Far away from the hustle and bustle

Author: Hardy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-03-01
Features: "Bookworm" is a fine gift from Oxford University Press to English learners around the world. In English, "bookworm" is quite an endearing image. Imagine a "bookworm" completely immersed in books, tirelessly devouring letters. Now, this "bookworm" has crossed the seas and gently landed in the hands of Chinese English learners. "Bookworm" will first give you confidence—even if you currently have only a few hundred words, you can easily read world-famous works without much effort. The "bookworm" will also keep reminding you with its soft chirping: to persevere and read widely and extensively. By the time you finish the last book in the series, you may suddenly realize that you have transformed like a cocoon turning into a butterfly, ready to take flight! This book is the masterpiece of Thomas Hardy, one of England's greatest novelists. The protagonist, Gabriel, runs a small farm. He falls in love with Bathsheba, a hired worker who comes to help, proposes to her, but is rejected. An unexpected turn of events leads to his bankruptcy and exile. When he arrives at the farm, he is pleasantly surprised to find that the farmer is the Bathsheba he has longed for—but this time, he becomes her servant. Bathsheba's maid, Fanny, falls in love with Sergeant Troy and gets engaged to him. Fanny goes to the wrong church. Troy refuses to have a second wedding. The neighbor, Boldwood, is utterly obsessed with Bathsheba, while Bathsheba is deeply in love with Troy and, in the dark, gets married to him in a whirlwind. Gabriel and Bathsheba's relationship remains ambiguous. Boldwood kills Troy in a fit of rage and is himself sent to court. Among Bathsheba's three suitors, only Gabriel remains. After enduring the hardships of life, Bathsheba finally marries the loyal Gabriel.