Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

One of Thomas Hardy's earlier novels, Far From the Madding Crowd was published in 1874 and became his first major success. My knowledge of Hardy's style was previously restricted to Tess, and the groundwork for it is plainly seen in this precursive pastoral drama. The tale unfolds in the half imaged, dream-like country of Wessex (South/ Southwest England), a location Hardy returns to for most of his novels and poems, and a yearning for a fictitious past. Bathseba Everdene is a young woman who inherits a farm estate from her uncle and decides to manage it herself, much to the surprise of the locals. Her independent nature and bewitching good looks soon attract a trio of suitors: the faithful shepherd, Gabriel Oak, a gentleman farmer called Boldwood, and the womanising Sergeant Troy. After playing with the emotions of the previous two suitors, Bathsheba predictably and ill advisedly marries Troy, which instigates her inevitable downfall.

Hardy juxtaposes his scenes of emotional strife with a vibrant and active natural world. Fertility and sexual desires manifest in the swollen buds of Spring and approaching disasters are marked by catastrophic thunderstorms. It's a device we're all familiar with and a convenient way for Hardy to circumvent the strict Victorian censors of the time. The local dialect is brought in to add a splash of authenticity to the proceedings, and numerous classical and biblical allusions are provided for comic or tragic effect. Despite a hackneyed plot by today's standards, there is enough romantic melodrama and pathos to strike some chords of empathy, even if most of the characters, particularly the heroine, are quite unlikable. Boldwood's character and his fall from respectable landowner to lust-crazed lunatic, along with the fate of Fanny Robbins and her child are two examples of the dark current running through Hardy's idealised Arcadia. Potent symbolism and escalating conflict made this a well-crafted and entertaining read.

Rating: 3/5