"Far from the madding crowd" by Thomas Hardy

This story is centered around a young girl, and her struggle to run a farm in a man's world, whilst dealing with the attentions of 3 very different men! I think Thomas Hardy has a thing for extravagant names, because the other characters include: Bathsheba Everdene, Gabriel Oak, and Sergeant Troy!

I must admit, Hardy can be a little bit difficult to read sometimes: lots of pages with whimsical descriptions of the countryside, and farming scenes....etc....etc...Not all of the characters are likeable at first, I didn't like Bathsheba in the beginning, but she gradually grows on you, Gabriel Oak's character is the only decent one in my opinion. The novel is a tragedy, but at times the plot line can seem a bit far-fetched, and the story-line a bit slow.

I've tried to read other Hardy books, and I must say this is one of the easier ones! So if you want to try a Thomas Hardy, give this one a go first, as the story is very touching, and the ending is worth the struggle!