Far From the Madding Crowd
Difficulty: Medium
Author: Thomas Hardy
Author: Thomas Hardy
ISBN: 0141439653
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date of Published: 27 February 2003 (first published 1974)
Pages: 433 pages
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Romance, Literature
Setting: United Kingdom
Characters:
Gabriel Oaks
Bathsheba Everdene
William Bloodwood
Francis Troy
Summary
There is a woman called Bathsheba Everdene. She is a young beautiful independent woman who lives with her aunty. Someday she meets Gabriel Oak, a young farmer, which turned out to be the-boy-next-door of Bathsheba. Mr. Oak head over heels for her because of her charm and it made him wants to marry her with his entire farm in his hand. Because Bathsheba is an independent woman, she thought that if she is married she would not have the freedom she has now. She refuses his proposal because she does not love him.
After that Bathsheba moves away to town to run her uncle's prosperous farm. In the other side, Mr. Oak loses his sheep and decided to go to the town to find a job. In his travel, he found a burning farm and he helps the people there to rescue it. Without his knowledge, the farm mistress is Bathsheba so he asks her if she needs a shepherd and she hires him to work in her farm.
In this new life, Bathsheba once again stumbled upon my-neighbour-falls-in-love-with-me. This time a man called William Bloodwood who is rich and handsome. The reason why Mr. Bloodwood becomes obsessed over Bathsheba is because one time in a valentine day, Bathsheba jokingly sends him a valentine card with the words "Marry me." However, she refuses him when he proposes her, although she actually reconsider her answer.
In her love life, Bathsheba is an innocent. She has never really think about a man or love until she meets a handsome soldier named Francis Troy. He is a sergeant who works for the kingdom. At this point, Sergeant Troy managed to seduced Bathsheba and get her heart and end up marrying her.
Unbeknownst to Bathsheba, Troy has impregnated a girl and unfortunately the girl is dead during her struggle giving birth to her child.
Bathsheba finds out about the girl, Troy then runs away and people thought he have drowned. Her marriage with Troy is never be a beautiful story as Troy always spend her money and his life-style is 180 different from her. At this moment, Mr. Bloodwood who is still having an eye to Bathsheba trying to propose her again in a Christmas dinner. Bathsheba accepts his proposal but unexpectedly Troy arrives. At the end, Mr. Bloodwood shoots Troy dead and he is imprisoned due to the action.
Gabriel Oak, a man and also a friend to Bathsheba has been patiently beside her through out the moments. He gets what he deserves at the end. Bathsheba marries Gabriel and her farm becomes more prosperous.
Comment
The story is very interesting. The way Thomas Hardy packed its plot is very amusing. Also the description about the environment makes me visualise it better because it is very detail, feels like I can feel it through my skin. I recommend this book to everybody who loves love story and drama novel. It also adapted as a movie released on 2015 within the same title.
Rahma Faiezati Sofiana