Far From The Madding Crowd is one of Thomas Hardy’s most famous novels and one I’ve been gleefully anticipating reading for a long time now. It follows our fiercely independent heroine Bathsheba Everdene, as she comes to the area of Weatherbury, determined to make her mark as a farmer. It wouldn’t be Hardy without a train of suitors eager to fall in love with the female lead so we are introduced to three very different men. There is Gabriel Oak, a loyal shepherd, who met Bathsheba before and now works for her on her farm. Then there is fellow farmer and perfect gentleman Boldwood who also has history with Bathsheba after she writes an ill-advised letter to him, soon to regret her actions when he responds to it. Finally, there is brash and confident soldier Sergeant Troy who catches her attention immediately. I always worry that I’m going to get tired of Hardy’s patterns in fiction, particularly the multiple suitors but for some reason, it never gets old and he manages to flesh out his characters so that they stand on their own in terms of individuality and memorability. As always, I hugely appreciate the attention to detail in terms of his female leads and their attitudes/strong personalities. Bathsheba was a fascinating character with so many different layers and it was lovely to read about an honest, flawed and opinionated woman who isn’t afraid to be ambitious and driven in her quest to better herself. Furthermore, this isn’t your typical Hardy tragedy where you’re just waiting for the literary axe to fall - it was a surprisingly gentle finale which wrapped up events perfectly. Definitely on my re-read list for the future! Four solid stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 #bookstagramuk #scottishbookstagrammer #bookreview📚 #farfromthemaddingcrowd #thomashardyfarfromthemaddingcrowd #thomashardyfans #booksandplants🌵📖 #penguinclothboundcollection #reviewingbooksonthegram #classicnovelsnevergetold #classicnovellovers https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp3K_LQLIYQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=