About this title: Hardy's first major novel tells the story of the shepherd Gabriel Oak and his long, patient devotion to the haughty Bathsheba Everdene. Bathsheba's faithless husband is murdered by a neighboring farmer, William Bellwood, who also loves her. At the end of a traumatic series of events, a chastened Bathsheba turns to Gabriel at last, valuing his ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Bros., London
Date Published: 1902
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. xii, 475 p., [2] leaves of plates: 1 ill., 1 map, ; 21 cm. Collected set ed. first issued by Osgood, McIlvaine in 1895. Cf. Purdy. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780192833914ISBN:019283391X
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 528 p. Oxford World's Classics (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Company, New York
Date Published: 1983
ISBN-13:9780312282462ISBN:031228246X
Description: Near Fine. No Jacket. Illustrated front wraps, clean. corners sharp, no crease to spine. hinges tight, text clean. 447 pages. appears as new and unread. this is the new wessex edition. movie tie in front cover with julie christie and alan bates. nice copy. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553213317ISBN:0553213318
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Cover has very minor wear, pages are unmarked. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 480 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553213317ISBN:0553213318
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Cover has very minor wear, pages are unmarked. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 480 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Signet
Date Published: 1960
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Nice soft cover, lightly read, light shelf wear to cover, light crease on spine, light aging, price sticker on front, bends on bottom corner of front cover. 382 p. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Date Published: 1968
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Nice soft cover, lightly read, light shelf wear & aging to cover, yellowing to pages, stk #2208q9. 477 p. read more
Description: Good. Spine is well creased. Covers show wear at the edges and corners. Good Grade C average reading copy. Binding is Mass Market Paperback. Pages tanning. Used books may have price stickers. Most orders ship on the next business day. read more
Description: Good. Spine is well creased. Covers show wear at the edges and corners. Good Grade C average reading copy. Binding is Mass Market Paperback. Pages tanning. Used books may have price stickers. Most orders ship on the next business day. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
ISBN-13:9780553213317ISBN:0553213318
Description: Good. Spine is smooth. Covers show some wear at the edges and corners. Good reading copy. Binding is Mass Market Paperback. Pages tanning. Used books may have price stickers. Most orders ship on the next business day. read more
Binding: Mass Market
Publisher: New American Library
Date Published: 1960
Description: Fair. 1960 Mass PB. New American Library. 382 Pgs. Several pages with underlining/notes. No highlighting. Binding solid. Heavy shelf/edge wear. Creases to cover. Few pages with small corner creases. read more
"A rather rapid read of this tale ( relative to the amount of time I have spent in my attempt to finish THE TRIAL), led me to the Afterword written by James Wright over 49 years ago. In a number of conversations, I have expressed to family and friends the need for "symmetry" in my life: my husband's teeth, the architecture of my dream-home ( forever to remain a dream), the balance of the topiaries on the mantle of my fireplace. It is all about equity and proportion, which to my mind represents ease and beauty. When I read this quote from Wright, "Sometimes, as in Far from the Madding Crowd, the central actions of the novel can be summarized so as to suggest an almost perfect symmetry," my soul cried out an affirmative, YES! Besides the often poetic prose of Hardy's work, I valued the symmetry of the story. Perhaps, I have at last discovered the basis for my love of 19th century classics...symmetry within the storyline, which "closes narrative windows." This is something else I value in my life, pronouncing projects and situations "finished". Speaking of prose, allow me to share just a snip of Madding Crowd as it compares with that which I have encountered in The Trial, the most unbalanced and wreckless novel ( in my Parthenon seeking mind) I have read in years.
Hardy: "There are accents in the eye which are not on the tongue, and more tales come from the pale lips can enter an ear. It is both the grandeur and the pain of the remoter moods that they avoid the pathway of sound."
Kafta: "...and only Kaminer faced him with his nervous grin, which, unfortunately, on grounds of humanity could not be made a subject of conversation."
New discovery about my literary-self: I value the language in a novel far more than the plot or even the characterization; which is why I tolerated MRS. DALLOWAY but have scoffed at THE TRIAL. There are those novels which have all three...they are on my favorites list."
"Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex, Hardy's novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.
This is the first of Hardy's novels that I have read. I quite enjoyed it but I think it will take me longer to get used to his style of writing. I have Tess of the Dubervilles and Hardy by Claire Tomlin on my TBR. Hopefully I will make a start on those soon."
"I loved his flowery descriptions. The way he pulled images and feeling to my mind as he described things. I enjoyed the story line. This book made me think about how little we know about that special someone we marry. This was especially true back then and with how young they sometimes were their judgment was not really developed enough to see what an impact their choices would make."
"The afterword of my 1960 copyright book begins with this, "To read the word of any famous author is in itself something of an art. A reader must develop the poise of courage in order to stay the judgement of his elders until he can read the work for himself." I have many friends who had to read this book for their 10th grade honors English class. They hate this book. As a 21 year old, I struggled with parts of this book, so I can only imagine being 15 and required to read it. The book follows the central character of Bathsheba Everdene. Bathsheba is a dark haired-dark eyed beauty who looks nothing like Julie Christie and who tempts several men around her. She has three main suitors. The first we meet being Gabriel Oak, who remains loyal to her throughout the book even though he is a poor shepard. We see Bathsheba grow and mature throughout the book. I know I questioned the experience of women during this time-period in England, and how constraining it must have been to be at the whim of men. Hardy has a way of describing the scenery so you feel as though it would appear right out your own window. This book was not exactly a fast read, but it was certainly something to be savored and it comes highly recommended to anyone who wants to escape to Casterbridge, England with a nice cup of tea."
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