BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Gaskell Society - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Gaskell Society X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Gaskell Society REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260224T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260224T150000 DTSTAMP:20260316T204944 CREATED:20250606T172604Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T181004Z UID:7705-1771938000-1771945200@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Thomas Hardy and Elizabeth Gaskell - Far From the Madding Crowd DESCRIPTION:This event has passed. \n \n \n \n \n \n Thomas Hardy and Elizabeth Gaskell – Far From the Madding Crowd \n \n \n \n \n \n 24 February\n\n \n\n \, \n\n\n1:00 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n3:00 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n£5 – £6 \n \n \n \n Dr Diane Duffy continues her popular study session series looking at Elizabeth Gaskell’s literary legacy. This season\, she turns her attention to this classic work by Thomas Hardy. \n \n \n \n As Diane says\, “After studying the links between George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell last season\, it became plain that many themes in Gaskell’s work were recurring in Eliot’s: marriage\, education\, the position of women and the political situation in England. Another common feature was their serialisation in The Cornhill Magazine. “Cornhill readers required a specific kind of literature\, which I will talk more about in the study sessions\, so it is not surprising that Thomas Hardy\, who published his first novel\, Far from the Madding Crowd [1874] in the Cornhill\, became an obvious choice to consider as one who may have carried forward Gaskell’s legacy. On a superficial level\, the rural community in Hardy’s Wessex can be compared with Gaskell’s Cheshire in works such as Cranford\, Cousin Phyllis and Wives and Daughters. Similarly in Far From the Madding Crowd\, Hardy is looking at the role of women and their marriage choices – clearly very Gaskell!” In the novel\, Bathsheba Everdene has three suitors: the constant\, but humble\, shepherd Gabriel Oak; the lonely\, middle-aged landowner William Boldwood and the handsome\, dashing Sergeant\, Francis Troy – three very different men. Which will she choose – and will her choice be the right one? Initially we will work through the novel looking at specific chapters and incidents and their importance. These can\, where appropriate\, be compared with Gaskell. In the final session we will look more thematically at the novel as a whole. Session 4 (24 February 2026) – Chapters 36-46Session 5  (31 March 2026) Chapters 47-52Session 6 (28 April 2026 – We’ll consider some of the novel’s themes\, including setting\, gender\, religion\, humour\, and  Victorian society. These can be compared with Gaskell and her treatment of similar subjects \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Read Diane's Extracts and Points to Ponder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Doors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. Simply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Buy  Far From the Madding Crowd from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Where to find us \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n \n \n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n \n Knutsford\,\n\n\n WA16 8DY\n\n United Kingdom\n\n\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n\n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Google Calendar\n\n \n iCalendar\n\n \n Outlook 365\n\n \n Outlook Live\n\n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n Richard Hooke and his Photo-Painted Portrait of William Gaskell \n\n\n \n \n RECORDING - Ruth\, from Fact to Fiction with Livi Michael URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/thomas-hardy-and-elizabeth-gaskell-february/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/hardy-and-gaskell.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR