Have you ever read Far From the Madding Crowd?

Yes. I am a fan of all of Hardy’s novels but not of his poetry. His themes were considered shocking and immoral for the times. If you have any interest in the history of English lit, you have to be familiar with Hardy’s writings.

I’m reading it right now. I think it’s absolutely brilliant. I wanted to see other’s opinions.

Good news. Read the others next; Tess of the D’urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Jude the Obscure come to mind.

Lovely. :)

There’s a really obscure one, too, called The Woodlanders, which will break your poor heart in two. O he is so good…..

It’s a wonderful book—as are all of Hardy’s novels. My favorite is ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge.’ I also love ‘Jude the Obscure,’ ‘Tess of the D’urbervilles,’ and ‘The Return of the Native.’ And, yes, I love his poetry, too.

Hardy is a great writer.
Far From the Madding Crowd was the first Hardy book I read. I cried while reading the scene where Gabriel and Bathsheba are covering up the barley crop during the lightning storm.
The Mayor of Casterbridge is my favorite Hardy novel. I’m going to read Tess of the D’urbervilles in school soon.

@Gail: I feel the same way about his novels v. his poetry. It’s a shame though, because Hardy wanted to be remembered foremost as a poet.

It’s a toss up for me whether I like this or The Mayor of Casterbridge better. I love them both. I enjoyed Tess and Return of hte Native too, but the others are my favorite.