Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) was Thomas Hardy ’s first major literary success. Centring on Bathsheba Everdene, a young woman who inherits a small farm, it follows the fortunes of three of her suitors – small-scale farmer Gabriel Oak, the more firmly-established farmer William Boldwood, and soldier Sergeant Troy. A typical pastoral tale, the plot twists and turns as coincidence, disaster, and the hearts of the characters create an ever-moving story. As the seasons pass, loves blossom and wane, and the drama builds to a crescendo that leaves all the characters’ lives changed permanently. As Bathsheba and her suitors stumble through a plot that ambles along, pushed forward by coincidence and the small wants of its characters, it quickly becomes clear that love – from solipsistic to generous – is frequently to be unrequited. Clearly, all three suitors cannot secure Bathsheba’s hand in marriage, and the soap opera-like ...