Book Description
A young man falls victim to his own obsession with an amorous farm girl in this classic novel of fate and unrequited love. Published anonymously and first attributed, erroneously, to George Eliot, this Signet Classic version is set from Hardy's revised final draft-the authoritative Wessex edition of 1912.
Far from the Madding Crowd FROM THE PUBLISHER
Set in his fictional Wessex countryside in southwest England, Far from the Madding Crowd was Thomas Hardy's breakthrough work. Though it was first published anonymously in 1874, the quick and tremendous success of Far from the Madding Crowd persuaded Hardy to give up his first profession, architecture, to concentrate on writing fiction. The story of the ill-fated passions of the beautiful Bathsheba Everdene and her three suitors offers a spectacle of country life brimming with an energy and charm not customarily associated with Hardy.
FROM THE CRITICS
AudioFile
This 1874 novel set in the English Midlands has, by its author's standards, a relatively happy ending. At least the faithful Gabriel Oak eventually marries beautiful Bathsheba Everdene,whose first husband is murdered by an insane suitor, after the husband's jilted first love dies in the workhouse. Martin Shaw, while giving spirited interpretations of the characters, lays back the narrative to the point of mumbling. The abridgment is a bit too drastic to deliver the qualities that make the book special. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
AudioFile - Jo Carr
Those who relished the recent PBS series will be happy to know that this audio version is read by Gabriel Oak himself Nathaniel Parker. He and Thomas Hardy make a fine team. As the rustic workers bring in the harvest, or shear the sheep, or barter at the market their lively dialogue projects pictures of nineteenth-century Wessex that are almost as vivid as the paintings of John Constable. Nathaniel Parker seems to be one of them or all of them as he slips naturally from one character to another, even capturing the voice of Bathsheba as she laments her disastrous marriage. It all comes together in the end as she and Gabriel prepare to live happily ever after, the only Hardy characters so blessed! J.C. ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine
AudioFile - Judith S. Girardi
Hardy's rustic tale of Bathsheba Everdean and her three suitors comes to life through Thorne's expert narrative performance. Hardy's works often change pace and character quickly, a point which Thorne uses advantageously to wind us through this insightful novel. Thorne's interpretation of the text removes the distance which so often exists between Victorian literature and the modern reader. Thorne's performance skills transcend age and gender. The listener can envision each of the workers as they talk and sing in the pub, and Thorne's choice of voices for the four main characters gives added depth and presence. Textual interpretation, pacing and vocal characterization all come together to make Thorne's reading an excellent addition to any collection. J.S.G. ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine
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