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rieviolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had some preconceived notions about how the story was going to unravel (based on comments heard over the years), especially in regard to the romantic relationships, but the actual narrative turned out to be quite different from my expectations. I was particularly surprised by Bathsheba and Gabriel's relationship, I thought that it would have been more prominent in terms of space dedicated to its development and exploration.
The unfolding of the story is a bit on the slow side but there are some twists and turns to keep the readers engaged, and I have to admit that I gasped at some of the more shocking events and revelations. However, I struggled a bit with the characters and their portrayals. Sometimes it was difficult to reconcile how these charaters had been built up in the narrative with their subsequent emotions and actions.
The author's portrayal of women was also a bit of a mixed bag for me personally. On the one hand, I really appreciated how Bathsheba was established as a farmer in her own right, in spite of all backlash and prejuidice. On the other, some of the comments about women (especially related to their emotional side) left a really bad taste in my mouth. Just an example from the very last chapter:
Bathsheba's feeling was always to some extent dependent upon her whim, as in the case with many other women.
Hardy is well-known for his descriptions of the landscape; certainly, there were some beautiful passages but there were also times when I felt like the focus on the natural elements was a bit excessive and
I'm still glad I finally got around to reading a novel by Hardy, but I didn't enjoy it as much as expected.
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved Bathsheba as a main character. Her independence and intemperate nature in the beginning of the story wasn't like the "strong, independent, not-like-other-girls" trope, which tends to be tacky and overboard. (Sometimes the author seems like they're trying reallllly hard for an inclusivity point, if you know what I mean.) Some people don't like the way her character changes over the course of the novel, but I think it is perfectly reasonable.
The one part of this novel that kept it from being five stars was Troy. Oh, Troy. A rakish, cajoling, manipulative man, the epitome of the folk song "The Rambling Soldier".
If anyone's interested in watching the 2015 movie adaptation, I'd recommend it! It's a pretty faithful adaptation -- it necessarily cuts out a lot of the side character happenings for the sake of time, and I don't quite like the way they represented Boldwood, but I'll forgive it all for the talented Carey Mulligan :)
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death
iwishihadmoretimetoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
nerdkitten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and War