Far from the Madding Crowd cover art

Far from the Madding Crowd

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Far from the Madding Crowd

By: Thomas Hardy
Narrated by: Robert Powell
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About this listen

Far from the Madding Crowd is perhaps the most pastoral of Hardy's Wessex novels. It tells the story of the young farmer Gabriel Oak and his love for and pursuit of the elusive Bathsheba Everdene, whose wayward nature leads her to both tragedy and true love. It tells of the dashing Sergeant Troy whose rakish philosophy of life was "...The past was yesterday; never, the day after." And lastly, of the introverted and reclusive gentleman farmer, Mr Boldwood, whose love fills him with "a fearful sense of exposure", when he first sets eyes on Bathsheba.

The background of this tale is the Wessex countryside in all its moods.

©2010 De Agostini UK (P)2011 Talking Classics Classics Historical Historical Fiction Romance

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This is a classic story and one I know well so I was a bit disappointed to find that it has been rather brutally abridged in this retelling, for example, cutting the attempted wedding of Troy and Fanny and omitting many of the farm workers' humorous asides. Robert Powell is a fine actor and reader but, in my opinion, the female characters were too much of a challenge for him and I could hear an odd mixture of Irish and West country accents at times. However, Hardy's masterful plotting and narrative relating to the intricate relationships between men and women carried the performance to its triumphant conclusion.

Great story, over abridged.

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Is there anything you would change about this book?

Nothing-it's my favourite of Thomas Hardy's novels. Shame this version is so abridged, leaving out key points in the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Far from the Madding Crowd?

When Oak says to Bathsheba that whenever he looks up,there she'll be, and whenever she looks up,there he'll be.

What three words best describe Robert Powell’s performance?

Stiff, unemotional, insensitive

Do you think Far from the Madding Crowd needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Of course not.What an insult to Thomas Hardy.

Any additional comments?

Robert Powell, a fine actor, was the wrong choice of narrator. His Dorset accent wasn't bad but his women's voices sounded ridiculous, squeaky and burlesque. His emphasis is wrong;there is little emotion, expression or change of mood in his tone. His voice for Boldwood was probably the best. The music was irritating,likewise dull and classical , unsuitable for an earthy, dramatic rural tale. Evocative folk melodies as in the Julie Christie film would have been better.

disappointing

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