A beautifully written story of love, loss, and the importance of humility. This is a novel all should read.

This was a timeless love story full of intrigue, mystery, and conflict of love. The reader is drawn completely into the world of Bathsheba Everdene. Into the thoughtless actions of her youth in the beginning to the final growth into womanhood near the end. Before the readers eyes she becomes more aware of her actions and thoughts. Just like with a real person you know there are times when you almost dislike her and other times she seems more alive than the words on the pages. The only thing really lacking is the lack of voice of Bathsheba when most of the story is told through the men of the story. But that can be eliminated as a downside when you consider the time period that the novel was written. If you enjoy the classics this is one that you will enjoy. A love story with only one true match that is written in the stars from the very beginning.

Anyone stepping into a classic 19th century novel such as this needs to leave 21st century ideas of literary style behind and immerse oneself in an entirely different world. Having once made that shift, a feast awaits. Hardy's craft and inventiveness in presenting the personality, appearance, demeanor and habits of of his characters is unmatched in English literature. He often employs what in a lesser writer might be considered a trick, that of introducing a seemingly trivial event or action that sets in motion an often cataclysmic sequence of events (in this case the ill-advised sending of a somewhat juvenile valentine). His stories begin slowly and gain momentum, often with tragic consequences. Most of his main characters are flawed or are prone to make unwise decisions; in this, they are intensely human. Hardy's turn of phrase is often exquisite, emerging clear and shining despite the archaic and (to our ears) overly complex Victorian era syntax. e.g. "That night Gabriel Oak, beneath the screen of closed eyelids, was busy with fancies and full of movement, like a river flowing rapidly under its ice."
A thoroughly satisfying novel.

Classic story of a love triangle - except with four players. An exceptional read - well worth the time and effort. Looking forward to watching the movie.

'Read Hardy' my sister said 5 years ago, 'I think you'll like him.' 862 books later, I finally took that advise and read my first Hardy.

This was a wonderfully well written and evocative story. Hardy transports you to a time and a place, he writes the landscape and the people so you can see them, envision them.

It's pretty hard not to like the character of Gabriel Oak; the steady, though unlucky, sheep farmer. His love is pure and he doesn't let either his emotions or circumstances change his opinions or alter his attitude.
It's equally hard to like either Boldwood or Troy. Men both ruled by passions they can't or won't control.
And Bathsheba lies somewhere in the middle, a very human character, endearing and maddening in turns. Admirable for the way she moves and works in what was (and probably still is) very much a man's world.

I can't say I actually really liked any of the characters. Gabriel was plodding, Troy a creep, Boldwood pushy and Bathsheba flighty; but altogether, they made for a fantastic story.

This is the second book by Thomas Hardy that I've read and I love his style of writing. It was written in 1876 but it's easy to see that people have not changed all that much. The relationships between Bathsheba and her three suitors are so real. I especially liked how Gabriel and Bathsheba interact in the story. They become even closer than friends and coworkers. Hardy's description of the fictional "Wessex" is so realistic, it will make you want to go there. It was interesting learning about how they farmed and their daily and seasonal tasks. Also, I found most of the characters very amusing. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys English lit and older romance stories.

The story of Gabriel and Bathsheba's relationship. Beautiful language and sentence structure.

I love Hardy writing, but the language of the time is tedious & sometimes hard to follow now days. I tried rereading it after the 2015 movie just to remind myself of the story.

The plot is rather too similar to cookie-cutter saccharine romances, but the other parts, the reflective essay-istic parts redeem the novel.
This edition is not a Penguin Classic, and so lacks notes and glossary for regionalisms and obsolescent terms and phrases.

I really loved the idea of reading about the Victorian working class. I was not inthralled with the love story, which was the crux of the book.