Far from the Madding Crowd

The first of Hardy's Wessex novels (1874) remains one of his best known and most popular works. Part of the attraction lies in the character of Bathsheba Everdene, who arrives in the sleepy village of Weatherbury to take charge of her late uncle's thriving farm. Strong-willed and beautiful, her presence ensures that life in the area will never be the same again, especially for her three suitors. Bathsheba's wavering passions commit her to none - and yet to all - of them, with disastrous consequences.