passionate, independent woman and her three suitors, it explores Hardy's trademark themes: thwarted love, the inevitability of fate, and the encroachment of industrial society on rural life. (From AudioFile, Portland, Maine.)
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Gabriel Oak is only one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Bathsheba Everdene. He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy and the respectable, middle-aged Farmer Boldwood. And while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes, she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart.
Far from the Madding Crowd was the first of Hardy's novels to give the name Wessex to the landscape of south-west England, and the first to gain him widespread popularity as a novelist. Set against the backdrop of the unchanging natural cycle of the year, the story both upholds and questions rural values with a startlingly modern sensibility. This new edition retains the critical text that restores previously deleted and revised passages. (From Oxford University Press edition.)
Discussion Questions
1. According to the scholar Howard Babb, Hardy’s depiction of Wessex “impinges upon the consciousness of the reader in many ways . . . as mere setting, or a symbol, or as a being in its own right.” How does environment serve as an integral part of this novel?
2. The title of Far from the Madding Crowd, borrowed from Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, ” celebrates the “cool, sequestered” lives of rural folks. Is the title ironic or appropriate?
3. The rustics who work the land, tend the sheep, and gather at Warren’s malt house have been likened to a Greek chorus. Can you support this analogy? What function do the rustics serve in the novel?
4. Time is a theme that weaves throughout the story. One example may be found in Chapter XVI, when Frank Troy stands rigidly in All Saints Church awaiting Fanny’s delayed arrival while a “grotesque clockwork” agonizingly marks each passing moment. Where else does Hardy employ the theme of time, and what purpose does it serve?
5. In Chapter IV, Bathsheba tells Gabriel, “I want somebody to tame me; I am too independent: and you would never be able to, I know.” How is Bathsheba “tamed” over the course of the novel, and who is responsible for her transformation?
6. How does the subordinate plot concerning Fanny Robin and Sergeant Troy serve as a contract to the main storyline?
7. What do Bathsheba Everdene and Fanny Robin have in common, and how do they differ? And what does Hardy’s portrayal of these two women reveal about Victorian moral standards?
8. In Gabriel Oak, Sergeant Troy, and Farmer Boldwood, Hardy has depicted three very different suitors in pursuit of Bathsheba Everdene. What distinguishes each of these characters, and what values does each of them represent?
9. Two particular episodes in Far from the Madding Crowd are often cited for their profound sensuality: Sergeant Troy’s seduction of Bathsheba through swordplay (Chapter XXVIII), and Gabriel’s sheep-shearing scene (Chapter XXII). What elements does Hardy employ to make these scenes so powerful?
10. At the end of the novel, Hardy describes the remarkable bond between Gabriel and Bathsheba: “Theirs was that substantial affection which arises . . . when the two who are thrown together begin first by knowing the rougher sides of each other’s character, and not the best till further on, the romance growing up in the interstices of a mass of hard, prosaic reality.” How does this relationship serve as a contrast to other examples of love and courtship throughout the novel? Consider Bathsheba and her three suitors, as well as Fanny Robin and Sergeant Troy.
(Questions from the Random House-Modern Classics edition.)
What a great story! Unlike most of Hardy's novels, it ends on a happy note (even though it takes a string of Hardy-esque misfortunes to get there). I look forward to seeing the newly released movie.
I just started reading yesterday, I was not sure I wanted to read another Thomas Hardy novel (right now because of how his novels usually end) however, a friend told me this ends differently. I also look forward to seeing the movie, so I thought now is the right time to read it. I always prefer to read the book before I see the movie.
I really enjoyed this one and am so happy that it ended better than his other novels. Can't wait to see how the movie turns out.
I know I'm late to the game but I thought I'd begin reading Hardy today!
I am starting today and this is the first time I join a discussion group online. How does one "discuss" a book online?
I find Hardy's sentence construction difficult to understand. What in the world does he do that I find myself puzzling over a sentence? Does anyone else have this experience, or is it just me who has been thrown back to first grade? Comments, please. I am trying to decide whether or not to continue reading it.
Emily wrote: "I find Hardy's sentence construction difficult to understand. What in the world does he do that I find myself puzzling over a sentence? Does anyone else have this experience, or is it just me who..."Emily, I find that older books have that stodgy, formal construction. As you read on it does get easier to understand I promise. How far along are you?
Chapter 3. Will persevere at least for a while. Assure you other 19th century writers are not this bad
When I'm stuck with a book in print, sometimes the right narrator on Audible will totally change the experience of a book. If you see Simon Vance, he's brilliant with the classics.
Allyson wrote: "When I'm stuck with a book in print, sometimes the right narrator on Audible will totally change the experience of a book. If you see Simon Vance, he's brilliant with the classics."I love Simon Vance. A good narrator can make a big difference.
I agree about the complex sentence structure but in spite of that I found myself smiling at Farmer Oak's proposal. Not very far along (Chpt 6) but I am enjoying this one.
I find Gabriel to be very endearing. He's so gentle and naïve. He doesn't see the bad in others. He's got me cheering for him.
Love the proposals and I have always been fascinated and puzzled by the responses in 19th century literature. A man, who has barely seen a woman but a couple of times declares his eternal love for her. I always wonder, how do you know you love her? You don't know her! She, for her part, refuses him on the basis of her feelings for him. Clearly, they both accept the notion of love at first sight. It is only when pressed that women ask for time to make up their minds (not to get to know him and fall in love),We now operate under totally different assumptions. Who's right? How many of us readers have fallen to Cupid's arrow on sight?
Hello... I am new and don't want to unknowingly break rules. Has anyone finished this book?
Sorry, accidentally posted before I was finished. I am curious to know if Thomas Hardy was being sarcastic about independent women or if the portrayal of Bathsheba was the best that could be had at that time. Does anyone know or care to hazard a guess?
I think he's working within his time period, but I see your point. Have you read Tess of the d'urbervilles yet? It's frustrating to women of this day and age because Tess seems so helpless, but for that time period, she was independent.
I think I read Tess ages ago, as in more than 40 years ago when I was in high school and absolutely hated the unfairness. I think it is going to be a while before I go back to a 19th century book. The lack of character development and sub-plots leave me a bit cold.
This is my first Hardy and it's unfortunate that it sounds like his other books don't turn out as (overall) well as this one. But a "good" ending doesn't mean it's a good book to me, so maybe I'll like them. His style is very 19th century, very Dickensian, which I really like, so I was very into it. The drama in this bizarre love triangle (quadrangle?) made me want to shake various characters at some points, and ache for them in others.To your question, Emily, I didn't see it as being sarcastic toward strong women, although her treatment of Boldwood with the letter felt very stereotypical of many portrayals of men in literature, so I thought maybe Hardy was turning that on its head a bit. But she does seem to go back and forth on an emotional pendulum, in the stereotypical 19th century way (in literature at least), so I may be wrong.
Was I the only one trying to diagnose Boldwood psychologically? The man is OBSESSED to the point of being completely manipulative. I felt sorry for him initially, but he went so far beyond that in his ultimate treatment of Bathsheba (DEMANDING a promise of marriage, when she's clearly not in love with him, saying she OWES him that?) and by the end, while I don't necessarily think he needed the death penalty (obviously Troy was a mostly despicable human being), he certainly needed to be out of the picture for everyone's sake. Can you imagine if he'd actually gotten his wish? They both would have been miserable and I wonder if in his derangement he wouldn't ultimately have killed Bathsheba out of jealousy of her affections? Very disturbed.
Mmm, I didn't know this thread existed. I just finished this book a few days ago which I read with my classics group. I enjoyed this Hardy novel much more than I did Tess. I decided to read it slowly to accommodate the slow pace of the story which worked well for me. I was never anxious for things to move more quickly as I can be sometimes with novels from this time. I agree that Hardy is similar to Dickens, who I enjoy reading.IAlana, you bring up a good point about Boldwood's obsession. It really was quite out of hand. He was like some odd recluse who never gave a woman a thought until Bathsheba played a joke on him. Then he simply lost all reason and couldn't get her out of his head. He might have become a stalker in our day and age. I don't know why Bathsheba wouldn't just give him a firm No which might have alleviated his obsession somewhat. I think he felt that she owed him an answer since he felt that she led him on a bit before she married Troy. Poor man, he was willing to wait 6 years for what would have been a miserable marriage.
I found the transformation of Bathsheba interesting. I thought I wasn't going to like her since the first we saw of her, she was vain, haughty, and rude to Gabriel. But really she was an inexperienced young woman whose confidence stood her in good stead when she took inherited her uncle's farm. Unfortunately she had no real experience with men and let Troy's smooth ways turn her head and seduce her. Her unhappy marriage changed her from the confident woman she had been before. I felt bad for her for making some bad decisions that ultimately affected two men in such a deadly way.
Not to mention the sadness of the third man watching all of the goings-on from a helpless distance! Although I can't blame Troy's death or Boldwood's imprisonment on her, they both made their own choices.
