Far From The Madding Crowd

Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood; soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each; in contrasting ways; unsettles her decisions and complicates her life; and tragedy ensues; threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex; Hardy's novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes; and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.