Book Review: Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd

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I read Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd before I started law school and liked it so much that I determined to write a modern version in my spare time. Unfortunately, such an endeavor proved to be a significant distraction. And ultimately, I never published my first novel which was entitled, The Flirtation.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a favorite because I like Hardy's realism, and down-to-earth style. I also appreciate his criticism of Victorian society and its treatment of rural people in Britain.

On a personal level, I related Hardy's novel with a story about my Scottish great-grandfather and his decade-long pursuit of my Irish great-grandmother.  

Although the book has a happy ending, it's hard to miss a timeless theme in literature: women resented for their money. Those books will be discussed in future posts.


#ThomasHardy #FarFromMaddingCrowd #VictorianLiterature #Realism #Class #Money #Power #RuralElites #Elitism #Rural #BritishSocialStructure #19thCentury



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